How companies' good deeds encourage consumers to adopt pro-social behavior

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the effects of company CSR initiatives on two consumers\u2019 pro-social behaviors closely related to the social cause promoted by the company, such as consumers donating money and volunteering time. In addition, the role of moral elevation as a mediating variable in such relationships is tested. Design/methodology/approach: After an exploratory study, we tested the role of moral elevation as a mediator that facilitates the effects of company CSR activities in social domains on two specific types of pro-social behavior displayed by consumers: donating money and volunteering time for the same cause sponsored by the company. We conducted two quantitative studies to test our hypotheses. In Study 1, we considered the two pro-social behaviors as intentions; in Study 2, we analyzed them as actual behaviors. In both studies, we conducted controlled experiments administered in the field. By using experimental and control conditions, we were able to manipulate corporate responsible actions in social contexts and a mediational analysis was conducted. Findings: Our results show that moral elevation mediates the positive relationship between the (1) CSR activity and consumer intention to donate (actual consumer donating behavior) to social causes and the (2) CSR activity and volunteering intention (actual volunteering behavior). Originality/value: This paper contributes to furthering CSR theory by showing the positive effects of company CSR initiatives on two pro-social \u201csecondary\u201d outcomes and the mediating role played by moral elevation. Important implications for the role of CSR are derived for companies and society in general

No Consumer Is an Island—Relational Disclosure as a Regulatory Strategy to Advance Consumer Protection Against Microtargeting

Presently, most business-to-consumer interaction uses consumer profiling to elaborate and deliver personalized products and services. It has been observed that these practices can be welfare-enhancing if properly regulated. At the same time, risks related to their abuses are present and significant, and it is no surprise that in recent times, personalization has found itself at the centre of the scholarly and regulatory debate. Within currently existing and forthcoming regulations, a common perspective can be found: given the capacity of microtargeting to potentially undermine consumers’ autonomy, the success of the regulatory intervention depends primarily on people being aware of the personality dimension being targeted. Yet, existing disclosures are based on an individualized format, focusing solely on the relationship between the professional operator and its counterparty; this approach operates in contrast to sociological studies that consider interaction and observation of peers to be essential components of decision making. A consideration of this “relational dimension” of decision making is missing both in consumer protection and in the debate on personalization. This article defends that consumers’ awareness and understanding of personalization and its consequences could be improved significantly if information was to be offered according to a relational format; accordingly, it reports the results of a study conducted in the streaming service market, showing that when information is presented in a relational format, people’s knowledge and awareness about profiling and microtargeting are significantly increased. The article further claims the potential of relational disclosure as a general paradigm for advancing consumer protection

Fashion without pollution: How consumers evaluate brands after an NGO campaign aimed at reducing toxic chemicals in the fashion industry

This research analyzes the effects on consumer responses of an NGO campaign (Greenpeace\u2019s 2011 Detox campaign), aimed at reducing toxic chemicals in the manufacturing processes and final products of fashion brands. The proposed model explains and tests the mechanisms underlying negative consumer reactions to the fashion brands that are the focus of NGO campaigns. The findings illustrate the mediating role that consumers\u2019 evaluations of brand blame play in their attitude towards such brands and subsequent purchase intentions. Two relevant moderators \u2013 (1) consumer reasons for justifying brands\u2019 unethical behavior in the market and (2) the decision of certain brands to comply with the NGO campaign\u2019s requests \u2013 play a significant part in the mediation mechanism. These findings make original contributions to theory and have important implications for consumers, companies, and NGOs, because they provide fresh insights into understanding, and handling effectively, consumer reactions to NGO campaigns aimed at reducing the use of toxic chemicals in the fashion industry

Consumer Response to Corporate Irresponsible Behavior: Moral Emotions and Virtues

A unique theoretical framework for explaining consumer word of mouth and protest behaviors against corporate irresponsibility is developed and tested. Through field surveys with adult consumers, this study demonstrates how consumers\u2019 negative moral emotional responses to corporate infractions instigate, in combination with other-regarding virtues, negative word of mouth and protest toward the corporation. Negative moral emotions include contempt, anger, and disgust; whereas other-regarding virtues entail justice, beneficence, and communal cooperation. The results provide scholars and managers with means of improving their understanding and handling of consumers\u2019 reactions to corporate irresponsibility

