Issue support, identity fit, and moral evaluation: Examining consumer responses to CEO advocacy on contested issues
Issue support, identity fit, and moral evaluation: Examining consumer responses to CEO advocacy on contested issues
Zifei Fay Chen, Xu, D., Tao, W., & Jingyuan Kong (Grady Ph.D. student) (March 2026). Issue support, identity fit, and moral evaluation: Examining consumer responses to CEO advocacy on contested issues. Paper presented at the 29th International Public Relations Research Conference, Orlando, FL. Abstract: In today’s highly polarized environment, corporate communicators and CEOs face growing pressure to navigate complex stakeholder expectations around corporate social advocacy (CSA). The challenge becomes even more complex when a CEO’s personal identity is closely tied to the issue at hand. This study examined how consumers’ issue support and the relevance of a CEO’s identity to the issue jointly influence perceived morality of the CEO’s action and subsequent company evaluation. An experimental study (N=450) was conducted and revealed that CEO-issue identity relevance amplifies perceived morality among issue supporters without intensifying backlash among opponents.
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