Does the CSR Message Matter? Untangling the Relationship Between Corporate–Nonprofit Partnerships, Created Fit Messages, and Activist Evaluations

Abstract

This study unpacks the complex relationship between corporate–nonprofit partnerships, corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication, and stakeholder evaluations of fit. We move beyond the fundamental question of whether partner fit matters to questions about what types of messages matter, under what conditions, and to whom. We conducted an online experiment ( N = 966) to test created fit messages’ ability to influence stakeholder perceptions of corporate–nonprofit partnership fit. Grounded in the symbiotic sustainability model, we find that created fit messaging results in stakeholders having more favorable evaluations of corporate–nonprofit partnership fit. However, we also identify differences in the effectiveness of created fit messaging across potential partnerships. In addition, we find, beyond message type and level of partner congruity, the degree of CSR activism influences stakeholders’ responses to created fit messaging in counterintuitive ways.

Judge a Nonprofit by the Partners it Keeps: How Does Cross-Sector Partnership Disclosure Influence Public Evaluations of the Nonprofit?

“…An important argument is that organizations do not casually communicate about their cross-sector partners to publics; they carefully decide how many and with whom they publicly communicate with in order to obtain social and economic capital Yang & Ji, 2019) (Du et al, 2010;Heller & Reitsema, 2010;Lichtenstein et al, 2004;. Other studies have found that different types of fit, such as functional fit, activity fit, and created fit, are important factors affecting stakeholders' responses (Kim, Sung, & Lee, 2012;Maktoufi, O'Connor, & Shumate, 2020;Nan & Heo, 2007;Simmons & Becker-Olsen, 2006).…”

“…Thus, the findings cannot be generalized to all individual publics. In addition, this study did not differentiate the type of publics and stakeholders of nonprofits, such as nonprofit employees (Herlin, 2015) or activist groups (Maktoufi, O'Connor, & Shumate, 2020). Future research should consider using either a more representative sample pool of the general public or focus on a specific stakeholder group to enhance the practical implications of portfolio strategies.…”

The impact of CSR on nonprofit outcomes: how the choice of corporate partner influences reputation and supportive intentions

“…Because consumers expect corporations to engage in CSR, effectively communicating CSR activities is critical to building awareness for CSR efforts and to deepening relationships with consumers and other stakeholders (Ajayi and Mmutle, 2021; Bortree, 2014; Dong and Rim, 2019). However, research examining how corporate reputation affects nonprofits involved in CSR partnerships from a communications perspective is underdeveloped (Maktoufi et al , 2020). As with corporations, communicating about CSR partnerships and the intended objectives from the nonprofit perspective remains a critical strategy in nonprofit organizational success (Dong and Rim, 2019; Shumate and O'Connor, 2010; Lefroy and Tsarenko, 2013).…”

“…As with corporations, communicating about CSR partnerships and the intended objectives from the nonprofit perspective remains a critical strategy in nonprofit organizational success (Dong and Rim, 2019; Shumate and O'Connor, 2010; Lefroy and Tsarenko, 2013). Ensuring the nonprofit has its own voice in these conversations may help protect nonprofit autonomy and provide nonprofit stakeholders with reassurance that the relationship will lead to mission-focused outcomes (Baur and Schmitz, 2012; Maktoufi et al , 2020; Seitanidi and Crane, 2009; Shumate and O'Connor, 2010; Lefroy and Tsarenko, 2013). Thus, the theoretical framework for this paper merges nonprofit theory developed around nonprofit–corporate partnerships—which can range from cause-marketing to philanthropy to programmatic collaborations (Dong and Rim, 2019; Dentoni et al , 2018) —and specifically focuses on the nonprofit outcomes.…”

Hometown advantage? Exploring the relationship between location, CSR/CSI and stakeholders’ behavioral intentions

“…We define stakeholder-organization relationships as "a system of mutual interdependence around common interests towards which resources (stakes), attitudes and behaviors are contextualized" (Smith, 2012, p. 840). The current study answers calls for research that examines CSR and CSI concurrently (Windsor, 2013), stakeholders' pro and anti-corporate communication in response to CSR and CSI in their community (Maktoufi et al, 2020) and geographic location as a relevant variable that should be more fully addressed in the literature (Husted et al, 2016).…”