IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/iburev/v13y2004i6p749-761.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Consumer ethics: moral ideologies and ethical beliefs of a micro-culture in the US

Author

Listed:
  • Swaidan, Ziad
  • Rawwas, Mohammed Y.A.
  • Al-Khatib, Jamal A.

Abstract

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), and gender were the independent variables and the four dimensions of the MVQ (i.e. illegal, active, passive and no harm) were the dependent variables. A sample of 283 students from a historically black university was used to explore the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Findings suggested that consumers who scored higher on the idealism scale and lower on the relativism scale were more likely to reject questionable activities. On average, females expressed more willingness to reject questionable activities than males.

Suggested Citation

  • Swaidan, Ziad & Rawwas, Mohammed Y.A. & Al-Khatib, Jamal A., 2004. "Consumer ethics: moral ideologies and ethical beliefs of a micro-culture in the US," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 13(6), pages 749-761, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:13:y:2004:i:6:p:749-761
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969593104000940
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chonko, Lawrence B. & Hunt, Shelby D., 1985. "Ethics and marketing management: An empirical examination," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 339-359, August.
    2. Muncy, James A. & Vitell, Scott J., 1992. "Consumer ethics: An investigation of the ethical beliefs of the final consumer," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 297-311, June.
    3. Karande, Kiran & Shankarmahesh, Mahesh N. & Rao, C. P. & Rashid, Zabid Md., 2000. "Perceived moral intensity, ethical perception, and ethical intention of American and Malaysian managers: a comparative study," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 37-59, February.
    4. Attia, Ashraf & Shankarmahesh, Mahesh N. & Singhapakdi, Anusorn, 1999. "Marketing ethics: a comparison of American and Middle-Eastern marketers," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 8(5-6), pages 611-632, October.
    5. Al-Khatib, J. A. & Robertson, C. J. & D'Auria Stanton, A. & Vitell, S. J., 2002. "Business ethics in the Arab Gulf States: a three-country study," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 97-111, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rebecca VanMeter & Douglas Grisaffe & Lawrence Chonko & James Roberts, 2013. "Generation Y’s Ethical Ideology and Its Potential Workplace Implications," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 93-109, September.
    2. Oylum Korkut Altuna & F. Müge Arslan & A. Ercan Gegez & Özge Sýðýrcý, 2016. "Development of a Scale on e-Consumers’ Attitudes towards Ethically Questionable Online Behaviors," Bogazici Journal, Review of Social, Economic and Administrative Studies, Bogazici University, Department of Economics, vol. 30(1), pages 99-134.
    3. Tine Bock & Patrick Kenhove, 2010. "Consumer Ethics: The Role of Self-Regulatory Focus," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 97(2), pages 241-255, December.
    4. BaoChun Zhao & ShanShan Xu, 2013. "Does Consumer Unethical Behavior Relate to Birthplace? Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 113(3), pages 475-488, March.
    5. Connie Bateman & Sean Valentine & Terri Rittenburg, 2013. "Ethical Decision Making in a Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Situation: The Role of Moral Absolutes and Social Consensus," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(2), pages 229-240, June.
    6. Al-Khatib, Jamal A. & Malshe, Avinash & AbdulKader, Mazen, 2008. "Perception of unethical negotiation tactics: A comparative study of US and Saudi managers," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 78-102, February.
    7. Ahmed Musbah & Christopher J. Cowton & David Tyfa, 2016. "The Role of Individual Variables, Organizational Variables and Moral Intensity Dimensions in Libyan Management Accountants’ Ethical Decision Making," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(3), pages 335-358, March.
    8. Ricky Y. K. Chan & Piyush Sharma & Abdulaziz Alqahtani & Tak Yan Leung & Ashish Malik, 2024. "Mediating Role of Cultural Values in the Impact of Ethical Ideologies on Chinese Consumers’ Ethical Judgments," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 191(4), pages 865-884, May.
    9. Bahtışen Kavak & Eda Gürel & Canan Eryiğit & Öznur Tektaş, 2009. "Examining the Effects of Moral Development Level, Self-Concept, and Self-Monitoring on Consumers’ Ethical Attitudes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(1), pages 115-135, August.
