Exploring social media influencers' moral dilemmas through role theory

Grgurić Čop, Nina (author), Culiberg, Barbara (author), First Komen, Ivana (author)

This study examines how social media influencers (SMIs) perceive their role in the complex relationships between brands, followers, and society, the moral dilemmas they face, and how they deal with them. The results show that SMIs find themselves in different roles depending on which stakeholders' expectations they fulfil. Using role theory as a theoretical framework, we find that the conflicts between extended expectations (commitment, authenticity, and responsibility) lead to various moral dilemmas: non-disclosure, withholding negative experiences, lack of empathy, promotion of products without genuine experience, sharing opinions on socially relevant issues, and promotion of harmful products. Strategies for resolving these dilemmas which help SMIs manage their complex moral obligations include: spotlighting a role, downplaying a role, customizing a role, and resorting to a role.

• Language: English
• Keywords: marketing, management, consumer behaviour, social media, influencers, influencer marketing, role theory, moral dilemma, role conflict, influencer morality
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: EF - School of Economics and Business
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: Str. 1-22
• Numbering: Vol. 40, iss. 1/2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-153967
• UDC: 339.138
• ISSN on article: 0267-257X
• DOI: 10.1080/0267257X.2023.2241468
• COBISS.SI-ID: 161322243
• Publication date in RUL: 17.01.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of marketing management
• Shortened title: MM, J. mark. manage.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis, Academy of Marketing, Westburn Publishers
• ISSN: 0267-257X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 16458333

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: trženje, management, vedenje potrošnikov, družbeni mediji, vplivneži

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: University of Rijeka
• Project number: ZP UNIRI 1/19