Exploring conspicuousness in the context of donation behaviour

Abstract

The study of donation behaviour has been significant in recent years as charitable organisations realise the value of marketing strategies in order for growth and survival. Consequently, in recent years, the growing trend to increase awareness of charities and generate much-needed funds, has been the sale of empathy ribbons and the like (e.g. red noses etc0. However, it is argued that the motivation behind the purchase of empathy ribbons is largely ostentatious rather than altruistic and thus, is viewed under the broader umbrella of 'conspicuous compassion' (West, 2004). As such, this paper documents a conceptualisation of monetary donation behaviour which we term 'conspicuous donation behaviour' and, in doing so, we provide a number of research propositions which pre-empt new avenues for future research.