Problem Chain Recognition Effect and CSR Communication: Examining the Impact of Issue Salience and Proximity on Environmental Communication Behaviors

This study applied the STOPS theory and tested the mechanism of problem chain recognition effect in the realm of environmental corporate communication. Using environmental issue salience and issue proximity as two manipulated variables, this study conducted an experiment to examine the mechanism of the problem chain recognition (PCR) effect, which suggested that the perception of a more salient issue (climate change) will be transferred to related less salient issues (air pollution/land degradation). Thus, through a 2 (issue salience: salient vs. non-salient) × 2 (issue proximity: local vs. global) experimental design, this study suggested that if individuals have high motivation for climate change problem, they are more likely to perceive and talk about other related lesser known environmental issues, and are also likely to have environmental CSR supportive behavioral intentions. Notably, the location of the environmental issue has an important impact only on individuals’ problem recognition for environmental issues and it leads to only passive communicative behavior. Whereas, involvement recognition leads to both active as well as passive communicative behavior. Theoretical implications related to the STOPS are explained. Practical implications are discussed for environmentalists for developing effective message strategies to increase public engagement with environmental issues. Also, using the PCR effect, public relations professionals can identify and target their key stakeholders effectively for garnering their support for salient as well as non-salient issues

Examining the Impact of Issue Salience, Issue Proximity, Situational Motivation, and Communicative Behaviors on Environmental CSR Outcomes

Climate change has become a life-threatening problem. Guided by the Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS), the main goal of this experimental study is to understand the relationship between issue salience, issue proximity, communicative behavior for environmental issues, situation motivation for climate change, and environmental CSR (ECSR) supportive outcomes. This study used a U.S. sample (N = 440) recruited from a Qualtrics online panel and conducted a 2 (issue salience: salient vs. non-salient) × 2 (issue proximity: local vs. global) experimental design to examine the role of issue salience and issue proximity on individuals’ environmentally friendly CSR outcomes. The structural equation model indicated that issue proximity has no significant impact, but issue salience impacted communicative behavior for environmental issues, which then predicted ECSR-supportive behavioral intentions. Importantly, most STOPS research has employed situational motivation as a mediator, but this study took a novel approach by assessing the impact of situational motivation as an independent variable on CAPS as well as environmental CSR outcomes. The results suggest that individuals with a higher motivation to solve the problem of climate change are not only likely to communicate about environmental issues (e.g., air pollution) with others but are also likely to support ECSR programs through positive word-of-mouth and higher purchase intentions. This study provides some noteworthy theoretical and practical contributions in the realm of ECSR communication by elucidating the impact of issue types and individuals’ communicative behaviors in supporting a company’s ECSR programs

Communicative action and supportive behaviors for environmental CSR practices: an attitude-based segmentation approach

PurposeWhile the segmentation approach has been frequently employed to explore individuals' environment-friendly behaviors, the investigation of environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication by using such a method is limited. Given that the importance of the role of public segmentation is well documented in both public relations and environmental management literatures, the present study attempts to fill the gap by exploring whether consumers can be segmented on the basis of attitudinal factors, and, if so, how this segmentation informs communication efforts aimed at promoting companies' environmental CSR programs.Design/methodology/approachThis segmentation approach is examined based on a survey of 470 participants. Results of a k-means cluster analysis identified three subgroups: active publics, aware publics and latent publics.FindingsSurvey results provide empirical support evidence on how different public segmentation approaches can be used to predict individual communication behaviors on environmental CSR issues. Segmentation approach that considered individuals' attitudes on environmental issues and their perceptions on company environmental CSR practices helps identify three subgroups. Significant differences regarding communicative action and supporting behaviors among the three groups are identified and discussed.Originality/valueThis study provides key insights about public segmentation and different publics' communicative action, and supportive behaviors provide direction for future research investigations that will strengthen theoretical arguments and best practices in public relations

Nike, Colin Kaepernick, and the politicization of sports: Examining perceived organizational motives and public responses

•The public has inferred various motives behind Nike’s CSA efforts, resulting in polarized word-of-mouth intentions about Nike’s stance on a socio-political issue.•Public approval of the politicization of sports moderates the relationship between individuals’ attitudes toward the company and word-of-mouth intentions.•Study results suggest a possibility that there may be differences between how individuals evaluate motives in the context of CSR vs. CSA. This study applies arguments from attribution theory to examine the role of perceived motives (values-driven, egoistic-driven, strategic-driven, and stakeholder-driven motives) in developing individuals’ attitudes, positive word-of-mouth (PWOM), and negative word-of-mouth (NWOM) intentions in response to Nike’s 30th Anniversary ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. This study also examines how perceptions of the appropriateness of the politicization of sports moderate these relationships, as well as individual factors that predict people’s assessments of sports as a politicized event. A survey (N = 373) was conducted to examine how much people’s perceptions of Nike’s motives for engaging in Corporate Social Advocacy (CSA) guided their responses and the degree to which they were likely to engage in actions. Implications for theory and practice are discussed

What Shapes Environmental Responsibility Perceptions? Measuring Value Orientations as a Predictor of Situational Motivations and Communicative Action

This study investigates individuals' cognitive, motivational, and communication responses regarding an environmental CSR issue using arguments from the situational theory of problem-solving (STOPS) with a cross-situational factor as an antecedent. Survey results provide empirical support for the application of the STOPS in a CSR communication context and suggest that a collectivistic orientation predicts individuals' situational perceptions and cognitive reactions toward organizations' environmental CSR efforts. Theoretical and practical implications for strategic communicators are discussed