Purpose This study aims to examine how egoistic (religious values and duty) and altruistic (moral values and empathy) routes mediate the effect of interactive storytelling types and narratives on prosocial consumption intention in the context of non-profit crowdfunding. Design/methodology/approach This study combines a between-subjects design with three story conditions (empathy-based, duty-based or control) in Study 1 (n = 478) and a stimulus-based survey with partial least squares structural equation modeling in Study 2 (n = 708). Findings Study 1 showed that duty-based storytelling primarily activated egoistic motivation, while empathy-based storytelling activated altruistic motivation, with both narratives also triggering secondary cross-route effects. Study 2 confirmed that both routes significantly predicted prosocial intention, with the egoistic route demonstrating slightly stronger influence. Together, the findings highlight that storytelling is most effective when it integrates duty-based appeals with empathetic concern. Originality/value This study introduces and validates a dual-route model that integrates egoistic and altruistic motivations in response to interactive storytelling. It extends consumer storytelling theory into non-profit crowdfunding and provides culturally grounded insights from Indonesia, a religiously devout and collectivist society.
Hendy Mustiko Aji (Fri,) studied this question.