Firm-serving or public-serving? Analyzing public responses to employee volunteer program communication
Corporate Communications: An International Journal
ISSN: 1356-3289
Article publication date: 26 April 2022
Issue publication date: 20 September 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the elaboration likelihood model, this study aims to examine how employee volunteer program (EVP) type, corporate visual identity, and issue involvement affect external publics' attributions of EVPs and attitudes toward the company.
Design/methodology/approach
A 2 (EVP type: skills-based vs. not-skills-based) × 2 (salience of corporate visual identity: high vs. low) randomized experiment was conducted with 157 participants from Amazon's Mechanical Turk. A fictitious company and its EVP messages were created to control for the company's existing reputation and participants' past experiences with the company.
Findings
Participants responded positively toward EVP messages regardless of the EVP type. However, salient corporate visual identity significantly aroused participants' more attributed firm-serving motives, which led to more negative attitudes toward the company. Next, issue involvement presented its value in EVP communication as highly involved participants displayed favorable attributions of EVPs and positive attitudes toward the company.
Originality/value
This study approaches EVPs as an important CSR practice and expands the discussion on strategic CSR communication by uncovering the roles of central and peripheral cues in public responses to EVP messages. Moreover, the findings highlight the importance of fostering and enhancing publics' issue involvement in achieving successful EVP communication.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Dr. Sun Young Lee (University of Maryland) for her help and encouragement throughout this project.
Citation
Shi, D. (2022), "Firm-serving or public-serving? Analyzing public responses to employee volunteer program communication", Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 27 No. 4, pp. 690-704. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-05-2021-0061
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited