{"id":{"repo_id":"houston","oai_identifier":"oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/19613"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/houston/oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/19613","repository":{"repo_id":"houston","name":"University of Houston","base_url":"https://uh-ir.tdl.org/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"How Message Framing and Activating Constructs Reduce Psychological Distance: Strengthening Connections Between Supporters and Beneficiaries","abstract":"In recent years, the increasing adoption of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles has led companies to shift their focus beyond mere economic value creation. While environmental issues continue to matter, companies are increasingly turning their attention to the social aspects of ESG. This growing emphasis signals a broader shift in corporate priorities. Rather than focusing solely on economic outcomes, many companies are now also addressing issues such as community well-being, equity, and inclusive development. This shift carries particular significance for the hospitality industry due to the very nature of the business. As a global service-oriented sector that operates across diverse cultural and geographic contexts, hospitality companies are inherently tied to local communities. These deep-rooted connections make social responsibility not only relevant but essential to long-term success and legitimacy in the industry. Traditionally, social initiatives in the corporate context have been led and communicated primarily by the companies themselves, with limited stakeholder engagement. However, there is now a significant shift toward more participatory approaches that actively encourage the involvement of various stakeholders, including customers. As a result, stakeholder engagement has emerged as a critical concept in both academic and managerial discussions on social initiatives, particularly within industries like hospitality where stakeholder relationships are central. Although stakeholder engagement has received considerable scholarly attention, much of the existing literature on company-led social initiatives can largely be categorized into two dominant approaches. One line of research focuses on how companies communicate their social initiatives to the public. These studies examine how companies design messages or campaigns to highlight their role in social efforts, often positioning the company as the central actor with minimal stakeholder involvement. Another stream focuses on customer support for company-led social initiatives. This line of work explores which types of initiatives are more likely to gain public approval. These efforts often succeed by aligning with customers’ values, concerns, preferences, or social identities. However, both approaches tend to overlook the actual needs of beneficiaries and pay limited attention to the relational dynamics between supporters and beneficiaries. These limitations hinder the development of truly impactful and inclusive social initiatives. This raises an important question: how can companies encourage support for social initiatives that address actual needs, rather than relying on customers’ pre-existing personal preferences? Psychological distance theory suggests that people are more likely to support social initiatives when they perceive them as psychologically close. If that is the case, then reducing psychological distance should encourage greater engagement. However, despite the theoretical implications, little empirical research has directly tested how this mechanism can be used to foster support for social initiatives. To address this gap, the present study investigates how reducing perceived psychological distance can enhance customer engagement in the context of hospitality-company-based social initiatives. Building on the theoretical framework of psychological distance, this study explores how reducing perceived distance can strengthen customer engagement in social initiatives within the hospitality context. Specifically, it examines whether using personal pronouns in message framing (e.g., “we” instead of “they”) can foster a greater sense of social closeness and increase behavioral intentions to engage. It also investigates whether activating different constructs, such as time versus money, influences psychological closeness and engagement outcomes. Finally, the study considers how these effects may vary depending on the level of power distance belief, offering insight into how communication strategies can be tailored for different hospitality settings and audience mindsets. Two experimental studies were conducted to test how reducing psychological distance could enhance stakeholder engagement in social initiatives. Study 1 manipulated personal pronoun type (they vs. we) in messages and found that the “we” pronoun increased perceived closeness and engagement intentions, particularly among individuals with low power distance belief. Study 2 compared activation constructs (money vs. time) and showed that time-based appeals led to greater perceived closeness and engagement, again moderated by power distance belief. In both studies, perceived psychological closeness mediated the effect of message framing on engagement, but only for participants with low power distance belief. These results highlight the importance of tailored communication strategies in fostering meaningful customer engagement in hospitality-based social initiatives. This study provides clear evidence that reducing psychological distance can significantly increase customer engagement in social initiatives. By identifying two effective message strategies—personal pronouns and time-based framing—and demonstrating their conditional effects based on power distance belief, the research offers actionable insights for designing more effective social campaigns. These findings are particularly valuable for hospitality firms aiming to drive meaningful support for initiatives that address real social needs.","abstract_html":"In recent years, the increasing adoption of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles has led companies to shift their focus beyond mere economic value creation. While