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Journal of Business Ethics

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01-06-2014

The Ethical Attribute Stigma: Understanding When Ethical Attributes Improve Consumer Responses to Product Evaluations

Authors: H. Onur Bodur, Ting Gao, Bianca Grohmann

Published in: Journal of Business Ethics | Issue 1/2014

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Abstract

Although several articles have investigated ethical product attributes, earlier research has not empirically examined different benefits offered by ethical attributes (i.e., symbolic or utilitarian benefits). This study demonstrates that ethical attributes have functional benefits as well as symbolic benefits. More importantly, when the ethical attribute benefit is congruent with the product category benefit, ethical attributes improve product evaluations. In addition, products with a higher degree of physical contact with consumers are affected more positively by benefit congruity of ethical attributes. For products with lower degree of physical contact, benefit congruity of ethical attributes still has a positive impact, but not for consumers who have strong price–quality beliefs.

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We used regression analysis to utilize the continuous price–quality belief measure, the results of repeated measures ANOVA with categorical price–quality belief (median-split) provided similar results.

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Title: The Ethical Attribute Stigma: Understanding When Ethical Attributes Improve Consumer Responses to Product Evaluations
Authors: H. Onur Bodur
Ting Gao
Bianca Grohmann
Publication date: 01-06-2014
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Journal of Business Ethics / Issue 1/2014
Print ISSN: 0167-4544
Electronic ISSN: 1573-0697
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1764-5

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