TY - JOUR

T1 - To donate or not to donate? How cosmopolitanism and brand anthropomorphism influence donation intentions for international humanitarian causes

AU - Dalman, M. Deniz

AU - Ray, Subhasis

N1 - Deniz Dalman, M.To donate or not to donate? How cosmopolitanism and brand anthropomorphism influence donation intentions for international humanitarian causes / M. Deniz Dalman, S. Ray // Management Research Review. - 2021. - URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/MRR-04-2020-0240/full/html Publisher Copyright: © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

PY - 2021/8/30

Y1 - 2021/8/30

N2 - Purpose: There are vast opportunities for nonprofit organizations (NPOs) globally to find support for international humanitarian causes. However, donors/consumers are not always willing to contribute for such causes. This study aims to investigate how potential donor perceptions are shaped to gain wider support and aims to build a model that could guide managers of NPOs in their communication strategy. Design/methodology/approach: Two scenario-based experiments with the participation of graduate students from an Indian university were conducted. Findings: Cosmopolitan people have the higher moral judgment of the international causes championed by NPOs. However, anthropomorphizing the NPO’s message elevates the moral judgments among non-cosmopolitans. Process tests indicate that these moral judgments indirectly impact donation intentions for these causes. Research limitations/implications: The paper only investigates donation intention for poverty and not humanitarian causes such as access to drinking water. Moreover, the campaign chosen takes place only in Africa (e.g. not in Asia or Latin America). Practical implications: NPOs could tailor their marketing messages for international humanitarian causes by targeting cosmopolitan donors/consumers and using humanization as the branding strategy. Originality/value: This research contributes to theory by showing how consumers who would otherwise not contribute to an out-group could be influenced positively by the NPOs’ branding strategy.

AB - Purpose: There are vast opportunities for nonprofit organizations (NPOs) globally to find support for international humanitarian causes. However, donors/consumers are not always willing to contribute for such causes. This study aims to investigate how potential donor perceptions are shaped to gain wider support and aims to build a model that could guide managers of NPOs in their communication strategy. Design/methodology/approach: Two scenario-based experiments with the participation of graduate students from an Indian university were conducted. Findings: Cosmopolitan people have the higher moral judgment of the international causes championed by NPOs. However, anthropomorphizing the NPO’s message elevates the moral judgments among non-cosmopolitans. Process tests indicate that these moral judgments indirectly impact donation intentions for these causes. Research limitations/implications: The paper only investigates donation intention for poverty and not humanitarian causes such as access to drinking water. Moreover, the campaign chosen takes place only in Africa (e.g. not in Asia or Latin America). Practical implications: NPOs could tailor their marketing messages for international humanitarian causes by targeting cosmopolitan donors/consumers and using humanization as the branding strategy. Originality/value: This research contributes to theory by showing how consumers who would otherwise not contribute to an out-group could be influenced positively by the NPOs’ branding strategy.

KW - Brand anthropomorphism

KW - Charitable donation

KW - Cosmopolitanism

KW - Ethical judgments

KW - International humanitarian causes

KW - Marketing management

KW - Non-profit organizations

KW - WARMTH

KW - CONSUMER ETHNOCENTRISM

KW - SELF

KW - COMPETENCE

KW - BUSINESS-LIKE

KW - NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

KW - STEREOTYPE CONTENT

KW - CONCEPTUALIZATION

KW - PHILANTHROPY

KW - JUDGMENTS

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85113874972&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/00ac11c0-a904-3dc5-8dae-bc584e1e65bf/

U2 - 10.1108/mrr-04-2020-0240

DO - 10.1108/mrr-04-2020-0240

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85113874972

JO - Management Research Review

JF - Management Research Review

SN - 2040-8269

ER -