Important Referents and Post-Materialist Values Guide Intentions to Boycott

Antonia Delistavrou; Irene Tilikidou

doi:10.37075/YB.2019.1.04

Authors

Assist. Prof. Dr Antonia Delistavrou Department of Organizations Management, Marketing and Tourism, Hellenic International University Author
Prof. Irene Tilikidou Department of Organizations Management, Marketing and Tourism, Hellenic International University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37075/YB.2019.1.04

Keywords:

Boycotting, Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), Post-materialism

M31

Abstract

Introduction: Although boycotting campaigns have been recently increasing, limited academic research has been focused on the antecedents of consumers’ participation.Research objective and tasks: This study aimed to examine the Greek consumers' intentions to boycott "unethical" super market products by an extended model of Theory of Planned Behaviour, in which Post-materialism was incorporated as a background factor.Applied methodology: A survey was conducted to a stratified sample of 420 residents through personal interviews. Structural equation modelling was performed to analyse the data.Major results achieved: TPB was found powerful to explain boycotting intentions. Findings (conclusions): Consumers, who more strongly intent to boycott were found to be more affected by social norms than by attitudes and perceived controllability. These consumers, hold stronger behavioral, normative and control beliefs while they attach greater importance to post-materialist values than their counterparts do.Research restrictions and consequences: Control for social desirability should be taken care of in future research efforts, which should employ national or multinational samples. Other psychographics’ or demographics’ ability to influence consumers’ beliefs or/and attitudes, norms and perceived control could be further investigated.Practical consequences: Companies, which try to avoid potential boycotts should aim to build a corporate profile supportive of post-materialist values, i.e. supportive of social change for a friendlier and less impersonal society. Communication efforts should primarily aim to diminish the social influence towards boycotting as well as decrease the consumers’ positive attitudes and perceived controllability over participation in boycotting.Originality/value: In this study TPB was expanded by the incorporation of values, i.e. Post-materialism, as a background factor. Further, this research has been undertaken for the first time in the context of Greece.

References

Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior. Action control: From cognition to behavior (Ed. Kuhl, J. and Beckmann, J.), pp. 11-39.

Ajzen, Icek (1987). Attitudes, Traits, and Actions: Dispositional Prediction of Behavior in Personality and Social Psychology. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Ed. Berkowitz, L.), pp. 1-63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0065-2601(08)60411-6

Ajzen, Icek (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-t

Ajzen, I. (2015). Consumer attitudes and behavior: the theory of planned behavior applied to food consumption decisions. Rivista di Economia Agraria, LXX(2), 121-138. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13128/REA-18003

Ajzen, Icek & Fishbein, Martin (1977). Attitude-behavior relations: A theoretical analysis and review of empirical research. Psychological Bulletin, 84(5), 888-918. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.84.5.888

Fishbein, Martin & Ajzen, Icek (2009). Predicting and Changing Behavior: The Reasoned Action Approach. New York: Psychology Press (Taylor & Francis).

Andorfer, Veronika A. & Liebe, Ulf (2011). Research on Fair Trade Consumption—A Review. Journal of Business Ethics, 106(4), 415–435. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1008-5

Bagozzi, Richard P. & Yi, Youjae (1988). On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16(1), 74–94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02723327

Braunsberger, Karin & Buckler, Brian (2010). What motivates consumers to participate in boycotts: Lessons from the ongoing Canadian seafood boycott. Journal of Business Research, 64(1), 96–102. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.12.008

Bentler, Peter M. (1992). On the fit of models to covariances and methodology to the Bulletin. Psychological Bulletin, 112(3), 400–404. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.3.400

Carrington, Michal J., Neville, Benjamin A., & Whitwell, Gregory J. (2010). 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. Journal of Business Ethics, 97(1), 139-158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0501-6

Carrus, Giuseppe, Passafaro, Paola, & Bonnes, Mirilia (2008). Emotions, habits and rational choices in ecological behaviours: The case of recycling and use of public transportation. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28(1), 51-62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2007.09.003

Chao, Y.-L. & Lam, S.–P. (2001). Measuring responsible environmental behavior: Self reported and other-reported measures and their differences in testing a behavioral model. Environment and Behavior, 43(1), 53-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916509350849

Chatzidakis, A., Kastanakis, M., & Stathopoulou, A. (2016). Socio-cognitive determinants of consumers' support for the fair trade movement. Journal of Business Ethics, 133(1), 95-109. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2347-9

