Pub Date : 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115976
Peter Clarkson , Ru Gao , Jiaxing You , Yankun Zhou
This study extends the line of inquiry into the role of appearance in analyst performance, shifting the focus from innate features such as physical attractiveness to deliberate choices analysts make in presenting themselves within professional contexts. We find based on a sample of Chinese sell-side analysts that those with online photo IDs that present a more professional image exhibit a lower forecast accuracy, cover firms with high earnings predictability, issue more optimistic forecasts, herd to other analysts, release more favourable recommendations, and are less likely to become a star-analyst. Subsequent analysis reveals that experience and education further condition the relation between professionalism in appearance and analysts’ professional outcomes. Our evidence highlights that such choices can be interpreted through the lens of symbolic self-completion theory as informative about the quality of analysts’ output.
{"title":"Symbolic self-completion: The case of sell-side analysts","authors":"Peter Clarkson , Ru Gao , Jiaxing You , Yankun Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115976","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115976","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study extends the line of inquiry into the role of appearance in analyst performance, shifting the focus from innate features such as physical attractiveness to deliberate choices analysts make in presenting themselves within professional contexts. We find based on a sample of Chinese sell-side analysts that those with online photo IDs that present a more professional image exhibit a lower forecast accuracy, cover firms with high earnings predictability, issue more optimistic forecasts, herd to other analysts, release more favourable recommendations, and are less likely to become a star-analyst. Subsequent analysis reveals that experience and education further condition the relation between professionalism in appearance and analysts’ professional outcomes. Our evidence highlights that such choices can be interpreted through the lens of symbolic self-completion theory as informative about the quality of analysts’ output.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 115976"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-18DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115992
Bertrand Audrin, Reza Etemad-Sajadi
This paper explores the ways in which self-service technologies (SSTs) impact the relationship between consumers and retailers, drawing on the concepts of partial employee roles and psychological contract theory. It is based on interviews with 75 consumers in one of the major retailers in Switzerland. The findings identify perceived contribution/inducement ratio and trust as central in maintaining the relationship between retailers and consumers. Conversely, an insufficient contribution/inducement ratio and lack of trust threaten this relationship. Retailers must navigate the evolving role of consumers in co-production and ensure they feel empowered while tailoring SSTs to different levels of expectations. Consumers’ perceptions of control over SST interactions further mediate their engagement: tech-savvy consumers thrive in autonomous contexts, whereas others might experience stress and disengagement without sufficient support. The study highlights the complex interplay between consumer empowerment and relational dynamics in co-production environments, offering both theoretical and managerial insights into the design and implementation of SSTs.
{"title":"The impact of self-service technologies on consumer-retailer relationships: navigating trust, contribution, and the role of consumers as partial employees","authors":"Bertrand Audrin, Reza Etemad-Sajadi","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115992","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115992","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper explores the ways in which self-service technologies (SSTs) impact the relationship between consumers and retailers, drawing on the concepts of partial employee roles and psychological contract theory. It is based on interviews with 75 consumers in one of the major retailers in Switzerland. The findings identify perceived contribution/inducement ratio and trust as central in maintaining the relationship between retailers and consumers. Conversely, an insufficient contribution/inducement ratio and lack of trust threaten this relationship. Retailers must navigate the evolving role of consumers in co-production and ensure they feel empowered while tailoring SSTs to different levels of expectations. Consumers’ perceptions of control over SST interactions further mediate their engagement: tech-savvy consumers thrive in autonomous contexts, whereas others might experience stress and disengagement without sufficient support. The study highlights the complex interplay between consumer empowerment and relational dynamics in co-production environments, offering both theoretical and managerial insights into the design and implementation of SSTs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 115992"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-17DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115991
Carol L. Esmark Jones , Christian Barney Neuman , Brett Kazandjian , Joel Collier , Tyler Hancock
Anthropomorphized service and retail technologies offer many advantages for both consumers and retailers. However, the impact of anthropomorphism on consumers’ experiences with service failure and recovery is still unclear. Based on attribution theory and existing literature on anthropomorphism, this paper suggests that anthropomorphized chatbots may elicit more contempt than non-anthropomorphized ones after a service failure, which could lead to lower shopping intentions and less use of the technology. This research identifies two main factors that influence this effect: customers’ need for interaction and the use of a recommendation-based recovery strategy. Specifically, this research examines how providing alternative product suggestions during a stockout can lessen negative consumer reactions to anthropomorphized chatbots. Four studies conducted in a mobile shopping context demonstrate that anthropomorphized retail technologies can sometimes backfire during service failures, particularly for customers with low need for interaction, but offering product recommendations can improve perceptions and help restore shopping intentions.
