scholarly journals Why do good people do bad things? The effect of ethical ideology, guilt proneness, and self-control on consumer ethics

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 1055-1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denni Arli ◽  
Cheryl Leo
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Behaviour ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Consumer Ethics ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Ethical Ideology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Good People ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Guilt Proneness

Purpose Various studies showed that unethical behaviours committed by consumers occur more frequently than may be expected. People have stolen from a shop at some time in their life and remained silent, people walk out of a grocery store have stolen something from the store and employees have stolen from their workplace. Why seemingly good people do bad things and vice versa? What factors contribute to this discrepancy? Hence, the purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to examine the impact of ethical ideology on self-control and guilt proneness; second, to examine the roles of self-control and guilt proneness in consumer ethical decision making; and finally, to explore the mediating effects of self-control and guilt proneness on the relationship between consumer ideology and ethical decision making. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected a non-probability sample using a cross-sectional online survey of adult consumers across Australia wide. The sampling frame was from a pre-recruited online panel company Permissioncorp. Consumers were introduced to the study in relation to their beliefs in general consumer ethics behaviours. The response rate for the survey invite was 17.9 per cent, with a final sample size of 311 consumers out of 3,246 that were invited to participate based on the these screening criteria, i.e. their country of birth (Australia only), gender, age group, and state in which they reside to ensure representation across these groups. Findings The results showed that idealism was a positive determinant of guilt proneness and self-control, whereas relativistic individuals were less prone to guilt and less able to control their behaviour. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between self-control and unethical consumer behaviour. Finally, both self-control and guilt proneness had an indirect mediating effect on the relationship between ethical ideology and consumer behaviour. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to explore the interactions between ethical ideology, self-control, guilt proneness, and consumer ethics.

Understanding the roles of loss-premium comparisons and insurance coverage in customer acceptance of insurance claim frauds

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu-Ming Tseng ◽  
Yue-Min Kang ◽  
Chi-Erh Chung
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Insurance Claim ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Customer Acceptance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Annual Premium ◽  
Actual Loss

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of loss-premium comparisons (loss-premium comparison refers to the amount of an actual loss compared to the premium level) and insurance coverage on customer acceptance of insurance claim frauds, based on Adams’ equity theory. Customer perceptions of insurance frauds have been studied in recent years. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was used as an instrument in the research. The hypotheses were tested using a 3 loss-premium comparisons (the actual loss amount was lower than, or equal to or higher than the annual premium) × 2 insurance coverage (the loss is covered or not covered by the insurance policy) experimental design in a claim application context. Findings – The results showed that loss-premium comparisons and insurance coverage significantly affect the final claim amounts. According to the results, age and education may relate to customer acceptance of insurance claim frauds. Originality/value – This study proposed a first empirical investigation into the relationship between loss-premium comparisons and customer ethical decision making in the customer frauds. Insurance coverage is also specifically considered in the study.

Observers’ Reactions to Social-Sexual Behavior at Work: An Ethical Decision Making Perspective

1999 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 779-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn Bowes-Sperry ◽  
Gary N. Powell
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Ethical Issue ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Ethical Ideology ◽  
Decision Making Model ◽  
The Relationship

The role of observers has been generally ignored in prior theories and research on social-sexual behavior at work. This study proposed and tested an ethical decision making model of individuals’ reactions to social-sexual behavior that they witness at work. Full-time employees responded to vignettes regarding an incident of social-sexual behavior. The findings revealed the influence of both the moral intensity of the behavior and the ethical ideology of the observer on recognition of the behavior as an ethical issue and intentions to intervene in the behavior. In addition, respondents’ experiences with a sexualized work environment moderated the relationship between their recognition of social-sexual behavior as an ethical issue and their intentions to intervene in the behavior.

Care Ethics: A Concept in Search of a Framework

1995 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erich H. Loewy
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Care Ethics ◽  
Healthcare Setting ◽  
The Other ◽  
Care Ethic ◽  
The Relationship

