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Chain of Blame: A Multi-country Study of Consumer Reactions Towards Supplier Hypocrisy in Global Supply Chains

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  • Nils Christian Hoffmann

    (Kiel University
    Kiel Centre for Globalization)

  • Juelin Yin

    (Sun Yat-sen University
    Kiel Centre for Globalization)

  • Stefan Hoffmann

    (Kiel University
    Kiel Centre for Globalization)

Abstract

Recent research identified firms’ hypocritical behavior as a major threat to their reputation among consumers. This paper expands the dyadic relationship to a triadic relationship, integrating the hypocritical behavior of suppliers in global supply chains. Introducing a chain of blame, this paper suggests that the hypocritical behavior of the supplier backfires on the firm, leading to loss of reputation and increased boycotting tendencies. We test our proposed framework across one main study and two follow-up studies with consumers from two industrialized and two BRICS countries (Germany, US, China and South-Africa) and a total of 1177 respondents. Results show that consumers from various countries consistently hold firms responsible for their suppliers’ hypocritical behavior, consequently lower their reputation ratings, and intend to engage in boycotting the firm. The analysis further identifies the origin of the supplier and consumer ethnocentrism as nationally-variant promoting factors of consumers’ boycott intention and shows that the influence of those factors is contingent on consumers’ expectations towards foreign vs domestic firms. Implications for managers and marketing-managers are given.

Suggested Citation

  • Nils Christian Hoffmann & Juelin Yin & Stefan Hoffmann, 2020. "Chain of Blame: A Multi-country Study of Consumer Reactions Towards Supplier Hypocrisy in Global Supply Chains," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 247-286, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:manint:v:60:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s11575-020-00410-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11575-020-00410-1
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    Cited by:

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    2. Valor, Carmen & Antonetti, Paolo & Zasuwa, Grzegorz, 2022. "Corporate social irresponsibility and consumer punishment: A systematic review and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 1218-1233.
    3. Wassili Lasarov & Stefan Hoffmann & Ulrich Orth, 2023. "Vanishing Boycott Impetus: Why and How Consumer Participation in a Boycott Decreases Over Time," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(4), pages 1129-1154, February.
    4. Debmalya Mukherjee & Saumyaranjan Sahoo & Satish Kumar, 2023. "Two Decades of International Business and International Management Scholarship on Africa: A Review and Future Directions," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 63(6), pages 863-909, December.
    5. Lasarov, Wassili & Mai, Robert & Krause, Jan S. & Schmidt, Ulrich & Hoffmann, Stefan, 2021. "Too Cold to be Skeptical: How Ambient Temperature Moderates the Effects of CSR Communication," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    6. Fu, Hongyong & Lei, Yifeng & Zhang, Shuguang & Zhao, Kexin & Zhao, Yanlu, 2024. "Unravelling the carbon emissions compliance in sustainable supply chains: The impacts of carbon audit cooperation," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).

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