What if the company’s “charity of the year” is an organisation that deals with severe to moderate mental disability?

Purpose Brief loving-kindness meditation (LKM) is introduced here as a valid social marketing intervention. LKM positively influences prosocial cognitions and affects. However, it remains unclear whether brief meditation interventions can influence prosocial behavior. This study aims to provide evidence of the effects of short LKM on prosocial behavior. Design/methodology/approach This study reports the results of three experiments examining the effects of brief LKM on donations to unknown others. The results are then integrated with the results of seven other studies testing the effects of brief LKM on prosocial behavior using a meta-analysis (n = 683). Findings LKM increased love more than the control group (focused breathing) in the three experiments; however, its effects on donations were mixed. The meta-analysis shows that LKM has a small-to-medium significant effect compared to active control groups (d = 0.303); moreover, age and type of prosocial measure used moderate the effects. Originality/value Results suggest that LKM can nurture prosocial emotions such as love and lead young individuals to donate. However, these emotions may not be sufficient to lead adult meditators to share their resources with unknown others. This study presents the first meta-analysis of brief LKM and provides insights into the use of meditation in social marketing programs.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Loving-kindness Meditation Nurtures Prosocial Dispositionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of loving-kindness meditation on prosocial behavior: empirical and meta-analytic evidence

Valor,

Martínez-de-Ibarreta,

Carrero

et al. 2024

“…The result is consistent with Tian (2019), as they asserted that belief could influence people's life events on life satisfaction. Prior studies argued that a proper social intervention could change consumers' attitudes and increase their patronage of a company that supports disabled employees (Bennett and Vijaygopal, 2019;Timke, 2019).…”

Section: Social Impact Beliefmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging social marketing and technology in the disability field: an empirical study on the role of cybernetic avatar and social inclusion

Moriuchi

2023

Purpose This study aims to determine the perception and attitude of consumers toward the presence of cybernetic avatars (CAs) as part of a social inclusion initiative. Design/methodology/approach A mixed method was used to conduct the study using facial recognition expressions and surveys. Three studies were conducted. Study 1 examines consumers’ attitudes and perceptions of a CA and what it can do to promote social inclusivity among people who have mobility disabilities but wish to work. Study 2 tests a conceptual model to determine the factors that affect consumers’ intention to visit an establishment that uses CAs as their employees. Study 3 extends Study 2 and tests two moderators predicted to influence consumers’ attitudes toward CAs and their intention to visit an establishment that uses CAs. Findings The results show that consumers generally accept and are excited about such technological developments. Study 2 further supports this positive perception with its conceptual model. Study 3 provides insights into how the moderating factors influence a consumer’s attitude toward CAs and their intention to visit the establishment. Between consumers who have a mobility disability and those who do not, those who have mobility disabilities showed a more positive attitude and intention to patronize such an establishment. Originality/value Studies on CAs are still in the infancy stage. This study provides insight into how society can use technology to promote social inclusion, contrary to prior opposing arguments towards integrating robots into society.

“…Saleme et al (2020) suggested a social marketing program to improve empathy in children. Bennett and Vijaygopal (2019) found that within a company, the efforts of a few employees who persuaded other employees (e.g. not to feel Child sponsorships versus onetime donations distressed when interacting with mentally impaired individuals) resulted in an increase of 40% in charitable donations toward a charity concerned with mental disability.…”

Section: Theoretical Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of children’s facial expressions in eliciting benevolent behavior for child sponsorships versus one-time donations

Jang

2021

Purpose This paper aims to examine the influence of personal distress on donor choice of happy- or sad-faced child in two donation contexts, monetary donations and child sponsorships. Design/methodology/approach This research conducted two experimental studies, in which participants chose a child to benefit out of eight needy children. Findings More people chose sad-faced children than happy-faced children in monetary donations, whereas in child sponsorships, the preference for sad-faced over happy-faced children disappeared: people chose happy-faced children as often as they chose sad-faced children. Originality/value This research distinguishes between two types of personal distress, experienced and anticipated distress, explaining why donor choices of child differ between monetary donations (where only experienced distress is present) and child sponsorships (where both experienced and anticipated distress are present).