The effects of organizational positioning and donation recognition on charitable giving: insights from moral foundations theory.

Purpose – The present research aims to investigate the influence of organizational positioning by drawing upon moral foundations theory in relation to driving charitable giving, and the moderating role of recognition in this regard. Design/methodology/approach – Two experimental studies were conducted to examine the interactive effect of organizational positioning emphasizing a binding (vs an individualizing) moral foundation and donation recognition on charitable giving. Study 1 was conducted in Indonesia, while Study 2 was conducted in the US. Findings – This research demonstrates that individuals will give higher donations to an organization with a binding (vs an individualizing) moral foundation that provides donation recognition. Further, this effect is mediated by social identity signaling. Originality/value – The findings of this research provide a novel perspective on how organizational positioning can influence whether donation recognition increases charitable giving. Moreover, the findings offer managerial implications to non-profit organizations developing effective charitable campaigns in terms of combining appropriate organizational positioning and donation recognition strategies