Boomerang Effects of Green Polishing by High-Environmental-Impact Organizations

Abstract

This study explores green polishing, a new form of greenwashing characterized by the misalignment in corporate social responsibility communication and actions, and its impacts on public support of sustainability campaigns. Based on the undeserved credit model of hypocrisy and insights from CSR fit theories, we examined how environmental practices and communication influence perceptions of hypocrisy and consumer behavior. An experiment with 595 U.S. participants assessed responses to environmental campaigns of companies with diverse environmental footprints. Results show that sustainability campaigns by companies with significant environmental impacts are perceived as more hypocritical, adversely affecting consumer purchase intentions. Findings underscore how both perceived hypocrisy and CSR fit jointly shape public reactions to corporate sustainability initiatives. These findings underscore the need for authentic sustainability practices and transparent science communication.