Briana Anderson - Cornell University

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they have received benefits from each other), and communal relationship (both parties
provide benefits to each other because they are concerned for the welfare of the other).
Research has demonstrated that credible sources have a positive impact on
attitudes toward both an advertisement and the brand. Atkin and Block (1983) found
that celebrity endorsers (versus similar non-celebrity endorsers) were perceived as
more trustworthy, competent (expertise), and more attractive in alcohol advertising.
Moreover, the source credibility ratings of the endorsers extended to the message and
products. In another study, Goldberg and Hartwick, (1990) - testing Fishbein and
Azjen’s (1975) source credibility framework that posits that source credibility affects
the probability that a message claim will be accepted - manipulated levels of advertiser
(i.e. corporate) expertise and trustworthiness and claim extremity on a rank order scale
of product brands. Goldberg and Hartwick (1990) found that corporate credibility
moderated evaluations of ad credibility and product evaluation, that is, higher
corporate credibility led to more positive evaluations of ad credibility and product.
Corporate Social Responsibility
One way organizations seek to improve relationships with their stakeholders is
by engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and activities. The
definitions of corporate social responsibility are plentiful, generally indicating that
corporations operate within social norms and encompass activities aimed at creating a
safe and supportive work environment for employees, operating in a manner conscious
of impact on outside environment, and contributing to the health of society in general
(Seitel, 1995). In academic literature, CSR has been conceptualized as pro-social
corporate endeavors designed to improve relations with company stakeholders
(Murray & Vogel, 1997), corporate social performance (Turban & Greening 1997), to
a more socially proactive view of long-term goals related to CSR as part of a dynamic
social system (McGee 1998). Further researchers have conceptualized CSR as a