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The Effect of Regulatory Focus on Individuals’ Donation Behavior

Author

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  • Kikyoung Park

    (Division of Business Administration, College of Business, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea)

  • Gangseog Ryu

    (School of Business, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Korea)

Abstract

We examine how individuals’ regulatory focus affects their donation behavior and how personal events experienced before the donation moderate this relationship. In this research, regulatory focus refers to the basic motivational orientation that affects how individuals pursue their goals. We propose that donors will judge potential rewards and risks associated with making a donation when deciding whether to donate and that regulatory focus and personal events will have a significant influence on this judgment. The results from both the survey and the experiment confirmed that participants with promotion focus were more likely to donate than those with prevention focus. In addition, the experimental results revealed that compared to those experiencing no personal event, the donation likelihood of prevention-focused participants increased significantly after experiencing a positive personal event but did not change after experiencing a negative personal event. In a similar vein, experiencing a negative event decreased the donation likelihood of promotion-focused participants whereas experiencing a positive event did not. Our research contributes new findings and insights to both regulatory focus and donation literature and provides useful guidelines for nonprofit organizations to design and implement donation programs.

Suggested Citation

  • Kikyoung Park & Gangseog Ryu, 2018. "The Effect of Regulatory Focus on Individuals’ Donation Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-12, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:3:p:760-:d:135582
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Xia Cao & Dan Lv & Zeyu Xing, 2020. "Innovative Resources, Promotion Focus and Responsible Innovation: The Moderating Roles of Adaptive Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-19, April.
    2. Eun Young Park & Jin Hwa Rhee, 2019. "Who Clicks on Online Donation? Understanding the Characteristics of SNS Users during Participation in Online Campaigns," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-15, July.
    3. Hee Jin Kim & Jung Min Jang, 2018. "The Easier the Better: How Processing Fluency Influences Self-Efficacy and Behavioral Intention in Pro-Social Campaign Advertising," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Hyeyeon Yuk & Tony C. Garrett & Euejung Hwang, 2021. "Effects of Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism on Donation Intentions: The Moderating Role of Donation Information Openness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-11, June.
    5. Dong Woo Ko & Young Han Bae & Jayoung Han, 2018. "Social Exclusion and Switching Barriers in Medicare Part D Choices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-10, July.
    6. Yong Zhang & Chuling Lin & Jialing Yang, 2019. "Time or Money? The Influence of Warm and Competent Appeals on Donation Intentions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-17, November.

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