{"title":"Don’t shoot the messenger: the impact of anthropomorphized chatbots and recommendations during a process service failure☆","authors":"Carol L. Esmark Jones , Christian Barney Neuman , Brett Kazandjian , Joel Collier , Tyler Hancock","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115991","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115991","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anthropomorphized service and retail technologies offer many advantages for both consumers and retailers. However, the impact of anthropomorphism on consumers’ experiences with service failure and recovery is still unclear. Based on attribution theory and existing literature on anthropomorphism, this paper suggests that anthropomorphized chatbots may elicit more contempt than non-anthropomorphized ones after a service failure, which could lead to lower shopping intentions and less use of the technology. This research identifies two main factors that influence this effect: customers’ need for interaction and the use of a recommendation-based recovery strategy. Specifically, this research examines how providing alternative product suggestions during a stockout can lessen negative consumer reactions to anthropomorphized chatbots. Four studies conducted in a mobile shopping context demonstrate that anthropomorphized retail technologies can sometimes backfire during service failures, particularly for customers with low need for interaction, but offering product recommendations can improve perceptions and help restore shopping intentions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 115991"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-17DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115970
Stefanie Wannow , Martin Haupt
Consumer Climate Engagement (CCE) refers to the voluntary investment of personal resources—such as time, money, and effort—to combat climate change. Given its diverse forms, from minor behavioral adjustments to major lifestyle changes, understanding the mechanisms driving CCE is essential. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Construal Level Theory (CLT), CCE is conceptualized as an exchange process in which individuals evaluate perceived costs and benefits in relation to various stakeholders. Our model links these expected costs and benefits to CCE through the mediating role of CCE value, defined as the perceived net worth of engagement. We further introduce the perceived concreteness of costs and benefits as a key moderating mechanism and examine how relationship norms—particularly exchange-based versus communal orientations—shape engagement decisions. Finally, a typology categorizes forms of CCE based on their specific cost–benefit configurations, offering structured insights to inform more effective climate engagement strategies.
{"title":"Explaining consumer climate engagement: a conceptual model and a typology based on social exchange and construal level theory","authors":"Stefanie Wannow , Martin Haupt","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115970","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115970","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Consumer Climate Engagement (CCE) refers to the voluntary investment of personal resources—such as time, money, and effort—to combat climate change. Given its diverse forms, from minor behavioral adjustments to major lifestyle changes, understanding the mechanisms driving CCE is essential. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Construal Level Theory (CLT), CCE is conceptualized as an exchange process in which individuals evaluate perceived costs and benefits in relation to various stakeholders. Our model links these expected costs and benefits to CCE through the mediating role of CCE value, defined as the perceived net worth of engagement. We further introduce the perceived concreteness of costs and benefits as a key moderating mechanism and examine how relationship norms—particularly exchange-based versus communal orientations—shape engagement decisions. Finally, a typology categorizes forms of CCE based on their specific cost–benefit configurations, offering structured insights to inform more effective climate engagement strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 115970"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-16DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116002
Chao Zhang , Jinlian Luo , Zhu Yao
From the perspective of thedual-system theory of ethical decision-making, this study develops a model to explain how customer illegitimate tasks influence the service sabotage behavior of gig workers. Based on an analysis of 415 valid responses collected from food delivery riders, on-demand errand runners, and ride-hailing drivers, the findings suggest that customer illegitimate tasks significantly promote service sabotage behavior among gig workers. Further, such tasks increase moral disengagement, which in turn fosters service sabotage. They provoke anger, which also leads to the service sabotage behavior. Perceived platform procedural fairness moderates the relationship between customer illegitimate tasks and service sabotage via anger. Lower perceived platform procedural fairness strengthens the effect of customer illegitimate tasks on anger and, consequently, on service sabotage behavior. Higher perceived platform procedural fairness makes it less likely that these tasks will lead to sabotage through anger. These findings provide important theoretical and managerial insights for research on gig work and illegitimate tasks.
