Attribute framing in CSR communication: Doing good and spreading the word – But how?

In two experiments, we investigated the effects of positive and negative attribute framing in corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication on consumer attitudes toward the firm and purchase intentions. Study 1 shows a positive main effect of positively framed CSR communication with consumer p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of business research Vol. 131; pp. 700 - 708
Main Authors Bartikowski, Boris, Berens, Guido
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Inc 01.07.2021
Elsevier B.V
Subjects
Attribute framing
Business schools
Consumer behavior
Consumer preferences
Corporate social responsibility
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hypocrisy
Marketing research
Message specificity
Product type
Hypocrisy
Corporate social responsibility
Message specificity
Product type
Attribute framing
Attribute framing Corporate social responsibility Hypocrisy Message specificity Product type
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Summary:In two experiments, we investigated the effects of positive and negative attribute framing in corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication on consumer attitudes toward the firm and purchase intentions. Study 1 shows a positive main effect of positively framed CSR communication with consumer perceived corporate hypocrisy and CSR associations as mediators. This effect tends to be stronger for products that consumers can evaluate more (as compared to less) easily. Study 2 replicates the positive main effect of Study 1 and finds the effect to be stronger for CSR communication with concrete (as compared to vague) arguments. In combination, the findings provide new insights into how attribute framing in CSR communication affects consumer reactions, additionally demonstrating product type and message specificity as boundary conditions.
ISSN:0148-2963
1873-7978
DOI:10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.059