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Journal of Business Ethics
Published in: Journal of Business Ethics 2/2020

29-10-2019 | Original Paper

Virtue Ethics Between East and West in Consumer Research: Review, Synthesis and Directions for Future Research

Authors: Guli-Sanam Karimova, Nils Christian Hoffmann, Ludger Heidbrink, Stefan Hoffmann

Published in: Journal of Business Ethics | Issue 2/2020

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Abstract

This literature review systematically synthesizes studies that link consumer research to differences and similarities in virtue ethics between the East and the West, with a focus on early Chinese and ancient Greek virtue ethics. These two major traditions provide principles that guide consumer behavior and thus serve as a background to comparatively explain and evaluate the ethical nature of consumer behavior in the East and the West. The paper first covers Eastern and Western theoretical and normative approaches of virtue ethics in the field of consumer research. The subsequent systematic literature review then synthesizes empirical works in this field. Since only a few papers adopt a cross-cultural consumer research perspective, one of the main aims of this review is to encourage scholars to pursue both theoretical and empirical cross-cultural consumer research on virtue ethics. To this end, the paper closes by suggesting some fruitful directions for future research to stimulate this relatively under-researched area.
previous article Some Virtue Ethics Implications from Aristotelian and Confucian Perspectives on Family and Business
next article The Inclusiveness and Emptiness of Gong Qi: A Non-Anglophone Perspective on Ethics from a Sino-Japanese Corporation

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Footnotes
1
The discussion about just prices is complex and calculations of just prices are almost impossible in practice, because there are simply too many variables. According to Cordero (1988), Meikle (1994), and Elegido (2015) justice in the Aristotelian tradition primarily implies using the principles of equality and fair exchange for price-building.
 
2
The term refers not to ‘irony’ in the modern sense of the term, but rather to self-deprecation or false humility.
 
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Metadata
Title
Virtue Ethics Between East and West in Consumer Research: Review, Synthesis and Directions for Future Research
Authors
Guli-Sanam Karimova
Nils Christian Hoffmann
Ludger Heidbrink
Stefan Hoffmann
Publication date
29-10-2019
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Journal of Business Ethics / Issue 2/2020
Print ISSN: 0167-4544
Electronic ISSN: 1573-0697
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04321-6

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