When Advocacy Backfires: Mitigating Moral Outrage in Corporate Social Advocacy

When Advocacy Backfires: Mitigating Moral Outrage in Corporate Social Advocacy

Yanan Wu, Lanlan Zhang (Ph.D. student), Yi (Ansley) Zhao (Ph.D. student), and Alayoubi Rehab. “When Advocacy Backfires: Mitigating Moral Outrage in Corporate Social Advocacy.” Accepted for presentation at the International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC), March 5-7, 2026, Orlando, FL. Abstract: This study aims to explore how the public perceives moral outrage in a corporate social advocacy (CSA) context and the effectiveness of accommodative and defensive approaches in such a situation. Practically, it will offer evidence-based insights into how moral acknowledgment and curative actions may mitigate moral outrage in a crisis.

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