Prof. Dr. Kristina Klein and Dr. Tjark Virkus, her former doctoral student, have published a scientific article entitled ‘The role of authenticity and scepticism in consumers' reactions to brand activism’ in the renowned Journal of Business Research (VHB B).

In the article, two experimental studies identify two determinants of the perceived authenticity of brand activism: both intrinsic (as opposed to extrinsic) motivation and a high (as opposed to low) impact of brand activism increase consumers' perception of authenticity, which in turn has a positive effect on their reactions. The perception of authenticity, in turn, reduces consumer scepticism towards brand activism.