Search

Previous studies have found Forsyth's Ethical Position Questionnaire (EPQ) to vary between countries, but none has made a systematic evaluation of its psychometric properties across consumers from many countries. Using confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group LISREL analysis, this paper explores the factor structure of the EPQ and the measurement equivalence in five societies: Austria, Britain, Brunei, Hong Kong and USA. The results suggest that the modified scale, measuring idealism and relativism, was applicable in all five societies. Equivalence was found across Britain, Brunei and USA, but the original scale cannot be used validly. KEY WORDS: consumer ethics, idealism, relativism, multi-group LISREL, measurement equivalence

Clarifications relating various criticisms by David Colander, John Cullis, and Aaron Levine on a model for behavior of individuals and firms in rational economic and competitive markets duly integrating moral, ethical and altruistic conduct are presented.

The model presented by Morris Altman for behavior of individuals and firms in rational economic and competitive markets duly integrating moral, ethical and altruistic conduct is examined for its efficiency and the role that government can play for improving the ethical behavior.

An analysis of a study conducted by Morris Altman on the effects of altruism, moral dimension and ethical behavior on rational economic and competitive markets is presented.

Critical review of a study conducted by Morris Altman on the effects of altruism, moral dimension and ethical behavior on rational economic and competitive markets is presented.

A study examining the effects of altruism, moral dimension and ethical behavior on rational economic and competitive markets is presented. Based on the study a behavior model duly incorporating the moral and altruistic behavior for individuals and firms is developed.

An analysis of the supply chain problems in the cases of shared-savings contracts is presented. In the context of consumption of indirect materials the supplier can offer shared-incentives to the customers, which linear contract can however be exploited by either the customer or the supplier to the detriment of the other. An optimal solution to the situation is suggested.

The ethical climate in Turkey is beset by ethical problems. Bribery, environmental pollution, tax frauds, deceptive advertising, production of unsafe products, and the ethical violations that involved politicians and business professionals are just a few examples. The purpose of this study is to compare and contrast the ethical beliefs of American and Turkish consumers using the Ethical Position Questionnaire (EPQ) of Forsyth (1980), the Machiavellianism scale, and the Consumer Ethical Practices of Muncy and Vitell questionnaire (MVQ). A sample of 376 subjects that consists of American consumers (n = 188) and Turkish consumers (n = 199) was used to compare the ethical beliefs and practices of the two samples. The MANOVA results for the two nationality groups found that five out of six criterion variables differed between the two groups. The implications of this study are intended to assist marketers to develop strategies that suit a particular market and lessen their risk of entry. KEY WORDS: Consumer ethics, idealism, relativism Machiavellianism, cross cultural, U.S.A., Turkey

This article presents the results of an exploratory study that investigated the role that religiosity plays in determining consumer attitudes/beliefs in various situations regarding questionable consumer practices. Two dimensions of religiosity--intrinsic and extrinsic religiousness--were studied. Results indicated that an intrinsic religiousness was a significant determinant of consumer ethical beliefs, but extrinsic religiousness was not related to those beliefs. KEY WORDS: ethics, religiousness

In this study, we conducted two experiments to examine the effect of relationship commitment on the reaction of shoppers to receiving too much change, controlling for the amount of excess change. Hypotheses based on equity theory, opportunism and guilt were set up and tested. The first study showed that, when the less committed consumer is confronted with a large excess of change, he/she is less likely to report this mistake, compared with a small excess. Conversely, consumers with a high commitment towards the retailer are more likely to tell when they receive too much change, especially when the amount is large. The second experiment provided an explanation for these findings: the less committed consumer is driven by opportunism, whereas guilt-related feelings play an important role in a high commitment relationship. These results have several implications for both retail management and future research. KEY WORDS: Amount of excess change received by retail shoppers, consumer ethics, equity theory, guilt related feelings, opportunism, passively benefiting at the expense of the seller, receiving too much change at the checkout, relationship commitment, relationship marketing, retailing, unethical consumer behavior

Eco-labels in use today signify environmentally benign outcomes: 'Choose this product, it is better for the environment than the average product.' Another strategy would be to indicate negative outcomes with the purpose of trying to persuade consumers to avoid a product: 'Do not choose this product, it is worse for the environment than the average product.' In a computer-based experiment, it was investigated how these two types of labels affected preference for some everyday products. Individuals who had a weak or no interest in environmental issues were unaffected by either kind of label. Individuals with an intermediate interest in environmental issues were more affected by a negative label than by a positive label. Individuals with a strong interest in environmental protection were equally affected by the two kinds of labels.

Price discrimination is widespread in the American economy and sometimes can be defended as achieving socially preferable economic outcomes. However, the separation of markets required for price discrimination is often difficult to sustain. Sometimes those whom the seller wishes to charge higher prices are identified by imprecise markers. (Thus, as one example, airlines have traditionally attempted to identify business travelers willing to pay higher fares as those travelers unwilling to stay at their destination over a Saturday night.) imprecise targeting complicates efforts to prevent strategies of circumvention and sellers sometimes resort to claiming that buyers are morally bound to observe rules which sellers cannot otherwise enforce. This paper examines whether buyers can be morally bound by sellers to put themselves into discriminated-against classes. This paper takes the position that if, as often seems to be the case, there is a social consensus that consumers would not be morally obliged to sort themselves into categories precisely designed to achieve the goals of price discrimination, then there is, a fortiori, a social consensus that consumers are not morally obliged to sort themselves into categories which are only crudely designed to achieve the goals of price discrimination, and which may in fact be counterproductive.

