Browsing by Subject "Construal level"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4

Beyond affective valence : the effect of different emotions on cognitive processing and persuasion from a certainty-congruent approach
(2014-12) Kwon, Ohyoon; Kahlor, LeeAnn
This research investigates the role of emotion in the persuasion process by establishing a novel relationship between emotion and construal level. Built on cognitive appraisal theories, this research proposes that the certainty appraisal components of emotions exert a direct influence on an individual’s representation of information at a high versus low construal level. The findings indicate that individuals primed to feel emotion low on certainty appraisals construe behaviors or events at a high level and estimate uncertain events as more likely to happen, while those primed to feel emotion high on certainty appraisals characterize behavior or events at a low level and evaluate uncertain events as less likely to occur (Study 1 & Study 2). Further, such a fit (vs. nonfit) between an individual’s emotional state and the construal level at which product benefits in an advertising message are represented lead to a more favorable evaluation of the message and product (Study 3). The findings from this dissertation study also illustrate that uncertainty-related emotion eliciting a high-level construal mindset leads to a cognitive shift toward relying more on nonalignable attribute differences and a greater preference for the nonalignable-better brand although individuals usually rely more on alignable attribute differences and favor the alignable-better brand (Study 4). Accordingly, these outcomes occur because the certainty appraisal components of emotions influence mental construal levels.
Time will construe me : the fit effect of culture, temporal distance and construal level
(2014-08) Kim, Dong Hoo; Drumwright, Minette E.; Sung, Yongjun
The present research examined how individuals’ cultural orientations influenced the relationship between their construal level and temporal distance. There were two studies in this research. Study 1 was composed of two parts. In the first part, the relationship between culture and construal level was examined through the Behavioral Identification Form (BIF). In the second part, the influence of culture on temporal distance and individuals’ construal level was investigated by analyzing participants’ descriptions of their lives. In study 2, the three-way interaction between culture, temporal distance, and the construal-level frame of persuasive messages (desirability vs. feasibility focused message) was investigated. A total of 200 students from two different countries (Korea and the U.S.) participated in the study. A fictitious brand and advertisement were created to examine the interaction. The findings revealed that individuals from an individualistic culture (U.S.) prefer abstract thinking to concrete thinking and focus more on the desirability than the feasibility of an event or object. And the reverse was true for individuals from a collectivistic culture (Korea). When individuals are in a proximal temporal condition, those from a collectivistic culture have a more proximal temporal perspective, and they are more likely to represent the future event in low-level terms. In contrast, individuals from an individualistic culture have a more distal temporal perspective and tend to represent the future event in high-level terms. Consistent results were found in an advertising context. When individuals from a collectivistic culture were in a proximal temporal condition, they tended to show a more favorable attitude toward the advertisement emphasizing the feasibility features of the product. The reverse was true for individuals from an individualistic culture.
To help in whole or in parts? : The role of construal level in all-at-once versus distributed philanthropy
(2014-05) Burgoon, Erin Mikaela; Henderson, Marlone D.
In the present research, I apply a construal level framework to understanding when people gravitate towards all-at-once (e.g., four hours in one day, $100 lump-sum) versus distributed (one hour a day for four days, $20 per month for 5 months) philanthropy. I argue that more abstract construals increase the weight that people place on idealistic concerns, whereas more concrete construals increase the weight that people place on pragmatic concerns, and that people expect allocating time and money in an all-at-once versus distributed manner to satisfy idealistic and pragmatic concerns to different degrees. Chapter 1 of this dissertation focuses specifically on volunteerism and compliance to specific requests (i.e., an all-at-once or a distributed request, but not both). Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated people expected all-at-once and distributed volunteerism to satisfy idealistic and pragmatic concerns, respectively. The final two studies in Chapter 1 showed that situationally induced differences (Study 3) and individual differences (Study 4) in construal level were associated with behavioral compliance to a volunteer request. Specifically, people who adopted a more abstract construal were more likely to comply with an all-at-once (versus distributed) request. Conversely, people who adopted a more concrete construal were more likely to comply with a distributed (versus all-at-once) volunteer request. Chapter 2 explored the role of construal level in compliance with allocated monetary requests. Study 5 demonstrated that people expect all-at-once and distributed donations to satisfy idealistic and pragmatic concerns, respectively. Study 6 demonstrated that a real-world relevant manipulation of construal level influenced behavioral compliance to a donation request. Specifically, people who were led to adopt a more abstract construal were more likely to comply with an all-at-once (versus distributed) request, whereas people who were led to adopt a more concrete construal were more likely to comply with a distributed (versus all-at-once) donation request. Study 7 provided evidence that people’s baseline preference is for all-at-once requests, highlighting the utility of a more concrete construal in increasing receptivity to distributed requests. Finally, although many organizations do not offer a distributed donation option, Study 8 showed that it does not necessarily hurt an organization to include it among the options. However, preliminary evidence is inconclusive as to whether offering distributed contribution option can increase the likelihood and amount that people donate in the long run. Chapter 3 concludes the dissertation with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of the findings, as well as potential future research directions.
Two essays on organizational ambidexterity : the role of CEO and analyst cognitions
(2018-04-27) Jeong, Seunghwan; Henderson, Andrew Duane; Harrison, David A.; Ranganathan, Ramkumar; Crossland, Craig
Organizational ambidexterity, while generally considered desirable, is notoriously difficult to achieve and its benefits for firm performance are largely unclear. Across two essays, I examine the cognition of top managers and security analysts to better understand the challenges of organizational ambidexterity and how CEOs can support ambidextrous strategies that lead to better firm performance. In the first essay, I consider how CEOs cognitively juggle inconsistencies arising from simultaneous exploration and exploitation. I find support for the key argument that a CEO’s cognitive complexity is a valuable resource for dealing with this challenge and benefitting from ambidexterity. Notably, I find that organizational ambidexterity is positively linked to firm performance at high levels of CEO cognitive complexity but I also find that the obverse it true: firms’ performance is hurt when CEOs lack cognitive complexity. Contrary to the generally positive performance effect of organizational ambidexterity assumed in the literature, this study finds that performance benefits are contingent on CEOs’ cognitive capabilities. In the second essay, I remain focused on the role of CEOs while additionally taking into account a key external stakeholder that helps to determine firms’ market value: securities analysts. I argue securities analysts would find it difficult to appreciate and understand ambidextrous strategies because they tend to think concretely (as opposed to abstractly) when evaluating firms, whereas ambidextrous strategy is better appreciated through an abstract, big-picture lens. Consistent with this idea, I find a (marginally) negative relationship between organizational ambidexterity and analyst stock recommendations. I further propose that CEOs can help address this problem through the ways in which they frame their language toward analysts. In general support of my predictions, I find that the relationship between organizational ambidexterity and analyst recommendations is positively moderated by CEOs’ language that is more abstract and reflective of hypothetical distance. These ideas were tested using a combination of computerized text extraction and analysis techniques and panel data regression methods. This dissertation primarily contributes to the organizational ambidexterity literature by suggesting cognitive mechanisms pertaining to CEOs and analysts that help better explain the firm performance effects of simultaneous exploration and exploitation.