{"title":"Neither side gained: Exploring the impact of customer illegitimate tasks on service sabotage behavior of gig workers","authors":"Chao Zhang , Jinlian Luo , Zhu Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>From the perspective of thedual-system theory of ethical decision-making, this study develops a model to explain how customer illegitimate tasks influence the service sabotage behavior of gig workers. Based on an analysis of 415 valid responses collected from food delivery riders, on-demand errand runners, and ride-hailing drivers, the findings suggest that customer illegitimate tasks significantly promote service sabotage behavior among gig workers. Further, such tasks increase moral disengagement, which in turn fosters service sabotage. They provoke anger, which also leads to the service sabotage behavior. Perceived platform procedural fairness moderates the relationship between customer illegitimate tasks and service sabotage via anger. Lower perceived platform procedural fairness strengthens the effect of customer illegitimate tasks on anger and, consequently, on service sabotage behavior. Higher perceived platform procedural fairness makes it less likely that these tasks will lead to sabotage through anger. These findings provide important theoretical and managerial insights for research on gig work and illegitimate tasks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"207 ","pages":"Article 116002"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115996
Julia Pueschel , Shuyi Hao , Bernd Schmitt
This research investigates luxury shaming—the social act of assigning negative judgment or disapproval to individuals who engage in luxury consumption. We explore how consumers shame others, and how shamed consumers experience, feel, and cope with such judgments. Methodologically, we integrate traditional qualitative techniques and innovative Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) analysis. Results reveal that luxury shaming is enacted through distinct shaming categories found in the marketplace—intellectual, economic, socio-cultural, physical/aesthetic, and ethical/moral—and triggers emotional responses ranging from embarrassment to guilt and anxiety. Furthermore, we identify three bipolar coping dimensions—stylistic, social-interactive, and value-related—each encompassing two distinct strategies that consumers use to maintain engagement with luxury consumption. Key contributions include expanding the luxury consumption literature by examining its negative consequences, advancing the understanding of shaming-related emotions in consumer behavior, and, methodologically, demonstrating GenAI’s role in complementing qualitative analysis.
{"title":"Understanding luxury shaming: a multi-study exploration using qualitative inquiry and generative AI","authors":"Julia Pueschel , Shuyi Hao , Bernd Schmitt","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115996","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115996","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This research investigates luxury shaming—the social act of assigning negative judgment or disapproval to individuals who engage in luxury consumption. We explore how consumers shame others, and how shamed consumers experience, feel, and cope with such judgments. Methodologically, we integrate traditional qualitative techniques and innovative Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) analysis. Results reveal that luxury shaming is enacted through distinct shaming categories found in the marketplace—intellectual, economic, socio-cultural, physical/aesthetic, and ethical/moral—and triggers emotional responses ranging from embarrassment to guilt and anxiety. Furthermore, we identify three bipolar coping dimensions—stylistic, social-interactive, and value-related—each encompassing two distinct strategies that consumers use to maintain engagement with luxury consumption. Key contributions include expanding the luxury consumption literature by examining its negative consequences, advancing the understanding of shaming-related emotions in consumer behavior, and, methodologically, demonstrating GenAI’s role in complementing qualitative analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"206 ","pages":"Article 115996"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115983
Beini Liu , Scott B Dust , Minya Xu , Xinyu Zhang
Enhancing organizational competitiveness significantly depends on employees’ knowledge sharing, a vital behavior that leaders are likely to influence their followers to participate in. Based on social information processing theory, we theorize that leader mindfulness impacts followers’ tacit and explicit knowledge sharing through two distinct mechanisms: followers’ prosocial motivation and image preservation motivation. Findings from a pilot study and a multi-wave, multi‑source field study indicate that leader mindfulness influences follower tacit knowledge sharing through follower prosocial motivation and follower explicit knowledge sharing through follower image preservation motivation; follower mindfulness amplifies both indirect effects. Supplemental analyses uncover a further pathway: leader mindfulness also promotes follower explicit knowledge sharing via prosocial motivation, whereas the image preservation route does not extend to tacit knowledge sharing. We discuss theoretical and practical implications related to knowledge sharing and leader mindfulness.
