AbstractsCommunication

The purpose of this study is to identify the effects that different types of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives have on the public?s perception of petroleum companies. Previous research indicates that low fit initiatives, when compared to high fit initiatives, are likely to be met with high levels of skepticism, and that companies are perceived more negatively when expressing solely public-serving motives. The study employed a 3 (Company) x 2 (Fit) x 2 (Motivation) pretest-posttest factorial experimental design that produced 12 different versions of the experimental stimulus. The population included 240 undergraduates from classes in the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Mass Communications. The experiment, with five dependent change score variables and an open-ended thought question, gauged changes in subjects' attitudes and behaviors toward ExxonMobil, Chevron and Texaco before and after reading about a CSR initiative, one with a low fit versus one with a high fit, and one that was socially motivated versus one that was profit motivated. Findings revealed an interaction of fit with motive. Contrary to much of the previous research, results indicated that high fit, socially motivated initiatives actually elicited the most negative attitude change toward companies while for low fit, motive did not have an impact. Political affiliation affected how subjects reacted to the different CSR initiatives presented, with Democrats changing more positively to profit-motivated initiatives, and Republicans changing more positively to socially motivated initiatives.