This article presents the results of a study that investigated the role that religiosity plays in determining consumer attitudes/beliefs regarding various questionable consumer practices. Additionally, other personal factors were examined including idealism, relativism, consumer alienation and selected demographics such as income and age. All of these constructs were examined as antecedents of consumer ethical beliefs. The results of a post hoc and analysis indicated the religiosity was a significant determine of both idealism and relativism, and since idealism and relativism determine consumer ethical beliefs, religiosity is a significant indirect determinate of consumer ethical beliefs.

This study explores the ethical ideologies and ethical beliefs of African American consumers using the Forsyth ethical position questionnaire (EPQ) and the Muncy-Vitell consumer ethics questionnaire (MVQ). The two dimensions of the EPQ (i.e., idealism and relativism) were the independent constructs and the four dimensions of the MVQ (i.e., illegal, active, passive and no harm) were the dependent variables. In addition, this paper explores the consumer ethics of African Americans across four demographic factors (i.e., age, education, gender, and marital status). A sample of 315 African American consumers was used to explore these relationships. Results confirmed that consumers who score high on the idealism scale are more likely to reject questionable consumer activities, but there was no relationship between relativism and consumers' rejection of questionable activities. Older, more educated and married consumers rejected questionable activities more than younger, less educated and single consumers. Gender did not have any significant relationship to consumers' ethical orientation. KEY WORDS: African Americans, consumer ethics, ethical ideologies, minorities ethics, subcultures ethics

This paper investigates the relationship between two outcomes of relationship marketing--affective commitment and behavioral loyalty--and consumers' unethical behavior. The main objective of the study is to assess whether affective commitment and behavioral loyalty to a store translate into more ethical behavior towards that store, controlling for the variables of age, gender, and ethical beliefs. The study does not rely on a single measurement tool, but is based on ten months' panel data and three different mail surveys targeted at 359 Belgian households. The results provide support for our hypothesis that affective commitment is indeed negatively correlated with consumers' unethical behavior. The same conclusion could not be drawn for the relationship between behavioral loyalty and consumers' unethical behavior. No significant relationship was detected, not even in situations where affective commitment was high. The results hold major implications for retailing practice. KEY WORDS: affective commitment, age, behavioral loyalty, consumer ethics, customer loyalty, ethical beliefs, gender, relationship marketing

In recent years, there has been increased awareness of unethical consumer practices in Asian countries. Asian consumers have gained a bad reputation for buying counterfeit products, such as computer software, fashion clothing and watches. In 1993, the estimated losses to US software companies due to Chinese counterfeiting stood at US $322 million (Kohut, 1994). The present study uses a consumer ethics scale developed by Muncy and Vitell (1992) to investigate consumers' ethical judgments from a Chinese perspective. The result shows that consumers in different cultures utilize similar rules to assess the ethicality of a given situation. However, findings also show certain cultural elements that are unique in influencing Chinese consumers' ethical judgments. The results also indicate the need for the continued development of and investment in consumer education in Asia.

As the issue of marketing's social responsibility grows in significance, the topic of materialism surfaces. While many marketing efforts encourage materialism, the materialism that is encouraged may have negative societal effects. An understanding of the effects of materialism on individuals, families, society, etc., is important in evaluating whether or not it is socially irresponsible for marketers to encourage materialism. However, the adequate empirical work has not yet been done on the overall effects of materialism. The current paper asks and addresses one important empirical question in this area. Do consumers who are more materialistic have different ethical standards than those who are not? Empirical evidence is presented which would indicate that materialism is negatively correlated with people's higher ethical standards as consumers. The implications for this in understanding social responsibility are discussed.

Concern for ethical issues in business has dramatically increased over the last decade. Both academics and practitioners have shown an intense interest in ethical issues. For example, both the Journal [...]

Business and Marketing ethics have come to the forefront in recent years. While consumers have been surveyed regarding their perceptions of ethical business and marketing practices, research has been minimal with regard to their ethical beliefs and ideologies. In addition, no study has examined the ethical beliefs of Austrian consumers even though Austria maintains a unique status of political neutrality, nonalignment, stability, economic prosperity and geographical proximity to the East- and West-European countries. This research investigates the relationship between Machiavellianism, ethical ideology and ethical beliefs of Austrian consumers. The results indicate that Austrian consumers are mostly 'situationists' who, while rejecting moral rules, judge the ethics of a behavior by the consequences and outcomes of the situation.