environmental issues continue to matter, companies are increasingly turning their attention to the social aspects of ESG. This growing emphasis signals a broader shift in corporate priorities. Rather than focusing solely on economic outcomes, many companies are now also addressing issues such as community well-being, equity, and inclusive development. This shift carries particular significance for the hospitality industry due to the very nature of the business. As a global service-oriented sector that operates across diverse cultural and geographic contexts, hospitality companies are inherently tied to local communities. These deep-rooted connections make social responsibility not only relevant but essential to long-term success and legitimacy in the industry. Traditionally, social initiatives in the corporate context have been led and communicated primarily by the companies themselves, with limited stakeholder engagement. However, there is now a significant shift toward more participatory approaches that actively encourage the involvement of various stakeholders, including customers. As a result, stakeholder engagement has emerged as a critical concept in both academic and managerial discussions on social initiatives, particularly within industries like hospitality where stakeholder relationships are central. Although stakeholder engagement has received considerable scholarly attention, much of the existing literature on company-led social initiatives can largely be categorized into two dominant approaches. One line of research focuses on how companies communicate their social initiatives to the public. These studies examine how companies design messages or campaigns to highlight their role in social efforts, often positioning the company as the central actor with minimal stakeholder involvement. Another stream focuses on customer support for company-led social initiatives. This line of work explores which types of initiatives are more likely to gain public approval. These efforts often succeed by aligning with customers’ values, concerns, preferences, or social identities. However, both approaches tend to overlook the actual needs of beneficiaries and pay limited attention to the relational dynamics between supporters and beneficiaries. These limitations hinder the development of truly impactful and inclusive social initiatives. This raises an important question: how can companies encourage support for social initiatives that address actual needs, rather than relying on customers’ pre-existing personal preferences? Psychological distance theory suggests that people are more likely to support social initiatives when they perceive them as psychologically close. If that is the case, then reducing psychological distance should encourage greater engagement. However, despite the theoretical implications, little empirical research has directly tested how this mechanism can be used to foster support for social initiatives. To address this gap, the present study investigates how reducing perceived psychological distance can enhance customer engagement in the context of hospitality-company-based social initiatives. Building on the theoretical framework of psychological distance, this study explores how reducing perceived distance can strengthen customer engagement in social initiatives within the hospitality context. Specifically, it examines whether using personal pronouns in message framing (e.g., “we” instead of “they”) can foster a greater sense of social closeness and increase behavioral intentions to engage. It also investigates whether activating different constructs, such as time versus money, influences psychological closeness and engagement outcomes. Finally, the study considers how these effects may vary depending on the level of power distance belief, offering insight into how communication strategies can be tailored for different hospitality settings and audience mindsets. Two experimental studies were conducted to test how reducing psychological distance could enhance stakeholder engagement in social initiatives. Study 1 manipulated personal pronoun type (they vs. we) in messages and found that the “we” pronoun increased perceived closeness and engagement intentions, particularly among individuals with low power distance belief. Study 2 compared activation constructs (money vs. time) and showed that time-based appeals led to greater perceived closeness and engagement, again moderated by power distance belief. In both studies, perceived psychological closeness mediated the effect of message framing on engagement, but only for participants with low power distance belief. These results highlight the importance of tailored communication strategies in fostering meaningful customer engagement in hospitality-based social initiatives. This study provides clear evidence that reducing psychological distance can significantly increase customer engagement in social initiatives. By identifying two effective message strategies—personal pronouns and time-based framing—and demonstrating their conditional effects based on power distance belief, the research offers actionable insights for designing more effective social campaigns. These findings are particularly valuable for hospitality firms aiming to drive meaningful support for initiatives that address real social needs.