{"title":"Sharing for the right reasons? Influence of leader mindfulness on follower tacit and explicit knowledge sharing","authors":"Beini Liu , Scott B Dust , Minya Xu , Xinyu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115983","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115983","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enhancing organizational competitiveness significantly depends on employees’ knowledge sharing, a vital behavior that leaders are likely to influence their followers to participate in. Based on social information processing theory, we theorize that leader mindfulness impacts followers’ tacit and explicit knowledge sharing through two distinct mechanisms: followers’ prosocial motivation and image preservation motivation. Findings from a pilot study and a multi-wave, multi‑source field study indicate that leader mindfulness influences follower tacit knowledge sharing through follower prosocial motivation and follower explicit knowledge sharing through follower image preservation motivation; follower mindfulness amplifies both indirect effects. Supplemental analyses uncover a further pathway: leader mindfulness also promotes follower explicit knowledge sharing via prosocial motivation, whereas the image preservation route does not extend to tacit knowledge sharing. We discuss theoretical and practical implications related to knowledge sharing and leader mindfulness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"206 ","pages":"Article 115983"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115985
Chiung-Yi Hwang, Hao-Chen Chen
Building on the resource-based view (RBV) and the social exchange theory (SET), this study advances the alliance theory by revealing configurational complementarity as a fundamental mechanism governing breakthrough innovation in R&D alliance portfolios. Through analysis of 455 U.S. information and communication technology firms, we demonstrate that optimal innovation outcomes emerge through strategic alignment between resource optimization and relational governance rather than independent factor maximization. We advance RBV from static resource accumulation toward dynamic resource optimization by showing that knowledge similarity—technological similarity and market knowledge similarity—operates through optimal thresholds rather than linear benefits. We refine SET through conditional exchange mechanisms, indicating that trust dimensions—goodwill trust and competence trust—create differential governance effects depending on alliance knowledge structure rather than universal reciprocity. These insights establish that breakthrough innovation requires configurational thinking, recognizing the interdependence between knowledge diversity and trust relationships.
{"title":"The Knowledge-Trust Nexus: Unraveling dual trust and knowledge similarity paths to breakthrough innovation in the ICT sector","authors":"Chiung-Yi Hwang, Hao-Chen Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115985","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115985","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Building on the resource-based view (RBV) and the social exchange theory (SET), this study advances the alliance theory by revealing configurational complementarity as a fundamental mechanism governing breakthrough innovation in R&D alliance portfolios. Through analysis of 455 U.S. information and communication technology firms, we demonstrate that optimal innovation outcomes emerge through strategic alignment between resource optimization and relational governance rather than independent factor maximization. We advance RBV from static resource accumulation toward dynamic resource optimization by showing that knowledge similarity—technological similarity and market knowledge similarity—operates through optimal thresholds rather than linear benefits. We refine SET through conditional exchange mechanisms, indicating that trust dimensions—goodwill trust and competence trust—create differential governance effects depending on alliance knowledge structure rather than universal reciprocity. These insights establish that breakthrough innovation requires configurational thinking, recognizing the interdependence between knowledge diversity and trust relationships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"206 ","pages":"Article 115985"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115988
Britta C. Brugman , Sarah Marschlich , Olga Eisele , Sonia J. Shaikh
Organizations are increasingly engaging in and taking a stance on public debates about controversial sociopolitical issues. This study explores how stakeholders’ political predispositions (i.e., political orientation and political trust) and contextual attitudes (i.e., societal issue salience and CSA skepticism) shape their attitudes toward CSA. The results of a preregistered representative survey in the Netherlands (N = 1,863) showed that stakeholder attitudes toward CSA are more positive when individuals identify less as conservative, trust political institutions more, and are more aware of major social (as opposed to economic or safety-related) issues. Moreover, we found an interaction effect between CSA skepticism and social issue salience on attitudes toward CSA: CSA attitudes become more positive with increasing social issue salience among highly skeptical individuals than among those with moderate or low CSA skepticism. These findings improve our understanding of the determinants of overall (favorable) evaluations of CSA across organizations and issue domains.