My anger is your gain, my contempt your loss: Explaining consumer responses to corporate wrongdoing

Two forms of consumer response to corporate wrongdoing are constructive punitive actions (i.e., those designed to induce firms to change their behavior but with the hope of sustaining relationships with consumers) and destructive punitive actions (i.e., those intended to discredit or harm firms, ultimately leading to disengagement from firms). This study investigates the conditions under which one or the other actions are taken and shows that anger regulates the former, whereas contempt governs the latter. Hypotheses are tested in two studies: a laboratory experiment and a naturalistic field study with an actual instance of recent corporate malfeasance. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed

The satiating power of sustainability: the effect of package sustainability on perceived satiation of healthy food

Purpose This research investigates the influence of package sustainability on food satiation perception. Design/methodology/approach Research hypotheses were tested through three experimental studies. Findings Three experimental studies show that food quality is associated to higher perceived food satiation (preliminary study); that a food packaged in a sustainable package is perceived as more satiating than the same food packaged in a non-sustainable package and that this effect is explained by the higher perceived quality triggered by the presence of a sustainable package (Study 1); and that the positive relationship between higher perceived quality and perceived satiation is verified only for healthy but not for unhealthy foods (Study 2). Originality/value The present research advances knowledge on the highly debated issue of sustainable food packages. By proposing that consumers might perceive a healthy food presented in a sustainable package as more satiating, the authors show another extrinsic packaging cue modifying consumers' perception, namely package sustainability

Reshoring from a demand-side perspective: Consumer reshoring sentiment and its market effects

Reshoring is the company decision to relocate activities back to the home country. Our study complements the existing research in IB by adopting a demand-side perspective. We identify new, demand-based drivers for reshoring that integrate with the firm-based ones, thereby further informing the company decision process in this context. We develop a Consumer Reshoring Sentiment (CRS) scale through multiple studies conducted on consumers (total =1149) in two countries. Our findings reveal: six demand-based drivers that compose CRS; a link between CRS and consumer willingness to reward the reshoring company; and the effectiveness of CRS in segmenting and targeting the market

Consumer Reshoring Sentiment and Animosity: Expanding our understanding of market responses to reshoring

Although an increasing body of research has focused attention on reshoring, namely, a company’s decision to relocate activities back to the home-country, how and when reshoring impacts market responses remains largely understudied and requires specific theoretical and empirical consideration. Our study complements existing research on reshoring by adopting a demand-side perspective. Through multiple, experimental and survey-based studies, conducted in two countries (Italy and the US), we verified that the interplay between Consumer Reshoring Sentiment (CRS) and Consumer Animosity (CA) leads to specific emotional reactions (gratitude and relief) which, in their turn, affect relevant market responses (positive word of mouth, willingness to buy, advocacy behaviors). Our work provides interesting insights for practitioners and international managers evaluating reshoring; they can capitalize on the positive market responses to reshoring by considering both reshoring sentiments characterizing the home-country market and consumer animosity associated with tensions between the countries involved in the reshoring decision

The dark side of consumer-smart object relationship: A non-user perspective

4noopenSmart Objects promise to become an essential presence in consumer life and routines. Due to their abilities, these devices can be perceived as a social entity and also able to play different kinds of social roles. However, the diffusion of Smart Objects is not meeting the expectation. Pivoting on Smart Object social roles, the relational approach, already used in the marketing literature, can be an appropriate tool to understand the non-user resistance toward these innovative devices with anthropomorphic features. Thirty-three non-users participated in ZMET interviews. Four types of fears emerged from the coding of the interviews. Each fear is associated with a specific social role played by the Smart Object: Fear of Being Controlled (the Smart Object as a Stalker); Fear of Being Dominated (the Smart Object as a Captor); Fear of Being Subordinated (the Smart Object as a Master); Fear of Losing Self-Control (the Smart Object as a Seducer).openAccademicoMonsurrò Luigi, Querci Ilaria, Peverini Paolo, Romani SimonaMonsurrò, Luigi; Querci, Ilaria; Peverini, Paolo; Romani, Simon