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Park, Yun-Na 21May1990-"],"institution":"University of Houston","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Hospitality Administration","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Shin, Minjung"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Back, Ki-Joon","Huang, Yan","Boger, Carl A"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-05","date_published":"2025-05","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:31:52Z","subjects":["Hospitality industry--Management"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19613","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Shin, Minjung"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Back, Ki-Joon","Huang, Yan","Boger, Carl A"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Park, Yun-Na 21May1990-"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-07-08T15:58:34Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-05"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Hospitality Administration"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Houston"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Hospitality industry--Management"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19613"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In recent years, the increasing adoption of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles has led companies to shift their focus beyond mere economic value creation. While environmental issues continue to matter, companies are increasingly turning their attention to the social aspects of ESG. This growing emphasis signals a broader shift in corporate priorities. Rather than focusing solely on economic outcomes, many companies are now also addressing issues such as community well-being, equity, and inclusive development. This shift carries particular significance for the hospitality industry due to the very nature of the business. As a global service-oriented sector that operates across diverse cultural and geographic contexts, hospitality companies are inherently tied to local communities. These deep-rooted connections make social responsibility not only relevant but essential to long-term success and legitimacy in the industry. Traditionally, social initiatives in the corporate context have been led and communicated primarily by the companies themselves, with limited stakeholder engagement. However, there is now a significant shift toward more participatory approaches that actively encourage the involvement of various stakeholders, including customers. As a result, stakeholder engagement has emerged as a critical concept in both academic and managerial discussions on social initiatives, particularly within industries like hospitality where stakeholder relationships are central. Although stakeholder engagement has received considerable scholarly attention, much of the existing literature on company-led social initiatives can largely be categorized into two dominant approaches. One line of research focuses on how companies communicate their social initiatives to the public. These studies examine how companies design messages or campaigns to highlight their role in social efforts, often positioning the company as the central actor with minimal stakeholder involvement. Another stream focuses on customer support for company-led social initiatives. This line of work explores which types of initiatives are more likely to gain public approval. These efforts often succeed by aligning with customers’ values, concerns, preferences, or social identities. However, both approaches tend to overlook the actual needs of beneficiaries and pay limited attention to the relational dynamics between supporters and beneficiaries. These limitations hinder the development of truly impactful and inclusive social initiatives. This raises an important question: how can companies encourage support for social initiatives that address actual needs, rather than relying on customers’ pre-existing personal preferences? Psychological distance theory suggests that people are more likely to support social initiatives when they perceive them as psychologically close. If that is the case, then reducing psychological distance should encourage greater engagement. However, despite the theoretical implications, little empirical research has directly tested how this mechanism can be used to foster support for social initiatives. To address this gap, the present study investigates how reducing perceived psychological distance can enhance customer engagement in the context of hospitality-company-based social initiatives. Building on the theoretical framework of psychological distance, this study explores how reducing perceived distance can strengthen customer engagement in social initiatives within the hospitality context. Specifically, it examines whether using personal pronouns in message framing (e.g., “we” instead of “they”) can foster a greater sense of social closeness and increase behavioral intentions to engage. It also investigates whether activating different constructs, such as time versus money, influences psychological closeness and engagement outcomes. Finally, the study considers how these effects may vary depending on the level of power distance belief, offering insight into how communication strategies can be tailored for different hospitality settings and audience mindsets. Two experimental studies were conducted to test how reducing psychological distance could enhance stakeholder engagement in social initiatives. Study 1 manipulated personal pronoun type (they vs. we) in messages and found that the “we” pronoun increased perceived closeness and engagement intentions, particularly among individuals with low power distance belief. Study 2 compared activation constructs (money vs. time) and showed that time-based appeals led to greater perceived closeness and engagement, again moderated by power distance belief. In both studies, perceived psychological closeness mediated the effect of message framing on engagement, but only for participants with low power distance belief. These results highlight the importance of tailored communication strategies in fostering meaningful customer engagement in hospitality-based social initiatives. This study provides clear evidence that reducing psychological distance can significantly increase customer engagement in social initiatives. By identifying two effective message strategies—personal pronouns and time-based framing—and demonstrating their conditional effects based on power distance belief, the research offers actionable insights for designing more effective social campaigns. These findings are particularly valuable for hospitality firms aiming to drive meaningful support for initiatives that address real social needs."