Triadic Public-Company-Issue Relationships and Publics’ Reactions to Corporate Social Advocacy (CSA): An Application of Balance Theory

ABSTRACT Drawing from balance theory, this study examines how publics respond to CSA in terms of their identification with the company and attitude toward the company depending on their balanced state and preexisting company attitude valence. Using real companies, two online experiments were employed by replicating different social issues: abortion and gun legislation. The results showed a greater degree of consumer-company identification and company attitude changes, respectively, when people experience an imbalanced state than a balanced state. The study also showed that control mutuality perception weakened such interactions, suggesting the role of equated bilateral relationships in how publics restore the balanced state. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.