In order to delve into the complexity involved in the role of authenticity in the context of CSR marketing, this study examines the relationships among perceived CSR motives, authenticity and company attitudes. A different effect of perceived CSR motives on authenticity is also examined between the two most representative types of CSR activities, namely, cause promotion and cause-related marketing. The results from a face-to-face survey with a sample of 289 respondents show that value-driven and stakeholder-driven motives had a positive effect on CSR authenticity while egoistic motives negatively affected CSR authenticity. Also, the effects of value-driven and stakeholder-driven motives on CSR authenticity were found to be larger for cause promotion than they were for cause-related marketing. However, the difference in the effects of the other two motives on CSR authenticity was not statistically significant between cause promotion and cause-related marketing. In addition, the effect of CSR authenticity on company attitudes was found to be statistically significant. When the relative strengths of the effects of four categories of motives on CSR authenticity were compared, value-driven motives had the strongest effect on CSR authenticity for both cause promotion and cause-related marketing. Interestingly, for cause promotion, stakeholder-driven motives had the second strongest effect while egoistic motives were least influential. For cause-related marketing, egoistic motives were found to be the second most influential factor, followed by strategic and stakeholder-driven motives. Practical implications of these finding are discussed along with theoretical implications.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine cross‐cultural differences in gender role portrayals in web ads in Korea and the USA on the basis of Hofstede's masculinity dimension.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative content analysis was employed to obtain a numerically‐based summary of different themes and roles portrayed by women and men in 400 web ads.FindingsA greater percentage of Korean ads featured characters in relationship themes, featured women as a main character, and portrayed them in family and recreational roles. To a large extent, the results validate the use of Hofstede's taxonomy, supporting the application of “masculinity” framework into the determination of appropriate advertising appeals‐related to gender roles.Practical implicationsInternational advertisers who are planning a global campaign for their gender‐related consumer products can benefit by locating the target country's position on Hofstede's masculinity index and using it as a guideline for creating visual images of main characters in the ads.Originality/valueThis study adds a new contribution to an international account of web advertising in maintaining a comprehensive understanding of contemporary gender role portrayals. It could benefit international advertisers with both practical and theoretical implications, for no systematic studies have ever touched the gender‐role issue with web advertising yet.

No abstract

A cross-cultural approach is adopted to examine factors related to perceptions of and attitudes toward medical tourism by American, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese tourists to Korea. Results from a survey with a sample of 883 tourists show that respondents' overall attitudes significantly differ across the four nations. Russian patients hold most positive attitudes, followed by Chinese and Japanese. Major perceptual factors are found to have different effects on overall attitudes among respondents. While travelrelated risks are the most influential factor among Russian, Japanese, and Chinese patients, Americans are influenced mostly by health-related risks. American and Japanese attitudes are also affected by cost factor but not by convenience factor. On the other hand, convenience factor significantly affects Russian and Chinese attitudes. Additionally, postoperative risk, access to information, and availability of procedures have different effects across the four nations. Possible explanations and practical implications are discussed in conjunction with the cultural contexts of the four nations.

No abstract