Labor-Related CSR Communication: The Impact of Claim Types on Perceived Credibility, Skepticism, and Brand Trust

This study fills a gap in the literature and focuses specifically on labor-related CSR communication that is used by apparel retailers. In particular, this study extends the environmental marketing literature to the examination of the effect of retailers’ labor-related CSR claim types on the perceived claim skepticism, claim credibility, and subsequent brand trust. Specifically, it is proposed that associative (vs. substantive) claims will generate higher perceptions of claim skepticism (H1), lower perceptions of claim credibility (H2), and lower brand trust (H3). Further, perceived claim skepticism (H4a) and claim credibility (H4b) will mediate the effect of claim type on brand trust

Why we hop on the Boycotting Bandwagon: Consumer Motivation to Participate in Brand Boycotts on Facebook

Although brands have responded to the challenges and opportunities posed by SNSs, negative online brand communication has received less attention, and there is a significant gap in research concerning brand boycotts and SM (Albrecht, Campbell, Heinrich, & Lammel, 2013; McGriff, 2012). This study extends traditional consumer boycotting literature to SNSs. Others’ boycott participation may induce heightened perceptions of boycott success (Albrecht et al., 2013) or social pressure (Klein et al., 2004) to also participate

NCHA variable combination as a method to undertake LGBTQ + student subpopulation analyses

Objective: Combine National Collegiate Health Assessment (NCHA) measures indicating LGBTQ + membership into a single variable in order to analyze health responses of this group as compared to their cisgender, heterosexual (cis-het) peers. Participants: Students at a liberal arts university who completed the Spring 2019 NCHA-II study (n = 1107). Methods: Four different NCHA sexual orientation and gender identification variables were combined, creating a new variable to examine the campus LGBTQ + student sub-sample as a single, complete group. That group was then compared to cis-het students across multiple variables. Results: LGBTQ + students reported statistically significant differences for key variables such as suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and self-harm, as well as for stressors that impact academic success such as discrimination. Conclusions: This analysis indicates that the challenges campus LGBTQ + students face are much different than their cis-het peers. Support from campus community members is suggested to reduce negative impacts for these students

Labor-Related CSR Communication: The Impact of Claim Types on Perceived Credibility, Skepticism, and Brand Trust

This study fills a gap in the literature and focuses specifically on labor-related CSR communication that is used by apparel retailers. In particular, this study extends the environmental marketing literature to the examination of the effect of retailers’ labor-related CSR claim types on the perceived claim skepticism, claim credibility, and subsequent brand trust. Specifically, it is proposed that associative (vs. substantive) claims will generate higher perceptions of claim skepticism (H1), lower perceptions of claim credibility (H2), and lower brand trust (H3). Further, perceived claim skepticism (H4a) and claim credibility (H4b) will mediate the effect of claim type on brand trust.</p

Hopping on the brand boycotting bandwagon on Facebook: Because of the issue, others, or self-enhancement?

This study examines the influences of boycott issue importance, others’ boycott participation (i.e., the number of ‘likes’ on the brand boycott Facebook page), and scope for self-enhancement on consumers’ intentions to participate in brand boycotts on Facebook. Results of an online experiment revealed that others’ participation and boycott issue importance positively impacted consumers’ perceived scope for self-enhancement as well as their active boycott participation intentions. Further, perceived issue importance also positively influenced passive boycott participation intentions. In addition, scope for self-enhancement mediated the effects of others’ participation and boycott issue importance on both active and passive boycott participation intentions. Findings aid in enhancing brands’ understanding of what drives consumers to engage in virtual brand boycotting within digital media environments and may be used to develop more successful mediation strategies. This study empirically extends traditional consumer boycotting theory to virtual environments and reveals the potential for different boycott motivations within socially dynamic, digital environments

To trust or not to trust? The interplay between labor-related CSR claim type and prior CSR reputation of apparel retailers

