Do opposites attract? Understanding the influence of infographics and message credibility on investor perceptions and decision-making

Purnima Khemani and Dilip Kumar

Journal of Business Research, 2025, vol. 200, issue C

Abstract: This study investigates the impact of infographics and message credibility on perceived corporate hypocrisy and willingness to invest. Deploying a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design, the study shows that extensive use of infographics increases the perception of corporate hypocrisy whereas high message credibility decreases the perception of corporate hypocrisy. The findings show that investors view external assurance as a valid veneer of legitimacy and do not discount its importance. In fact, the results also show that infographics and message credibility do not impact investors’ willingness to invest. The study highlights that impression management strategies do not “impress investors.”

Keywords: Sustainability reporting; Impression management; External assurance; Investor behaviour; Experimental design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M1 M48 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:200:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325004102

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115587

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