There is a growing trend towards ethical consumerism in the UK as consumers who believe in the principles of fair trade, including environmentally-aware consumers, demand that manufacturers not only produce fairly traded products but also guarantee ethical claims they make about their products. A survey of the general public and 12 large UK grocery retailers, supplemented by data from fair trade organizations and supermarket retailers, shows that large numbers of fair trade products and high-quality alternative products have been brought about by the trend towards ethical consumerism., Introduction The green consumer has been described as one who avoids products that are likely to 'endanger the health of the consumer or others; cause significant damage to the environment [...]

The present study examines the relationships between consumers' ethical beliefs and personality traits. Based on a survey of 295 undergraduate business students, the authors found that individuals with high needs for autonomy, innovation, and aggression, as well as individuals with a high propensity for taking risks tend to have 'less ethical' beliefs concerning possible consumer actions. Individuals with a high need for social desirability and individuals with a strong problem solving coping style tend to have 'more ethical' beliefs concerning possible consumer actions. The needs for achievement, affiliation, complexity and an emotion solving coping style were not significantly correlated with consumer ethical beliefs.

Research investigating the consumer's ethical beliefs, ideologies and orientation has been limited. Additionally, despite the repeated call in the literature for cross cultural research, virtually no studies have examined the ethical beliefs and ideologies of consumers from cultures other than those in North America. This study partially fills this 'gap' in the literature by investigating the ethical beliefs, preferred ethical ideology, and degree of Machiavellianism of consumers from Egypt and Lebanon. The results indicate that consumers in Lebanon, which has been torn by civil unrest and terrorism, tend to be more Machiavellian, less idealistic, and more relativistic than their Egyptian counterparts. Additionally, the Lebanese consumers tend to be more accepting of 'questionable' consumer practices.

Consumers' perceptions about the ethical content of the incidents they encounter were studied. The first phase of the research started with the distribution of a questionnaire with 47 questions. The second phase used three research assistants giving out questionnaires to persons watching a major recreational event. The research was able to identify a high level of ethical concern among consumers, structural factors that probably influence ethical decision making by consumers and correlation between ethical concerns and certain demographic descriptors.

The research conducted to know the ethical ideology and attitudes of customers towards the purchasing of counterfeit products and the findings of the research are explained.

An analysis is presented of the relationships between consumers' ethical beliefs, ethical ideology, Machiavellianism, political preference and the individual difference variable 'need for closure'. It is based on a representative survey of 286 Belgian respondents. Standard measurement tools of proven reliability and robustness are used to measure ethical beliefs (consumer ethics scale), ethical ideology (ethical positioning), Machiavellianism (Mach IV scale) and need for closure. The analysis finds the following. First, individuals with a high need for closure tend to have beliefs that are more ethical as regards possible consumer actions, and score higher on idealism and lower on Machiavellianism, than those with a low need for closure. Second, a correlation exists between political preference and ethical beliefs. Third, a significant relationship exists between ethical ideology and political preference for the two largest political parties. Fourth, individuals with a high and low need for closure have different political preferences for right-wing and left-wing parties. KEY WORDS: consumer ethics, ethical beliefs, ethical ideology, ethical position, idealism, Machiavellianism, need for closure, political preference, relativism ABBREVIATIONS: AGALEV = Green Party; CVP = Christian Democrat Party; EPQ = Ethics Position Questionnaire; NFC = Need for closure; PVDA = Extreme left Party; SP = Socialist Party; Vlaams Blok = Extreme Right Party; VLD = Liberal Party; VU = Volksunie: left-wing, regional party

This study empirically analyzed whether consumers making apparel purchases would use a label guaranteeing certain working conditions were present during garment production. While a potential market segment for the No [...]

There is a growing interest in understanding consumer ethical actions in relation to their dealings with firms. This paper examines whether there are differences between Northern and Southern European Union (EU) consumers' perceptions of ethical consumer behaviour using Muncy and Vitell's (1992) Consumer Ethics Scale (CES). The study samples 962 university students across four Northern EU countries (Germany, Denmark, Scotland, The Netherlands) and four Southern EU countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece). Some differences are identified between the two samples, which might question the ability of organisations to consider the EU as one homogeneous market. KEY WORDS: consumer ethics, cross-cultural, EU, globalization/regionalization

This paper deals with the issue of motivations for ethical choices within economic contexts from the perspective of economic psychology. Three general points about motivations are made at the outset: that interesting behaviours usually subserve more than one motivation; that there is no simple one-to-one correspondence between the reasoning behind an act and an 'ethical' choice and that people are often inconsistent. Empirical work in three areas is considered: ethical investment, tax evasion and the environmentally concerned consumer. It is clear that the evidence from these domains does not support a simple utility maximising model and that most people have mixed motives, mixed capabilities and varying opportunities to act in ethical and unethical ways. The frequency of ethical choices can probably be increased if situations are framed in appropriate ways. The more people become aware that nearly all everyday situations involve ethical decisions, the more likely it is that motivations will become consistent with (more ethical) behaviour. KEYWORDS: economic psychology, ethical choices, motivation, ethical investment, tax evasion, green consumption

Journalists have an obligation to the people. What about the other way around? For nearly two years, I have been editing the series in this magazine about the unsteady state [...]