Prevalent human rights violations in supply chains have tarnished apparel retailers\u27 reputations, heightening skepticism toward CSR communication. We examine the effect of labor-related CSR claim type (associative vs. substantive) on message credibility, skepticism, and retailer trust. Moreover, to determine whether CSR reputation plays a role in vulnerability to criticism, we investigate how a retailer\u27s prior CSR reputation moderates the effect of CSR claim type on consumer evaluations. Applying the framework of decoupling and cognitive dissonance theory, we propose hypotheses and test them with an online experiment. We reveal that associative CSR claims, which communicate image-oriented rather than concrete information, significantly diminish message credibility and retailer trust, while triggering skepticism. A significant interaction effect further demonstrates that when a retailer\u27s prior CSR reputation is negative, associative claims exacerbate message credibility. Our findings also indicate that positive CSR reputations do not always create a buffering halo effect. We discuss implications to develop optimal CSR communication strategies for apparel retailers

Why we hop on the Boycotting Bandwagon: Consumer Motivation to Participate in Brand Boycotts on Facebook

Although brands have responded to the challenges and opportunities posed by SNSs, negative online brand communication has received less attention, and there is a significant gap in research concerning brand boycotts and SM (Albrecht, Campbell, Heinrich, & Lammel, 2013; McGriff, 2012). This study extends traditional consumer boycotting literature to SNSs. Others’ boycott participation may induce heightened perceptions of boycott success (Albrecht et al., 2013) or social pressure (Klein et al., 2004) to also participate.</p

B Corps’ Social Media Communications during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Through the Lens of the Triple Bottom Line

The COVID-19 pandemic and rising demand for transparency has heightened the importance of sustainability communications on social media to generate deeper stakeholder engagement. Although B Corporations (B Corps), businesses committed to the triple bottom line (TBL), could serve as a catalyst for sustainable development, little is known about how they communicate on social media during a crisis. Therefore, we examined social media communications of B Corps to (1) identify salient topics and themes, (2) analyze how these themes align with the TBL, and (3) evaluate social media performance against industry benchmarks. We focused on the apparel, footwear, and accessories (AFA) sectors in the U.S. and chose Twitter, a platform known for crisis communication. Using a qualitative method, we found four topics and 21 underlying themes. Topics related to social/environmental issues and COVID-19 were most dominant, followed by product/brand promotions. Further classification of specific themes and cases from a TBL perspective demonstrated that, overall, B Corps in the AFA sectors leveraged various approaches to promote balance between each TBL dimension. Lastly, although collectively B Corps exceeded some of the Twitter industry benchmarks, at an individual level, most brands had room for improvement to build a stronger community and promote synergy among the three pillars of the TBL

B corps’ social media communications during the covid-19 pandemic: Through the lens of the triple bottom line

The COVID-19 pandemic and rising demand for transparency has heightened the importance of sustainability communications on social media to generate deeper stakeholder engage-ment. Although B Corporations (B Corps), businesses committed to the triple bottom line (TBL), could serve as a catalyst for sustainable development, little is known about how they communicate on social media during a crisis. Therefore, we examined social media communications of B Corps to (1) identify salient topics and themes, (2) analyze how these themes align with the TBL, and (3) evaluate social media performance against industry benchmarks. We focused on the apparel, foot-wear, and accessories (AFA) sectors in the U.S. and chose Twitter, a platform known for crisis com-munication. Using a qualitative method, we found four topics and 21 underlying themes. Topics related to social/environmental issues and COVID-19 were most dominant, followed by prod-uct/brand promotions. Further classification of specific themes and cases from a TBL perspective demonstrated that, overall, B Corps in the AFA sectors leveraged various approaches to promote balance between each TBL dimension. Lastly, although collectively B Corps exceeded some of the Twitter industry benchmarks, at an individual level, most brands had room for improvement to build a stronger community and promote synergy among the three pillars of the TBL