In this paper, I want to try to put what has been termed the “care ethics” into a different perspective. While I will discuss primarily the use of that ethic or that term as it applies to the healthcare setting in general and to the deliberation of consultants or the function of committees more specifically, what I have to say is meant to be applicable to the problem of using a notion like “caring” as a fundamental precept in ethical decision making. I will set out to examine the relationship between theoretical ethics, justice-based reasoning, and care-based reasoning and conclude by suggesting not only that all are part of a defensible solution when adjudicating individual cases, but that these three are linked and can, in fact, be mutually corrective. I will claim that using what has been called “the care ethic” alone is grossly insufficient for solving individual problems and that the term can (especially when used without a disciplined framework) be extremely dangerous. I will readily admit that while blindly using an approach based solely on theoretically derived principles is perhaps somewhat less dangerous, it is bound to be sterile, unsatisfying, and perhaps even cruel in individual situations. Care ethics, as I understand the concept, is basically a non- or truly an anti-intellectual kind of ethic in that it tries not only to value feeling over thought in deliberating problems of ethics, but indeed, would almost entirely substitute feeling for thought. Feeling when used to underwrite undisciplined and intuitive action without theory has no head and, therefore, no plan and no direction; theory eventuating in sterile rules and eventually resulting in action heedlessly based on such rules lacks humanity and heart. Neither one nor the other is complete in itself. There is no reason why we necessarily should be limited to choosing between these two extremes.

The effect of consumers' religiosity on consumer ethics: the mediating role of ethical ideology

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Denni Arli ◽  
Fandy Tjiptono
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Ethics ◽  
Ethical Ideology ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Central Java ◽  
Consumer Ethics Scale ◽  
The Impact

PurposeReligious doctrines generally encourage people to behave ethically. However, in daily life, individuals notice inconsistencies between religious beliefs and behavior, leading them to ask, in the context of commerce, why religious consumers would behave unethically. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of consumers' intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity on their ethical behavior. Specifically, the moderating effect of ethical ideology on the relationship between Indonesian consumers' religiosity and their ethics was examined by means of a survey.Design/methodology/approachThe data derived from the questionnaire were complemented by convenience samples of Indonesians living in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY) in central Java. The researchers distributed 600 questionnaires in two major shopping malls and several housing areas in the region, of which 467 were completed and returned, for an overall response rate of 77.8%.FindingsThe results indicated that the participants' intrinsic religiosity negatively impacted their ethical beliefs and was mediated by their idealistic ethical ideology. The present study also found that idealism had negative effects on three of the four dimensions of the consumer ethics scale (CES) (actively benefiting, passively benefiting and questionable behavior), while relativism had positive effects on two of the dimensions (passively benefiting and questionable behavior.Research limitations/implicationsOne limitation of the present study was that the analysis did not distinguish among the religions practiced by the respondents to the questionnaire.Originality/valueThis is one of the first few studies investigating the mediating role of ethical ideology in a religious society. This study contributes to the literature on these issues in theoretical and managerial terms by extending the Hunt-Vitell theory (1986) to the context of consumer ethics.

Critical criteria for enhancing consumption intention in restaurants during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng-Fang Chou ◽  
Chih-Hsing Sam Liu ◽  
Jun-You Lin
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Consumer Behaviour ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumption Intentions ◽  
The Government ◽  
Media Channels ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to illustrate the different systems controlling coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and curbing the impact of the virus on the hospitality economy. The author’s clarified the critical attributes of the government, organization management system and consumer behaviour using mediation-moderation models and demonstrated how those critical attributes influenced customer consumption intention during COVID-19 in Taiwan.Design/methodology/approachDue to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this research is mainly distributed through online questionnaires through Facebook and other social media channels to recruit volunteers. Second, the pre-test survey used 100 questionnaires collected from juniors and seniors from a university in northern Taiwan to make predictions. Third, this study also conducted a questionnaire validity analysis, which identified 9 criteria and 34 items. Fourth, the questionnaire collected samples for a total of three months. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses in a sample of 1,098 consumers in Taiwan.FindingsThis study considers government, enterprise and consumer levels and conducts relevant factor analysis from consumers’ perspectives to understand the changes in consumer behaviour under COVID-19 influence. Regarding mediation, this study finds that information and communication mediate the relationships between crisis management and COVID-19 impact. Regarding moderation, this study exposes the critical moderating part of human resources, that hygiene and safety strengthen the relationships between COVID-19 impact and attitude towards life and that perceived anxiety strengthens the relationship between attitude towards life and consumption intention.Practical implicationsDuring COVID-19, restaurants should cooperate with the government to reduce the risk of community infection. Therefore, the government also needs to cooperate with restaurant companies to enhance the industrial economy, actively communicate with consumers and provide correct and sufficient information. At the same time, restaurant enterprises also need to have sufficient human resource arrangements, hygiene and safety planning to eliminate consumers’ doubts.Originality/valueThese findings indicate that consumers’ consumption intention to eat out is affected by the COVID-19 impact and attitude towards life. This research also confirms that perceived anxiety has a mediating effect on the relationship between consumer attitudes towards life and consumption intentions. To improve the restaurant economic process, they should consider solutions to reduce consumers’ perception of the COVID-19 impact and fear of eating out.