{"title":"Advocating for good? Individual-level political predictors of attitudes toward corporate sociopolitical activism","authors":"Britta C. Brugman , Sarah Marschlich , Olga Eisele , Sonia J. Shaikh","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115988","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115988","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organizations are increasingly engaging in and taking a stance on public debates about controversial sociopolitical issues. This study explores how stakeholders’ political predispositions (i.e., political orientation and political trust) and contextual attitudes (i.e., societal issue salience and CSA skepticism) shape their attitudes toward CSA. The results of a preregistered representative survey in the Netherlands (<em>N</em> = 1,863) showed that stakeholder attitudes toward CSA are more positive when individuals identify less as conservative, trust political institutions more, and are more aware of major social (as opposed to economic or safety-related) issues. Moreover, we found an interaction effect between CSA skepticism and social issue salience on attitudes toward CSA: CSA attitudes become more positive with increasing social issue salience among highly skeptical individuals than among those with moderate or low CSA skepticism. These findings improve our understanding of the determinants of overall (favorable) evaluations of CSA across organizations and issue domains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"206 ","pages":"Article 115988"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115990
Antonella Cammarota , Mario D’Arco , Vittoria Marino , Riccardo Resciniti
Effectively communicating authentic brand activism and garnering consumer support remains ongoing challenges for brands. This study examines how they can develop and communicate authentic brand activism on social media, and how consumers respond to such communication over time. Using a Computational Grounded Theory (CGT) approach, we analyzed 489 activist posts and 17,634 user comments on Instagram from a reputable activist brand. Findings reveal the Brand Activism Path (BAP), driven by “activism intensity”, which is expressed through messaging frequency and tone of voice. The results also show that adverse reactions stem from ideological misalignment and perceived brand over-politicization, highlighting that backlash extends beyond perceptions of inauthenticity. Finally, we propose the Activism Intensity-Response Matrix (AIRM), which categorizes distinct forms of brand activism based on the intensity of activism and consumer responses. These insights can guide managers in developing effective activist communication and sustaining audience support, while outlining empirically testable pathways grounded in the research propositions.
{"title":"The brand activism path: Mapping the activism intensity and consumer responses","authors":"Antonella Cammarota , Mario D’Arco , Vittoria Marino , Riccardo Resciniti","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115990","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.115990","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effectively communicating authentic brand activism and garnering consumer support remains ongoing challenges for brands. This study examines how they can develop and communicate authentic brand activism on social media, and how consumers respond to such communication over time. Using a Computational Grounded Theory (CGT) approach, we analyzed 489 activist posts and 17,634 user comments on Instagram from a reputable activist brand. Findings reveal the <em>Brand Activism Path (BAP),</em> driven by “activism intensity”, which is expressed through messaging frequency and tone of voice. The results also show that adverse reactions stem from ideological misalignment and perceived brand over-politicization, highlighting that backlash extends beyond perceptions of inauthenticity. Finally, we propose the <em>Activism Intensity-Response Matrix (AIRM)</em>, which categorizes distinct forms of brand activism based on the intensity of activism and consumer responses. These insights can guide managers in developing effective activist communication and sustaining audience support, while outlining empirically testable pathways grounded in the research propositions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"206 ","pages":"Article 115990"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号