Morally responsible and ethical conduct has become more important for companies in recent years. The present study (N = 178) examines whether perceived brand traits differentially influence the...Show moreMorally responsible and ethical conduct has become more important for companies in recent years. The present study (N = 178) examines whether perceived brand traits differentially influence the purchase intentions of consumers. Additionally, the moderating effects of type of organization (for-profit versus non-profit) and gender are examined. The results partly support the hypotheses and indicate that perceived competence and perceived morality both relate to purchase intentions. In addition, for non-profit organizations, purchase intentions are mostly predicted by morality, whereas for for-profit organizations, competence most strongly predicts purchase intentions. The results further show that women’s purchase intentions are most strongly related to perceived morality, whereas men’s purchase intentions are related to perceived competence. Lastly, organization type and gender seem to have important moderating influences on the relationship between brands’ trait dimensions and consumers’ purchase intentions. Importantly, advertising organizational morality and competence appears to be an effective strategy for companies to keep consumers interested.Show less