Understanding the Millennials’ Integrated Ethical Decision-Making Process: Assessing the Relationship Between Personal Values and Cognitive Moral Reasoning

2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (8) ◽  
pp. 1671-1706 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Weber
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Moral Reasoning ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Value Orientations ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Cognitive Moral Reasoning

Focusing on millennials, individuals born between 1980 and 2000 and representing the largest generational population in our history, this research seeks to understand their ethical decision-making processes by exploring the distinctive, yet interconnected, theories of personal values and cognitive moral reasoning. Utilizing a decision-making framework introduced in the 1990s, we discover that there is a statistically supported relationship between a millennial’s personal value orientation and stage of cognitive moral reasoning. Moreover, we discover a strong relationship between three of the four value orientations and a corresponding stage of cognitive moral reasoning. The theoretical and practical research implications of our discovery about millennials’ decision making are discussed.

Data-based ethical decision making, lateral relations, and organizational commitment

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 946-963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Robert Valentine ◽  
David Hollingworth ◽  
Patrick Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Information Flow ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Focusing on ethical issues when making organizational decisions should encourage a variety of positive outcomes for companies and their employees. The purpose of this paper is to determine the degree to which data-based ethical decision making, lateral relations and organizational commitment are interrelated in organizations. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from business professionals employed at multiple locations of a financial services firm operating in the USA. Mediation analysis (based on structural equation modeling) was used to test the proposed relationships. Findings Results indicated that employees’ perceptions of data-based ethical decision making were positively related to perceived lateral relations, and that perceived lateral relations were positively related to organizational commitment. Research limitations/implications Given that information was collected using only a self-report questionnaire, common method bias could be an issue. In addition, the study’s cross-sectional design limits conclusions about causality. Another limitation involves the study’s homogenous sample, which decreases the generalizability of the findings. Finally, variable responses could have been impacted by individual frames of reference and other perceptual differences. Practical implications Results suggest that information flow enhancements should support or be consistent with horizontal information flow enhancements, and that together these factors should increase employee commitment. Originality/value Given the dearth of existing research, this interdisciplinary investigation is important because it fills gaps in the management literature. This study is also important because the results could inform decisions regarding the use of data analysis in ethical decisions and lateral forms of organizational structuring to improve work attitudes.

Internal and external auditor ethical decision‐making

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 300-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald F. Arnold ◽  
Jack W. Dorminey ◽  
A.A. Neidermeyer ◽  
Presha E. Neidermeyer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Social Consensus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Firms ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
External Auditor

PurposeThe aim of this exploratory research is to compare three sectors of the auditing profession – internal auditors, external auditors from larger international firms, and external auditors from smaller/regional firms – in regard to the influence of situational context on their ethically‐related decision‐making and judgment evaluations.Design/methodology/approachAgainst the backdrop of five vignettes applied with a survey, the paper examines the potential influence of social consensus and magnitude of consequence on the ethical decision path of these three auditor groups.FindingsThe paper finds that, in all cases, social consensus and magnitude of consequences exert influence on the ethical decision path. In the case of social consensus, however the paper finds that the ethical decision path is fully mediated for large firm auditors but is only partial mediated for the other two groups of auditors.Originality/valueThis research examines responses from both internal and external auditors. Comparison between such groups is unique because these groups have not been well researched in the past literature.

Mindfulness and gender differences in ethical beliefs

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tavleen Kaur Dhandra ◽  
Hyun Jung Park
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Consumer Ethics ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Ethical Beliefs ◽  
Unethical Practices ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Consumer Ethics Scale ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to examine the ethical beliefs of consumers with regards to their levels of mindfulness. Furthermore, it aims to investigate if mindfulness is related to gender differences among respondents in their ethical beliefs about consumer unethical practices. Design/methodology/approach University students in India were surveyed with self-administered questionnaires comprising the consumer ethics scale and mindfulness attention awareness scale. Mediation analysis was conducted to test whether gender differences in ethical judgements are due to the different levels of mindfulness. Findings The results indicate that mindfulness is not only a predictor of ethical beliefs but also a mediator of the relationship between gender and ethical beliefs. Individuals with greater mindfulness reported greater acceptance towards the five dimensions of consumer ethics scale. Indian male participants were found to be more mindful and lenient in ethical judgements than female participants. Originality/value The present work is a novel attempt in examining the effect of mindfulness on the relationship between gender and ethical beliefs of consumers. The results of this study can have positive implications for organizations, managers, public policy makers and consumers.

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