Withholding Consumption: A Social Dilemma Perspective on Consumer Boycotts

Sen, Sankar; Gürhan‐Canli, Zeynep; Morwitz, Vicki G.

doi:10.1086/323729

Cited by 436 publications

(461 citation statements)

References 21 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

427

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Remarkably, few empirical studies have documented that consumers actually change their purchasing behavior in response. Free-riding on the moralizing behavior of others is a common temptation (Sen et al, 2001). At the same time, there is strong evidence that memories of past conflict linger, and continue to influence economic outcomes in the present.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reprisals Remembered: German-Greek Conflict and Car Sales During the Euro Crisis

Fouka

Voth

2013

SSRN Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

During the Greek debt crisis after 2010, the German government insisted on harsh austerity measures. This led to a rapid cooling of relations between the Greek and German governments. We compile a new index of public acrimony between Germany and Greece based on newspaper reports and internet search terms. This information is combined with historical maps on German war crimes during the occupation between 1941 and 1944. During months of open conflict between German and Greek politicians, German car sales fell markedly more than those of cars from other countries. This was especially true in areas affected by German reprisals during World War II: areas where German troops committed massacres and destroyed entire villages curtailed their purchases of German cars to a greater extent during conflict months than other parts of Greece. We conclude that cultural aversion was a key determinant of purchasing behavior, and that memories of past conflict can affect economic choices in a time-varying fashion. These findings are compatible with behavioral models emphasizing the importance of salience for individual decisionmaking.JEL: D12, D74, F14, N14, N44

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reprisals Remembered: German-Greek Conflict and Car Sales During the Euro Crisis

Fouka

Voth

2013

SSRN Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Social ethical dilemmas are situations where individual interests are at odds with collective interests and the consequences of group members acting in their own best interest impacts negatively on others (VanLange, Liebrand, Messick, & Wilke, 1992). Reference Group Theory suggests that any trade-offs between the individual and the group will concern the pressure to comply to group norms with short-term individual sacrifice being required for the long-term benefit of the group (Sen, Gürhan-Canli, & Morwitz, 2001). …”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethics and influences in tourist perceptions of climate change

Hindley

Font

2014

Current Issues in Tourism

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ethical decisions to visit disappearing destinations are self-serving and influences feed into self-interest. Data was collected from a sample of pre, during and post visit tourists to Venice and Svalbard, using expressive techniques and scenarios using the HuntVitell Model to understand ethical decisions, and the constructive technique and collage to understand influences. The results show that travel decisions are driven by individual selfishness, and any threat to freedom (i.e. the right to travel) is underplayed. The preferred scenario for long term benefit for planet and people is via short-term economic and social negative impacts on the destination's locals, rather than the tourists' own experience. Respondents believe that they are blameless for their purchasing habits as they lack perceived behavioural control, and instead corporations ought to be providing sustainable products as the norm and not sell products that harm.In the scenarios where respondents express concern for the locals in a disappearing destination (i.e. if we don't visit, they will not benefit from our expenditure) could be driven by individual selfishness to visit, rather than an altruistic act to provide support.Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

show abstract

“…Concerns about commercialisation and profit motives were demonstrated through the avoidance of multinational companies (Shaw and Clarke, 1999;Sen, Gurhan-Canli and Morwitz, 2001;Klein, Smith and John, 2004), and through participants' boycott of high profile cases including Nestlé and GM products. Some also chose to minimise these doubts and complexity by regaining control over the production of some of their own foods: "In our last place we grew our own, and we are going to convert this back garden to producing our own stuff.…”

Section: Simply Consuming Complex Foodmentioning

confidence: 99%