A Theoretical Review of Business and Consumer Ethics Research: Normative and Descriptive Approaches

Abstract

This paper examines the extent and direction of theoretical development within ethics studies in marketplaces by reviewing studies of the two major approaches in the area: the normative and descriptive approach. The paper suggests that in general there has been an emphasis upon the seller's perspective (i.e. business ethics), and that the buyer's perspective (i.e. consumer ethics) has merely been taken up as a part of this perspective. Whilst this has helped theoretical development, it is argued that consumer ethics need be understood more on its own terms, and in particular lacks a holistic model of ethical decision-making in consumption. Overall, in providing an overview of the recent developments in this area of research, it is hoped that the paper will help researchers gain an understanding of recent theoretical insights and offer a constructive overview for those wishing to better define and refine methodological approaches to individual research questions. About the AuthorKyoko Fukukawa is a lecturer in Marketing at Bradford University School of Management. Her current research interests include corporate social responsibility, and ethical decision-making in consumption and marketing.

Why Ethical Consumers Don’t Walk Their Talk: Towards a Framework for Understanding the Gap Between the Ethical Purchase Intentions and Actual Buying Behaviour of Ethically Minded Consumers

“…Within the field of ethical consumerism, theory development is in its early stages, and an established and widely accepted theoretical framework for the decision making of ethical consumers is yet to be developed (Fukukawa, 2003). Attempting to understand the purchase decision-making processes of ethically minded consumers, researchers within this stream have drawn on the established theoretical frameworks from within the consumer behaviour, business ethics and social psychology domains (Newholm and Shaw, 2007).…”

“…Attempting to understand the purchase decision-making processes of ethically minded consumers, researchers within this stream have drawn on the established theoretical frameworks from within the consumer behaviour, business ethics and social psychology domains (Newholm and Shaw, 2007). These models tend to be based on cognitive approaches, focusing on the internal (mental) process of decision making (Fukukawa, 2003). For example, Rest's (1979) model of moral judgment and Hunt and Vitell's General Theory of Marketing Ethics (Hunt and Vitell, 1986) [based on the foundations of Rest's (1979) model] were originally developed for a business/managerial ethics context and have since been applied to consumer ethics.…”

“…In addition, Arvola et al (2008) included moral norms to predict purchase intentions of organic food, and Vermier and Verbeke (2008) integrated the role of personal values within the purchase intentions of sustainable food. These studies have tended to accept the theoretical assumption that an individual's intentions will directly determine their actual behaviour (Fukukawa, 2003). This assumption, however, has been widely criticised as an oversimplification of the complex transition from intentions to action (Bagozzi, 2000;Morwitz et al, 2007).…”

“…First, it is generally accepted within cognitive theoretical models of purchase decision making that purchase intent is a mediating element between attitude and behaviour (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). As the studies within ethical consumerism have focused on the attitudeintention relationship, they imply that an individual's intentions will directly determine their actual behaviour (Fukukawa, 2003). For example, in relation to the application of the TPB, Ozcaglar-Toulouse et al (2006) suggest that 'behaviour is deemed to be a direct function of an individual's intention to conduct the behaviour' (Ozcaglar-Toulouse et al, 2006, p. 504).…”

“…Secondly, attitude-intent-behaviour models of consumer choice artificially isolate decision making, ignoring the external effect of the environment/situation on purchase behaviour (Foxall, 1993;Fukukawa, 2003). During the transition between purchase intention and actual buying behaviour, the individual interacts with a physical and social environment (Phillips, 1993).…”