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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Saleh Bazi, Dr Chloe HuangORCiD, Professor Matthew GortonORCiD, Dr Barbara ToccoORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Despite widespread awareness of climate change, more environmentally friendly products often struggle to generate customer engagement (CE). To address this disconnect, the paper investigates the antecedents and outcomes of CE with climate-friendly services in the transportation sector through two empirical studies. Study 1 uses an online experiment (n = 261) to investigate CE with an eācargo bike delivery service, employing PLS-SEM to test how openness-to-experience, conscientiousness, and message framing affect CE. Results show that both personality traits positively influence CE, and that altruistic message appeals generate significantly higher CE than egoistic appeals. CE, in turn, enhances consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. Study 2 (n = 400) extends the investigation to an EV hire service, testing the psychological mechanism underpinning message framing effects. It identifies that altruistic appeals enhance self-worth, which in turn increases CE with climate-friendly services. Together, the studies advance CE theory and offer guidance for designing communication strategies.
Author(s): Bazi S, Huang J, Gorton M, Tocco B
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Business Research
Year: 2026
Volume: 214
Print publication date: 01/09/2026
Online publication date: 22/05/2026
Acceptance date: 10/05/2026
Date deposited: 22/05/2026
ISSN (print): 0148-2963
ISSN (electronic): 1873-7978
Publisher: Elsevier Inc.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116285
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116285
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