Research objectives - QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

INTRODUCTION

1.8 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

1.8.1 Research objectives

The purpose of the quantitative research was to assess the individual, interactive and collective influence of the selected CSEs on consumer responses to CARE. The selected CSEs for this study were product involvement, donation recipient specificity, donation magnitude and donation expression format. These variables represent the CSEs that are typically communicated to a consumer in a CARE campaign. As this study adopted a communications approach, the inclusion of the mentioned CSEs was deemed suitable and relevant for investigation. In addition, the independent variables were selected owing to their potential to contribute to CARE knowledge based on the following:

15

1. The hedonic-utilitarian product framework is most often adopted in CARE (Christofi et al., 2015; Christofi et al., 2014; Strahilevitz, 1999). Therefore, the inclusion of different frameworks in the form of product involvement allows for novel perspectives.

2. The donation recipient has received little attention in CARE despite its apparent importance as most studies rather focus on the for-profit product or brand (Lafferty & Edmondson, 2014). For firms the assessment of donation recipient specificity will contribute to knowledge about CARE partner selection. For NPOs it will provide an idea of whether cultivating a strong non-profit brand holds value in CARE.

3. The donation-related variables, namely donation magnitude and donation expression format, have been assessed before, but results thus far have been inconclusive (Chang, 2011). Research has shown that the donation elements interact with one another and other CSEs. The inclusion of these elements in this study will contribute to an improved comprehension of the donation element’s influence in CARE.

4. Most previous CARE studies have included two or, at the most, three independent variables in their experimental inquiry (Chang, 2011; Folse et al., 2010). In this study, the influence of four variables was assessed simultaneously, allowing for a deeper understanding of CARE complexities.

The consumer responses that were investigated as the dependent variables in the study were: purchase intention, participation intention, attitude toward the CARE advertisement, cognitive and affective attitude toward the CARE offer, attitude toward the portrayed campaign alliance, and perceived firm motives. These constructs pertain to behavioural intentions, the attitudinal variables related to aspects that exist due to the CARE campaign itself, and the motives perceived by consumers as a result of the communicated campaign. Considering the overall purpose of the study, eight quantitative research objectives were formulated and are summarised in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1

Quantitative research objectives

Number Research objectives

0 To assess the collective influence of product involvement, donation recipient brand specificity, donation magnitude and donation expression format on the following consumer responses:

a) purchase intention b) participation intention

c) attitude toward the CARE advertisement d) cognitive attitude toward the CARE offer e) affective attitude toward the CARE offer f) attitude toward the alliance

16

Table 1.1 (continued)

Number Research objectives

1a-e To assess the influence of (a) product involvement, (b) donation recipient specificity, (c)

donation magnitude, (d) donation expression format, and (e) the interaction between these variables on consumer intention to purchase the cause-linked product portrayed in the CARE campaign.

2 a-e To assess the influence of (a) product involvement, (b) donation recipient specificity, (c)

donation magnitude, (d) donation expression format, and (e) the interaction between these variables on consumer intention to participate in the CARE campaign.

3 a-e To assess the influence of (a) product involvement, (b) donation recipient specificity, (c)

donation magnitude, (d) donation expression format, and (e) the interaction between these variables on consumer attitude toward the CARE advertisement.

4 a-e To assess the influence of (a) product involvement, (b) donation recipient specificity, (c)

donation magnitude, (d) donation expression format, and (e) the interaction between these variables on cognitive consumer attitude toward the CARE offer.

5 a-e To assess the influence of (a) product involvement, (b) donation recipient specificity, (c)

donation magnitude, (d) donation expression format, and (e) the interaction between these variables on affective consumer attitude toward the CARE offer.

6 a-e To assess the influence of (a) product involvement, (b) donation recipient specificity, (c)

donation magnitude, (d) donation expression format, and (e) the interaction between these variables on consumer attitude toward the CARE alliance portrayed in the campaign.

7 a-e To assess the influence of (a) product involvement, (b) donation recipient specificity, (c)

donation magnitude, (d) donation expression format, and (e) the interaction between these variables on perceived firm motives for participating in the CARE campaign.

The objectives listed in Table 1.1 coincide with the research hypotheses, which are mentioned throughout the literature review in Chapters 4 and 5, and summarised in Chapter 6 and in Table 1.2.

Table 1.2 Research hypotheses

Number Research hypotheses

H0 All group means are equal (the independent variables of the study did not influence the _{dependent variables).}

H01a-e

(a) Product involvement, (b) donation recipient brand specificity, (c) donation magnitude, (d) donation expression format, and (e) the interaction between these variables will not influence consumer intentions to purchase the cause-linked product featured in the CARE campaign

H02a-e

H03a-e

H04a-e

H05a-e

17

Table 1.2 (continued)

Number Research hypotheses H06a-e

(a) Product involvement, (b) donation recipient brand specificity, (c) donation magnitude, (d) donation expression format, and (e) the interaction between these variables will not influence attitude toward the alliance portrayed in the CARE campaign.

H07a-e

(a) Product involvement, (b) donation recipient brand specificity, (c) donation magnitude, (d) donation expression format, and (e) the interaction between these variables will not influence how the firm’s motives for participating in the CARE campaign are perceived by consumers

A discussion about the research design that was adopted to guide the hypothesis testing will follow.

In document The influence of cause-related marketing campaign structural elements on consumer intention, attitude and perception. (Page 41-44)