The Effect Of Entrepreneur's Image On The Company's Brand Trust

Entrepreneur has a crucial role in the organization.He is the special frontman and represents the whole organization in the public.Meanwhile,he is also the manager and decision-maker and drives the development of the organization.Many organizations are spared no time to make a good image for their entrepreneur to leave a good impression in customers' minds.However,there are still having questions on the effects of a good entrepreneur's image and how it works.To address this issue,this paper explores the effect of a good entrepreneur's image on a firm's brand trust and how it works.Based on the stimulus-organism-response model and communication model,we assume that the effect of a good entrepreneur's image on a firm's brand trust is influenced by brand cognition,brand affect,and cultural value orientation.To examine these assumptions,an online survey is used to collect data from customers.After analyzing these data,we provide empirical support for a good entrepreneur's image effects on a firm's brand trust.Especially,the competence image has a positive impact on cognitive trust,and the moral image effects emotional trust positively.Moreover,we find there are three ways to affect the relationship between the entrepreneur's image and the firm's brand trust.First,the firm's brand cognition and brand affect separately play a mediating role in this relationship.Second,they successively influence this relationship between the entrepreneur's image effects on a firm's brand trust.Meanwhile,competence-oriented value moderates the relationship between the entrepreneur's competence image and the firm's brand cognition.While moral-oriented value moderates the relationship between the entrepreneur's moral image and the firm's brand affect.This study is one of few analyzing and explaining the effect and mechanisms of an entrepreneur's image and firm brand.It bridges the gaps between application in practice and the academic foundations,and it contributes to a broader understanding of the effects of the entrepreneur's image and firm brand.