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Examining ethics and materialism with purchase of counterfeits

Examining ethics and materialism with purchase of counterfeits Purpose – The purpose of this study is to measure undergraduate students' ethical and materialistic values, and the correlation of these variables with the purchase of counterfeit apparel products. Design/methodology/approach – Students ( n= 741) were surveyed via an online method. Instrument items from the Muncy‐Vitell consumer ethics scale and the values‐oriented materialism scale ascertained students' values of ethics and materialism. Previous purchasing behavior of counterfeit apparel goods was also assessed. Findings – A significant relationship between materialism and ethics was found. Those participants who reported to be more ethical in their decision making were those that held less materialistic values. Ethics and materialism were also significantly related to the purchase behavior of counterfeit apparel goods. Consumers holding stronger ethical values and who were less materialistic were less likely to report purchasing counterfeit apparel products. Practical implications – Findings are useful in understanding the values orientation of consumers who purchase counterfeit apparel goods. Segmenting consumer groups of varying ethical beliefs and materialistic tendencies and targeting them through appropriate marketing messages could be successful in encouraging greater socially responsible purchase behavior. Originality/value – Since purchasing counterfeit products is specifically a consumption activity related to brand prestige and image, it seems plausible that a relationship between an individual's materialistic values and purchase behavior of counterfeit apparel goods could exist. Moreover, given previous findings that more materialistic consumers also tend to be less ethically‐minded, exploring the relationship between consumers' ethical perceptions and their purchase behavior of counterfeit products is useful. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Social Responsibility Journal Emerald Publishing

Examining ethics and materialism with purchase of counterfeits

Joy M. Kozar; Sara B. Marcketti
Social Responsibility Journal , Volume 7 (3): 12 – Aug 2, 2011
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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
1747-1117
DOI
10.1108/17471111111154536
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to measure undergraduate students' ethical and materialistic values, and the correlation of these variables with the purchase of counterfeit apparel products. Design/methodology/approach – Students ( n= 741) were surveyed via an online method. Instrument items from the Muncy‐Vitell consumer ethics scale and the values‐oriented materialism scale ascertained students' values of ethics and materialism. Previous purchasing behavior of counterfeit apparel goods was also assessed. Findings – A significant relationship between materialism and ethics was found. Those participants who reported to be more ethical in their decision making were those that held less materialistic values. Ethics and materialism were also significantly related to the purchase behavior of counterfeit apparel goods. Consumers holding stronger ethical values and who were less materialistic were less likely to report purchasing counterfeit apparel products. Practical implications – Findings are useful in understanding the values orientation of consumers who purchase counterfeit apparel goods. Segmenting consumer groups of varying ethical beliefs and materialistic tendencies and targeting them through appropriate marketing messages could be successful in encouraging greater socially responsible purchase behavior. Originality/value – Since purchasing counterfeit products is specifically a consumption activity related to brand prestige and image, it seems plausible that a relationship between an individual's materialistic values and purchase behavior of counterfeit apparel goods could exist. Moreover, given previous findings that more materialistic consumers also tend to be less ethically‐minded, exploring the relationship between consumers' ethical perceptions and their purchase behavior of counterfeit products is useful.

Journal

Social Responsibility Journal – Emerald Publishing

Published: Aug 2, 2011

Keywords: Apparel purchase behavior; Counterfeiting; Ethics; Materialism

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