The Role of Moral Decoupling on Corporate Social Advocacy Support: Testing Moral Decoupling Theory Across Causes

Abstract

The study tested moral decoupling (MD) in two corporate social advocacy (CSA) contexts: climate justice and racial justice. It examined the relationships between MD and advocacy support and the impact of CSA support on consumer and advocacy outcomes. Participants (N = 1246) completed an online survey about their attitudes and behaviors related to these advocacy causes. Results suggest that immorality judgment, not performance judgment, mediated the relationship between MD and CSA support across causes. CSA support was positively associated with advocacy intention, positive word-of-mouth (PWOM), and buying intention. The study highlights theoretical implications for MD in CSA and discusses practical implications for CSA efforts and strategic public relations management.

Keywords

corporate social advocacy moral decoupling performance judgment immorality judgment climate justice racial justice

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