Zoe Lee

Dealing with social desirability bias:an application to charitable giving

Purpose – This paper aims to address the issue of survey distortion caused by one of the most common and pervasive sources of bias, namely social desirability bias (SDB). Despite 50 years of research, there are still many unanswered questions about its conceptualisation and operationalisation. The authors argue that traditional measures of SDB are inadequate and that the context in which the research is being conducted should be reflected in the measures employed. Hence, the authors develop and validate a multi‐dimensional scale that may be used to measure the degree of SDB present in responses to giving surveys.Design/methodology/approach – Following initial scale development procedures a convenience sample of 820 donors to a national charity was employed to refine the resultant scale items. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability tests were conducted to establish the dimensionality of the new scale and its reliability. Using a separate sample of 1,500 active donors, the scale was then subject to con...

Rebranding in brand-oriented organisations: Exploring tensions in the nonprofit sector

Abstract In a corporate rebranding process, changes to brand identity will involve a concurrent organisational adaptation likely to generate reactions from internal and external stakeholders. We explore this issue by identifying, describing and explaining the tensions involved in managing the process where organisations have to meet expectations from different stakeholders, as in nonprofit organisations. Based on in-depth interviews with managers and consultants, the research provides a view of the complexity of balancing and maintaining relationships with various stakeholders. Three key tensions are presented: in aligning image and identity, in stakeholder dialogue and access, and in balancing market requirements with organisational identity.

Managing dual identities in nonprofit rebranding: an exploratory study

Nonprofit organizations that engage in rebranding strategies face challenges reconciling normative (social or mission driven) and utilitarian (business driven) identities of their organizations. This research examines the interplay between rebranding processes and dual identities of 10 rebranded charitable organizations, in particular how these identities are reflected in managers’ narratives and subsequently shape rebranding strategies. The study reveals four types of rebranding strategies and the potential drivers for their adoption. Pressure to secure resources can lead nonprofit organizations to emphasize utilitarian identities in rebranding, and so surface hidden tensions among stakeholders reluctant to relinquish established normative identities. In managing the process of rebranding, senior managers engage in practices of justifying, re-visioning, and influencing to reduce emerging tensions. The research suggests that both utilitarian and normative identity concerns need to be addressed during the process.

Consumers’ Responses to Doppelganger Brand Images: Destabilising Brand Authenticity (An Extended Abstract)

Consider an ad for BP suggesting a better life with vision of beyond petroleum. Then imagine the same ad being parodied with a strong indication of ‘brown is the new green’. Consider Starbuck Corp’s brand being parodied reading ‘Evil Empire’ and ‘Frankensbucks Coffee’. These alternative source cues provide a deliberate attack on the perception of what is real and genuine, hence perception of an inauthentic brand. The search for authenticity is one of the cornerstones of contemporary marketing (Brown et al. 2003). Marketers invested heavily in advertising trying to project a sense of authenticity around their brands (Beverland et al. 2008). However, little is known about the impact on the strength of brand authenticity given the rise of anti-branding movement via anti-brand websites (Harrison-Walker 2001; Holt 2002) and brand-focused parodies (Bergh et al. 2011; Jean 2011). Consumers and activists use these uncontrolled communications to project their discontent, exchange anti-branding information and, to an extreme level, organise boycotts and coordinate lawsuits towards questionable business practices and socially irresponsible actions.

Towards a model of strategic charity rebranding process: a managerial perspective

Nonprofit organizations play a vital role in public services reform agenda, with the potential to contribute flexible, innovative user-engagement in the delivery of public services (Cairns et al. 2005; Charity Act 2006; HM Treasury 2007). However, in the economic downturn and increasingly competitive, the quality of this service may be jeopardised due to limited pool of resources to carry out its social mission (Ryan 1999). Managers are urged to seek new strategy to generate funds and corporate brand is at the forefront of efforts to establish competitive position (Hankinson 2001). There are many evidences of press articles on charity rebrands (Basini 2012; Kean 2012; Weakley 2012), yet a review of the research literature found little empirical testing of process (Hankinson and Lomax 2006; Crosby 2009).