Marks of Distinction

Abstract

In examining how framing influences an audience's appreciation of products, practices, and people, including the framer, we take the perspective of the audience that evaluates the framing. We examine the effects of framing on evaluations when audiences are exposed to a multiplicity of frames, both by the same actor as the result of recurrent communications over time and by multiple actors who vie for attention. Using 36,012 research reports by securities analysts, covering the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry between 1989 and 2012, we tested the relationships between analysts' framing repertoires and professional investors' evaluations of analysts as measured in the publication of Institutional Investor's short list of the best analysts of the year. We found that investors appreciate analysts with framing repertoires that resonate with their needs, that are internally coherent over time, and that offer a moderate amount of novelty in comparison to others' framings. We also found that framing is particularly important for analysts without existing high status, that is, who have never before been recognized as stars or who cannot benefit from association with a prestigious employer.

How Pro-social Framing Affects the Success of Crowdfunding Projects: The Role of Emphasis and Information Crowdedness

“…Framing is the selection, packaging and organization of information about an object (e.g., a product, a service, a problem, a cause, or a situation) that enables an audience to interpret and make sense of it (Fiss and Hirsch 2005;Giorgi and Weber 2015). At the same time, framing evokes "extra" information about the object and facilitates the setting of the audience's expectations (Cornelissen and Werner 2014).…”

“…Framing is known to affect individuals' decisions in two ways. First, it helps in demarcating one object from the others by acting as a marker, i.e., an attribute that distinguishes the object over other (similar) ones and makes it stand out (see Giorgi and Weber 2015). For instance, by framing a product as "green"-i.e., providing environmental benefits or reducing environmental costs-marketers evoke characteristics associated with environmental-friendliness (e.g., the commitment to preserve the environment for future generations or the respect for natural habitats).…”

“…Second, framing is also presented as a powerful tool for motivating and eliciting appreciation and support from an audience. Such a role has been highlighted in a variety of contexts, including political rallies (Chong and Druckman 2007b), social movements (Benford and Snow 2000), and financial analysts' reports (Giorgi and Weber 2015). In this respect, a specific framing is seen as an effective tool in attracting an audience not only because it enables selection, but also because it motivates individuals to act in support of a specific goal.…”

“…How a frame is conveyed effectively to an audience by means of written texts is an issue that has received attention from framing scholars (Giorgi and Weber 2015;Olsen et al 2014;Rhee and Fiss 2014;Shen 2004). These studies highlight that cues that refers to concepts central to a frame make the frame accessible to an audience and activate judgement and action.…”

The Bright Side of Hybridity: Exploring How Social Enterprises Manage and Leverage Their Hybrid Nature

“…Thanks to and because of their involvement in production activities aimed at driving a positive change in society, stakeholders often change their perceptions of and attitude toward the societal issues addressed by the social enterprise, eventually embracing these issues themselves (Lee et al 2018). This, in turn, enables the social enterprise to scale social impact and transform markets and societies, by spreading and institutionalizing more sustainable practices and business models (Giorgi and Weber 2015;York et al 2016).…”