L Copeland (2014). Value change and political action: Postmaterialism, political consumerism, and political participation. American Politics Research, 42(2), 257–282. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673X13494235

Cowe, R. & Williams, S. (2000). Who are the Ethical Consumers? Ethical consumerism report. London: Cooperative Bank. URL: http://www.cooperativebank.co.uk/servlet/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1139903089615&pagename=CoopBank%2FPage%2FtplPageStandard (accessed January 2011)

Davidson, Wallace N., Worrell, Dan L., & El-Jelly, Abuzar (1995). Influencing Managers to Change Unpopular Corporate Behavior through Boycotts and Divestitures. Business & Society, 34(2), 171–196. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/000765039503400204

de Ferran, F. & Grunert, K. G. (2007). French fair trade coffee buyers purchasing motives: An exploratory study using Means-end Chains analysis. Food Quality and Preference, 18(2), 218-229. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2005.11.001

de Leeuw, Astrid, Valois, Pierre, Ajzen, Icek, & Schmidt, Peter (2015). Using the theory of planned behavior to identify key beliefs underlying pro-environmental behavior in high-school students: Implications for educational interventions. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 42(June), 128–138. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.03.005

Delistavrou, A. & Tilikidou, I. (2012). Exploring the ethical behavior adopted by Greek consumers. Journal of Marketing Vistas, 1(2), 22-35.

Delistavrou, A. & Tilikidou, I. (2015). Boycotting 'unethical' s/m products in Greece: An application of the theory of planned behavior. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Contemporary Marketing Issues (ICCMI 2014), pp. 157 – 165.

A Ebreo & J Vining (2001). How similar are recycling and waste reduction? Future orientation and reasons for reducing waste as predictors of self-reported behavior. Environment and Behavior, 33(3), 424 – 448. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00139160121973061

Ethical Consumer (2015). List of consumer boycotts. URL: http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/boycotts/boycottslist.aspx#n (accessed January 2015)

Farah, Maya F. (2014). An Expectancy-Value Approach to the Study of Beliefs Underlying Consumer Boycott Intention. International Journal of Business and Management, 9(10), 101-115. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v9n10p101

Farah, Maya F. & Newman, Andrew J. (2009). Exploring consumer boycott intelligence using a socio-cognitive approach. Journal of Business Research, 63(4), 347–355. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.03.019

Fife‐Schaw, Chris, Sheeran, Paschal, & Norman, Paul (2007). Simulating behaviour change interventions based on the theory of planned behaviour: Impacts on intention and action. British Journal of Social Psychology, 46(1), 43-68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1348/014466605x85906

Fishbein, Martin & Ajzen, Icek (1975). Belief, Attitude, Intention and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Fornell, Claes & Larcker, David F. (1981). Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104

Foxall, G. (2005). Understanding consumer choice. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Friedman, Monroe (1985). Consumer Boycotts in the United States, 1970–1980: Contemporary Events in Historical Perspective. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 19(1), 96-117. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6606.1985.tb00346.x

Friedman, Monroe (1991). Consumer Boycotts: A Conceptual Framework and Research Agenda. Journal of Social Issues, 47(1), 149-168. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1991.tb01817.x

Friedman, M. (1999). Consumer boycotts: Effecting change through the marketplace and the media. New York: Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1007286007722

Garrett, Dennis E. (1987). The Effectiveness of Marketing Policy Boycotts: Environmental Opposition to Marketing. Journal of Marketing, 51(2), 46-57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298705100204

Gelb, Betsy D (1995). More boycotts ahead? Some implications. Business Horizons, 38(2), 70-76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0007-6813(95)90058-6

Refreshments: Decreases of the multinational brands' market shares. (2019). URL: http://www.euro2day.gr/news/economy/article/1290829/anapsyktika-xethymainei-to-anthrakiko-ton-polyethniko.html (accessed May 2016)

Household budget survey: final quality report. (2014). Hellenic Statistical Authority.

2011 Population census. Table A04. Gender, age and education distribution. (2015). URL: http://www.statistics.gr/el/statistics/-/publication/SAM03/2011 (accessed March 2015)

Hahn, T. & Albert, N. J. (2017). Strong reciprocity in consumer boycotts. Journal of Business Ethics, 145(3), 509-524. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2870-3

Hair, Joseph F. (2010). Multivariate data analysis : a global perspective. Maxwell Macmillan International Editions.

