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Presents the use of the dual reciprocity method (DRM) for solving inverse problems described by Poisson's equation. DRM provides a technique for taking the domain integrals associated with the inhomogeneous term to the boundary. For that reason, the DRM is supposed to be ideal for solving inverse problems. Solving inverse problems, a linear system is produced which is usually predetermined and ill‐posed. To solve that kind of problem, implements the Tikhonov algorithm and compares it with the analytical solution. In the end, tests the whole algorithm on different problems with analytical solutions.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the efficacy of three corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives on brand preference in the Thai banking sector.

A 2 × 2 × 2 between subject experimental design was used to test the hypotheses in a bank setting. Three CSR initiatives were tested against a predictor variable of perceived brand quality and moderated by age, CSR predisposition and cultural values. The CSR initiatives comprised commitment to CSR; type of CSR programme; and transparency. Written vignettes disguised as press releases by the bank were used as stimulus materials and a survey completed by 219 consumers in Thailand.

Overall, all three CSR initiatives had a modest but significant effect on brand preference. The level of influence varied according to age, CSR predisposition and cultural values. While older customers placed more emphasis on perceived brand quality overall it was also found that the type of CSR programme could significantly affect brand preference. In those groups high on the cultural value of individualism, commitment to CSR was found to be a strong contributor to brand preference. Similarly in those groups with a high power distance, brand preference was more influenced by CSR initiatives.

While CSR initiatives make modest improvements to brand preference overall, more substantial impacts occur under situational conditions. Discovering and exploiting such situations is critical to any firm making substantial investments in CSR.

The differential impact of CSR initiatives on brand preference highlights the importance of carefully targeting stakeholders to optimise CSR investments. Communication strategies need to ensure that the appropriate message is designed for particular audiences.

A specific dependent variable of brand preference is used in this study, together with three specific CSR initiatives and three moderating influences. In addition, perceived brand quality is utilised as a benchmark variable to test the strength of CSR initiatives.

Two questions guide this study: “Do two crisis history types (i.e. organization-specific vs industry-wide) have the same effect on publics’ perception of the organization in a crisis?” And “Is there any significant difference in public responses between the high and low levels of issue involvement?” The paper aims to discuss these issues.

A two organization-specific crisis history (frequent vs infrequent) × two industry-wide crisis history (frequent vs infrequent) × two consumer issue involvement (high vs low) between-subjects experimental design was employed.

This experiment suggests that an industry-wide crisis history can mitigate negative damages of a crisis, while an organization-specific crisis history intensifies the damages. This indicates that crisis history types should be considered as an important factor when diagnosing appropriate crisis response strategies during crisis. This study also identifies a stronger negative impact of an organization-specific crisis history among highly issue-involved publics than less involved publics.

This study extends situational crisis communication theory by identifying the buffering impact of an industry-wide crisis history and adding crisis history type as an influencer in the process of the publics’ crisis responsibility attributions.