Time versus money: The role of perceived effort in consumers' evaluation of corporate giving

Motivated by the need for a deeper understanding of the factors and processes through which consumers evaluate corporate giving, this paper examines the role of perceived effort in the formation of consumers' motive attributions. Guided by attribution theory and the augmentation principle, three studies are put forth to demonstrate how the type, nature and source of giving influences consumers' perception of effort and ultimately, their evaluation of the firm. Results show that donation type, time versus money, differentially influence consumers' attitude toward the firm via serial mediation. Specifically, corporate donations of time (compared to money) lead to higher levels of perceived effort, which then induce more altruistic motive attributions. We also find that the effect of donation type on perceived effort is moderated by consumers' perception of the relative cost of the donation to the firm.