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["How Message Framing and Activating Constructs Reduce Psychological Distance: Strengthening Connections Between Supporters and Beneficiaries"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Shin, Minjung"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Back, Ki-Joon","Huang, Yan","Boger, Carl A"],"dc:creator":["Park, Yun-Na 21May1990-"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-07-08T15:58:34Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-05"],"dc:description.abstract":["In recent years, the increasing adoption of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles has led companies to shift their focus beyond mere economic value creation. While environmental issues continue to matter, companies are increasingly turning their attention to the social aspects of ESG. This growing emphasis signals a broader shift in corporate priorities. Rather than focusing solely on economic outcomes, many companies are now also addressing issues such as community well-being, equity, and inclusive development. This shift carries particular significance for the hospitality industry due to the very nature of the business. As a global service-oriented sector that operates across diverse cultural and geographic contexts, hospitality companies are inherently tied to local communities. These deep-rooted connections make social responsibility not only relevant but essential to long-term success and legitimacy in the industry. Traditionally, social initiatives in the corporate context have been led and communicated primarily by the companies themselves, with limited stakeholder engagement. However, there is now a significant shift toward more participatory approaches that actively encourage the involvement of various stakeholders, including customers. As a result, stakeholder engagement has emerged as a critical concept in both academic and managerial discussions on social initiatives, particularly within industries like hospitality where stakeholder relationships are central. Although stakeholder engagement has received considerable scholarly attention, much of the existing literature on company-led social initiatives can largely be categorized into two dominant approaches. One line of research focuses on how companies communicate their social initiatives to the public. These studies examine how companies design messages or campaigns to highlight their role in social efforts, often positioning the company as the central actor with minimal stakeholder involvement. Another stream focuses on customer support for company-led social initiatives. This line of work explores which types of initiatives are more likely to gain public approval. These efforts often succeed by aligning with customers’ values, concerns, preferences, or social identities. However, both approaches tend to overlook the actual needs of beneficiaries and pay limited attention to the relational dynamics between supporters and beneficiaries. These limitations hinder the development of truly impactful and inclusive social initiatives. This raises an important question: how can companies encourage support for social initiatives that address actual needs, rather than relying on customers’ pre-existing personal preferences? Psychological distance theory suggests that people are more likely to support social initiatives when they perceive them as psychologically close. If that is the case, then reducing psychological distance should encourage greater engagement. However, despite the theoretical implications, little empirical research has directly tested how this mechanism can be used to foster support for social initiatives. To address this gap, the present study investigates how reducing perceived psychological distance can enhance customer engagement in the context of hospitality-company-based social initiatives. Building on the theoretical framework of psychological distance, this study explores how reducing perceived distance can strengthen customer engagement in social initiatives within the hospitality context. Specifically, it examines whether using personal pronouns in message framing (e.g., “we” instead of “they”) can foster a greater sense of social closeness and increase behavioral intentions to engage. It also investigates whether activating different constructs, such as time versus money, influences psychological closeness and engagement outcomes. Finally, the study considers how these effects may vary depending on the level of power distance belief, offering insight into how communication strategies can be tailored for different hospitality settings and audience mindsets. Two experimental studies were conducted to test how reducing psychological distance could enhance stakeholder engagement in social initiatives. Study 1 manipulated personal pronoun type (they vs. we) in messages and found that the “we” pronoun increased perceived closeness and engagement intentions, particularly among individuals with low power distance belief. Study 2 compared activation constructs (money vs. time) and showed that time-based appeals led to greater perceived closeness and engagement, again moderated by power distance belief. In both studies, perceived psychological closeness mediated the effect of message framing on engagement, but only for participants with low power distance belief. These results highlight the importance of tailored communication strategies in fostering meaningful customer engagement in hospitality-based social initiatives. This study provides clear evidence that reducing psychological distance can significantly increase customer engagement in social initiatives. By identifying two effective message strategies—personal pronouns and time-based framing—and demonstrating their conditional effects based on power distance belief, the research offers actionable insights for designing more effective social campaigns. These findings are particularly valuable for hospitality firms aiming to drive meaningful support for initiatives that address real social needs."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19613"],"dc:language.iso":["English"],"dc:subject":["Hospitality industry--Management"],"dc:title":["How Message Framing and Activating Constructs Reduce Psychological Distance: Strengthening Connections Between Supporters and Beneficiaries"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Hospitality Administration"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Houston"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:31:52Z"}