A Study on the Influence Factors and Configuration Effects of Cause's Attributes and Self‐Construal on Consumer's Purchase Intention—Based on PLS‐SEM and FSQCA Methods

ABSTRACT With the increasing emphasis on global social responsibility, cause‐related marketing (CRM) has emerged as a pivotal strategy for enterprises to harmonize business objectives with social benefits. However, in practice, many cause projects fail to effectively elicit consumer responses. Moreover, most existing studies focus on singular attributions, providing limited systematic insights into the synergistic effects of cause attributes, individual traits, and corporate cues within cause projects. This research combines Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS‐SEM) with Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to explore the effects of cause's attributes, self‐construal, and consumer‐company identity (CCI) on consumer purchase intention through an analysis of 426 qualifying questionnaires. The PLS‐SEM analysis results confirm that the three cause's attributes exert significant positive effects on purchase intention. Interdependent self‐construal (ITSC) indirectly influences purchase intention through CCI, whereas independent self‐construal (ISC) directly promotes purchase behavior. Furthermore, CCI serves as a critical intermediary in the relationship between cause proximity (CP) and brand‐cause fit (BCF). The fsQCA analysis further revealed four distinct configuration paths associated with high purchase intention, underscoring the significance of multi‐factor synergies. This study not only offers a multidimensional explanatory framework for CRM theory but also provides actionable path options for enterprise practice.