Corporate support for the sustainable development goals: Effects of symbolic and substantive communication

IF 3.4 3区管理学 Q2 BUSINESS

Public Relations Review Pub Date : 2025-02-25 DOI:10.1016/j.pubrev.2025.102545

Cassandra L.C. Troy , Nicholas Eng , Holly Overton

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The public increasingly expects companies to speak out and act in relation to serious societal issues and corporate involvement is necessary to accomplish the SDGs. At the same time, scholars have noted a tendency toward symbolic (i.e., not supported by evidence or organizational change) corporate support for the SDGs. Guided by legitimacy theory, we used an online experiment to understand how symbolic and substantive corporate social responsibility and corporate social advocacy messaging related to SDG 3 and SDG 13 affected consumer perceptions and behavior intentions. Altogether, participants reacted favorably and similarly to SDG messaging compared to a control message. However, substantive communication offered advantages in terms of higher ratings of company reputation and lower perceptions of hypocrisy. Meanwhile, CSR messages could be particularly helpful for reducing perceptions of hypocrisy alongside boycott intentions. Finally, perceptions of moral legitimacy, authenticity, and hypocrisy acted as mediators.

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企业对可持续发展目标的支持：象征性和实质性沟通的效果

公众越来越希望企业就严重的社会问题发表意见并采取行动，企业参与是实现可持续发展目标的必要条件。与此同时，学者们注意到，企业对可持续发展目标的支持倾向于象征性（即没有证据或组织变革的支持）。在合法性理论的指导下，我们使用在线实验来了解与可持续发展目标3和可持续发展目标13相关的象征性和实质性企业社会责任以及企业社会倡导信息如何影响消费者的认知和行为意愿。总的来说，与控制信息相比，参与者对可持续发展目标信息的反应是积极和相似的。然而，实质性的沟通在提高公司声誉评级和降低对虚伪的感知方面具有优势。与此同时，企业社会责任信息可能特别有助于减少人们对虚伪和抵制意图的看法。最后，对道德合法性、真实性和伪善的认知起到了中介作用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Public Relations Review Multiple-

CiteScore

8.00

自引率

19.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Public Relations Review is the oldest journal devoted to articles that examine public relations in depth, and commentaries by specialists in the field. Most of the articles are based on empirical research undertaken by professionals and academics in the field. In addition to research articles and commentaries, The Review publishes invited research in brief, and book reviews in the fields of public relations, mass communications, organizational communications, public opinion formations, social science research and evaluation, marketing, management and public policy formation.