Framing CSR Messages for Involved Publics: The Cognitive Mediation and Bi-Moderation of Affect on Attitude and Behavioral Intent

• In Event: Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility

Abstract

This study examined the significance of issue involvement on affect and consequently on attitude and behavioral intention toward the organization upon exposure to CSR messages framed episodically and thematically. The influence of cognitive elaboration on affect and the possible confounding influences from stakeholder characteristics such as trust in organizational communication and dispositional scepticism were also examined. Results from two online experiments with 98 and 111 respondents each revealed that for both types of messages, individuals’ level of issue involvement directly led to positive affect, which, in turn, led to positive attitude and behavioral intention toward the organization. However, the level of thought given to only episodically-framed messages mediated the relationship between issue involvement and positive affect. Individuals’ perceived trustworthiness of and skepticism toward organizational communication moderated the relationship between affect and their attitude toward the organization but not their behavioral intention, and only when exposed to episodically-framed messages.

Authors

• Ganga Sasidharan Dhanesh, Zayed U

• Elmie Nekmat