    10. Barbara Culiberg, 2015. "The Role of Moral Philosophies and Value Orientations in Consumer Ethics: a Post-Transitional European Country Perspective," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 211-228, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kristof De Wulf & Patrick Van Kenhove & Sarah Steenhaut, 2003. "The relationship between consumers unethical behavior and customer loyalty in a retail environment," Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School Working Paper Series 2003-17, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School.
    2. Barbara Culiberg & Domen Bajde, 2014. "Do You Need a Receipt? Exploring Consumer Participation in Consumption Tax Evasion as an Ethical Dilemma," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 124(2), pages 271-282, October.
    3. Bodo Schlegelmilch & Magdalena Öberseder, 2010. "Half a Century of Marketing Ethics: Shifting Perspectives and Emerging Trends," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 93(1), pages 1-19, April.
    4. Al-Khatib, J. A. & Robertson, C. J. & D'Auria Stanton, A. & Vitell, S. J., 2002. "Business ethics in the Arab Gulf States: a three-country study," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 97-111, February.
    5. Michael Gift & Paul Gift & QinQin Zheng, 2013. "Cross-Cultural Perceptions of Business Ethics: Evidence from the United States and China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 114(4), pages 633-642, June.
    6. Connie Bateman & Sean Valentine, 2010. "Investigating the Effects of Gender on Consumers’ Moral Philosophies and Ethical Intentions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 95(3), pages 393-414, September.
    7. A. Oumlil & Joseph Balloun, 2009. "Ethical Decision-Making Differences Between American and Moroccan Managers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 84(4), pages 457-478, February.
    8. Long-Chuan Lu & Chia-Ju Lu, 2010. "Moral Philosophy, Materialism, and Consumer Ethics: An Exploratory Study in Indonesia," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 94(2), pages 193-210, June.
    9. Peter Wheale & David Hinton, 2007. "Ethical consumers in search of markets," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(4), pages 302-315, May.
    10. Kwangho Jung & Seung-Hee Lee & Jane Workman, 2018. "Purchasing Counterfeits and Citizenship: Public Service Motivation Matters," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    11. Daunt, Kate L. & Harris, Lloyd C., 2011. "Customers acting badly: Evidence from the hospitality industry," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(10), pages 1034-1042, October.
    12. Aurifeille, Jacques-Marie & Quester, Pascale G., 2003. "Predicting business ethical tolerance in international markets: a concomitant clusterwise regression analysis," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 253-272, April.
    13. Iris Vermeir & Patrick Kenhove, 2008. "Gender Differences in Double Standards," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 81(2), pages 281-295, August.
    14. Tine Bock & Iris Vermeir & Patrick Kenhove, 2013. "“What’s the Harm in Being Unethical? These Strangers are Rich Anyway!” Exploring Underlying Factors of Double Standards," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(2), pages 225-240, January.
    15. Daulatram Lund, 2008. "Gender Differences in Ethics Judgment of Marketing Professionals in the United States," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 77(4), pages 501-515, February.
    16. Yuanqiong He & Junfang Zhang & Yuanyuan Zhou & Zhilin Yang, 2019. "“Monkey See, Monkey Do?”: The Effect of Construal Level on Consumers’ Reactions to Others’ Unethical Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(2), pages 455-472, May.
    17. Helmut Schneider & John Krieger & Azra Bayraktar, 2011. "The Impact of Intrinsic Religiosity on Consumers’ Ethical Beliefs: Does It Depend on the Type of Religion? A Comparison of Christian and Moslem Consumers in Germany and Turkey," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 102(2), pages 319-332, August.
    18. Wing Chow & Jane Wu & Allan Chan, 2009. "The Effects of Environmental Factors on the Behavior of Chinese Managers in the Information Age in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 89(4), pages 629-639, November.
    19. Shan Xue & Yi Tang & Yuehua Xu & Chu-Ding Ling & Xiao-Yun Xie & Shenjiang Mo, 2024. "How boards’ factional faultlines affect corporate financial fraud," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 351-376, March.
    20. Magdalena Öberseder & Bodo Schlegelmilch & Patrick Murphy & Verena Gruber, 2014. "Consumers’ Perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility: Scale Development and Validation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 124(1), pages 101-115, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:13:y:2004:i:6:p:749-761. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/133/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.