LM Hassan, E Shiu, & D Shaw (2016). Who says there is an intention–behaviour gap? Assessing the empirical evidence of an intention–behaviour gap in ethical consumption. Journal of Business Ethics, 136(2), 219-236. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2440-0

Hoffmann, Stefan & Müller, Stefan (2008). Consumer boycotts due to factory relocation. Journal of Business Research, 62(2), 239-247. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2008.01.031

Inglehart, Ronald (1971). The Silent Revolution in Europe: Intergenerational Change in Post-Industrial Societies. American Political Science Review, 65(4), 991–1017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1953494

Inglehart, Ronald (1990). Culture Shift in Advanced Industrial Society. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691186740

Inglehart, Ronald F. (2008). Changing Values among Western Publics from 1970 to 2006. West European Politics, 31(1–2), 130 – 146. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01402380701834747

Inglehart, Ronald (1981). Post-Materialism in an Environment of Insecurity. American Political Science Review, 75(4), 880-900. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1962290

Morse, Edward L. & Inglehart, Ronald (1978). The Silent Revolution: Changing Values and Political Styles among Western Publics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/20039864

Jackson, T. (2005). Motivating sustainable consumption: A review of evidence on consumer behavior and behavioral change. Sustainable Development Research Network (SDRN).

James, Victoria K. (2009). A socio-cultural approach to exploring consumer boycott intelligence: A commentary essay. Journal of Business Research, 63(4), 363-365. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.04.015

John, Andrew & Klein, Jill (2003). The Boycott Puzzle: Consumer Motivations for Purchase Sacrifice. Management Science, 49(9), 1196-1209. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.49.9.1196.16569

Kalafatis, Stavros P., Pollard, Michael, East, Robert, & Tsogas, Markos H. (1999). Green marketing and Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour: a cross‐market examination. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 16(5), 441-460. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/07363769910289550

Karp, David Gutierrez (1996). Values and their Effect on Pro-Environmental Behavior. Environment and Behavior, 28(1), 111–133. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916596281006

Klein, Jill Gabrielle, Smith, N. Craig, & John, Andrew (2004). Why We Boycott: Consumer Motivations for Boycott Participation. Journal of Marketing, 68(3), 92–109. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.68.3.92.34770

Klein, Jill G., Smith, N. Craig, & John, Andrew (2002). Exploring Motivations For Participation in a Consumer Boycott. Advances in Consumer Research (Ed. Broniarczyk, S. M. and Nakamoto, K.), pp. 363-369.

Kozinets, Robert V. & Handelman, Jay M. (1998). Ensouling Consumption: a Netnographic Exploration of the Meaning of Boycotting Behavior. Advances in Consumer Research (Ed. Alba, L. W. and Hutchinson, J. W.), pp. 475-480.

Lindenmeier, Jörg, Schleer, Christoph, & Pricl, Denise (2011). Consumer outrage: Emotional reactions to unethical corporate behavior. Journal of Business Research, 65(9), 1364-1373. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.09.022

Maslow, A. (1970). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper and Row. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/11432-013

McEachern, Morven G., Schröder, Monika J.A., Willock, Joyce, Whitelock, Jeryl, & Mason, Roger (2007). Exploring ethical brand extensions and consumer buying behaviour: the RSPCA and the “Freedom Food” brand. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 16(3), 168–177. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/10610420710751546

Micheletti, Michele & Stolle, Dietlind (2008). FASHIONING SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH POLITICAL CONSUMERISM, CAPITALISM, AND THE INTERNET1. Cultural Studies, 22(5), 749-769. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09502380802246009

M Micheletti & D Stolle (2004). Politics, products, and markets: Exploring political consumerism past and present. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.

Milfont, Taciano L., Duckitt, John, & Cameron, Linda D. (2006). A Cross-Cultural Study of Environmental Motive Concerns and Their Implications for Proenvironmental Behavior. Environment and Behavior, 38(6), 745–767. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916505285933

Newholm, Terry & Shaw, Deirdre (2007). Studying the ethical consumer: a review of research. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 6(5), 253–270. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.225

Ozcaglar‐Toulouse, Nil, Shiu, Edward, & Shaw, Deirdre (2006). In search of fair trade: ethical consumer decision making in France. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 30(5), 502–514. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2006.00532.x

Pepper, Miriam, Jackson, Tim, & Uzzell, David (2009). An examination of the values that motivate socially conscious and frugal consumer behaviours. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 33(2), 126–136. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2009.00753.x

Pruitt, Stephen W. & Friedman, Monroe (1986). Determining the effectiveness of consumer boycotts: A stock price analysis of their impact on corporate targets. Journal of Consumer Policy, 9(4), 375–387. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00380573

Rokeach, M. (1973). The nature of human values. New York: Free Press.

