• norsk
    • English
  • English 
    • norsk
    • English
  • Login
View Item 
  •   Home
  • Norges Handelshøyskole
  • Thesis
  • Master Thesis
  • View Item
  •   Home
  • Norges Handelshøyskole
  • Thesis
  • Master Thesis
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

The effect of explanations on perceived credibility of sustainability claims : how brands can position themselves as sustainable without being suspected of greenwashing.

Sydnes, Ingrid Tallhaug; Aarvold, Mai-Linn
Master thesis
Thumbnail
View/Open
masterthesis.pdf (1.894Mb)
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2771693
Date
2021
Metadata
Show full item record
Collections
  • Master Thesis [4207]
Abstract
As businesses are increasingly focusing on positioning themselves along sustainability

dimensions, the occurrence of perceived greenwashing is threatening the perceived credibility of

brands with genuine intentions. Hence, many brands accentuate their sustainability focus by

explaining their intentions; either by emphasizing their resources or by focusing on ethical aspects.

This thesis investigates the effect different explanations have on the perceived credibility of

sustainability claims, and the moderating effect of regulatory focus. We hypothesized that

resource-based explanations would increase perceptions of credibility for brands with a prior

history of unsustainable operations, that promotion-focused consumers would perceive the claims

as more credible compared to prevention-focused consumers, that ethical explanations would

enhance the perceived credibility for promotion-focused consumers, and that resource-based

explanations would enhance the perceived credibility for prevention-focused consumers. Utilizing

a factorial design, UK residents were presented with ads from fictional brands within the energy

industry, where brand histories and explanations were manipulated. No support for our hypotheses

was observed, however due to limited research on the topic, further analysis was conducted. Our

study revealed that companies with a history of unsustainable practices can increase the perceived

credibility of sustainability claims by not providing any explanations to their efforts. Further,

expertise is a central component of perceived credibility, and companies with prior histories of

unsustainable practices can be seen as having more expertise when shifting to sustainable

practices, compared to new sustainable companies within the same industry. Additionally, newer

sustainable companies may benefit from using explanations which combine a resource- and

ethical-aspect if the consumers are prevention-focused, consequently increasing the perceived

level of expertise. These findings may help brands articulate their explanations more sufficiently

to increase the perception of credibility in their claims, given their history and consumers

regulatory focus.

Contact Us | Send Feedback

Privacy policy
DSpace software copyright © 2002-2019  DuraSpace

Service from  Unit
 

 

Browse

ArchiveCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsDocument TypesJournalsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsDocument TypesJournals

My Account

Login

Statistics

View Usage Statistics

Contact Us | Send Feedback

Privacy policy
DSpace software copyright © 2002-2019  DuraSpace

Service from  Unit