The Impact of Different Product Harm Crisis Response Appeals on Consumer Trust under Ambiguous Product Harm Crises: the Role of Gender Identity and Self-Construal

This paper aims to test the impact of different product harm crisis response appeals on consumer trust under ambiguous product harm crises, and mainly to test the moderating effect of such personality traits variables as gender identity and self-construal on such impact. Fictitious scenario-based experiments were conducted and statistical techniques including variance of analysis and correlation analysis etc. were used to analyze data. Study one indicates there is no difference between rational appeal response and emotional appeal response on consumer trust and sex doesn't moderate the impact of different response appeals on consumer trust. The results of study two indicate individuals with masculinity traits have higher level trust when it comes to rational appeal response, whereas individuals with femininity traits have higher level trust when it comes to emotional appeal response. The results of study two also indicate individuals with independent self-construal traits have higher level trust when it comes to rational appeal response, whereas individuals with interdependent traits have higher level trust when it comes to emotional appeal response. The results of study three indicate priming situational self-construal affects gender identity and such impact is statistical significance. Individuals of femininity tend to be masculinized when situational independent self-construal is primed than their counterpart in control group. At the same time individuals of masculinity tend to be feminized when situational interdependent self-construal is primed than their counterpart in control group. The results of study four indicate individuals of femininity have more trust under rational response appeal when situational independent self-construal is primed than their counterpart in control group without such priming. They also have a greater improved trust level than individuals of masculinity in experimental group under the same conditions. Whereas individuals of masculinity have more trust under emotional appeal response when situational interdependent self-construal is primed than their counterpart in control group without such priming. They also have greater improved trust level than individuals of femininity in experimental group under the same conditions. Based on research findings implication of management and theory are discussed.