Schwartz, S. H. & Bilsky, W. (1987). Toward a theory of the universal content and structure of values: extensions and cross-cultural replications. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(3), 550-562. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.58.5.878

Schwartz, Shalom H. (1992). Universals in the Content and Structure of Values: Theoretical Advances and Empirical Tests in 20 Countries. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Ed. Zanna, M. P.), pp. 1-65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0065-2601(08)60281-6

Sen, Sankar, Gürhan-Canli, Zeynep, & Morwitz, Vicki (2001). Withholding Consumption: A Social Dilemma Perspective on Consumer Boycotts. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(3), 399-704. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/323729

Shaw, Deirdre & Shiu, Edward (2002). An assessment of ethical obligation and self‐identity in ethical consumer decision‐making: a structural equation modelling approach. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 26(4), 286–293. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1470-6431.2002.00255.x

Shaw, Deirdre & Shiu, Edward (2003). Ethics in consumer choice: a multivariate modelling approach. European Journal of Marketing, 37(1), 1485–1498. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560310487202

Shaw, Deirdre, Shiu, Edward, Hassan, Louise M., Bekin, Caroline, & Hogg, Gillian (2007). Intending to be ethical: An examination of consumer choice in sweatshop avoidance. Advances in Consumer Research (Ed. Fitzsimons, G. and Morwitz, V.), pp. 31–38.

Smith, N. Craig (1987). Consumer Boycotts and Consumer Sovereignty. European Journal of Marketing, 21(5), 7-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/eum0000000004694

Steiger, James H. (2006). Understanding the limitations of global fit assessment in structural equation modeling. Personality and Individual Differences, 42(5), 893-898. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2006.09.017

Steinmetz, Holger, Knappstein, Michael, Ajzen, Icek, Schmidt, Peter, & Kabst, Rüdiger (2016). How Effective are Behavior Change Interventions Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior?. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 224(3), 216–233. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000255

Stern, P. C., Dietz, T., Abel, T., Guagnano, G. A., & Kalof, L. (1999). A value-belief-norm theory of support for social movements: The case of environmental concern. Human Ecology Review, 6(2), 81–97.

Stolle, Dietlind, Hooghe, Marc, & Micheletti, Michele (2005). Politics in the Supermarket: Political Consumerism as a Form of Political Participation. International Political Science Review, 26(3), 245-269. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512105053784

Sudbury-Riley, Lynn & Kohlbacher, Florian (2015). Ethically minded consumer behavior: Scale review, development, and validation. Journal of Business Research, 69(8), 2697-2710. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.11.005

Sutton, Stephen (1998). Predicting and Explaining Intentions and Behavior: How Well Are We Doing?. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 28(15), 1317-1338. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1998.tb01679.x

Tallontire, A.M. & Rentsendorf, E. (2001). Ethical consumers and ethical trade: a review of current literature. Natural Resources Institute (NRI), Chatham, UK. Natural Resources Institute.

S Taylor & P Todd (1995). An integrated model of waste management behavior: A test of household recycling and composting intentions. Environment and Behavior, 27(5), 603-630. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916595275001

Thøgersen, John & Grunert-Beckmann, Suzanne C. (1997). Values and Attitude Formation Towards Emerging Attitude Objects: From Recycling to General, Waste Minimizing Behavior. Advances in Consumer Research (Ed. Brucks, M. and MacInnis, D. J.), pp. 182-189.

Tull, D. S. & Hawkins, D. I. (1993). Marketing Research. New York, NY: McMillan.

Vermeir, Iris & Verbeke, Wim (2008). Sustainable food consumption among young adults in Belgium: Theory of planned behaviour and the role of confidence and values. Ecological Economics, 64(3), 542-553. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2007.03.007

Yuksel, Ulku & Mryteza, Victoria (2008). An evaluation of strategic responses to consumer boycotts. Journal of Business Research, 62(2), 248–259. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2008.01.032

Zikmund, W. G. (1991). Exploring Marketing Research. Orlando: The Dryden Press. ISBN: 0-03-098958-2