Articulating the Meanings of Collective Experiences of Ethical Consumption

Journal of Business Ethics 110 (1):15-32 (2012)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

In the context of the growing popularity of the ethical consumer movement and the appearance of different types of ethical collective communities, the current article explores the meanings drawn from the participation in Responsible Consumption Cooperatives. In existing research, the overriding focus has been on examining individual ethical consumer behaviour at the expense of advancing our understanding of how ethical consumers behave collectively. Hence, this article examines the meanings derived from participating in ethical consumer groups. A qualitative multi-method approach is adopted to increase the validity of findings. This includes focus groups, in-depth interviews, observation and document analysis. Results show that ethical consumption in a group project offers a greater sense of effectiveness and control when compared to individual actions. Furthermore, these groups facilitate the creation of a social circle and encourage new learning as a result of the social interaction that takes place in the ethical community of the cooperative.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,221

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

How to Create the Ethical Consumer.Judith Schrempf & Guido Palazzo - 2011 - Proceedings of the International Association for Business and Society 22:532-543.
Do Consumers Care About Ethical-Luxury?Iain A. Davies, Zoe Lee & Ine Ahonkhai - 2012 - Journal of Business Ethics 106 (1):37-51.
Ethical Consumption, Values Convergence/Divergence and Community Development.Michael A. Long & Douglas L. Murray - 2013 - Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 26 (2):351-375.
Consuming Choices: Ethics in a Global Consumer Age.David T. Schwartz - 2010 - Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Research on Fair Trade Consumption—A Review.Veronika A. Andorfer & Ulf Liebe - 2012 - Journal of Business Ethics 106 (4):415-435.

Analytics

Added to PP
2011-12-18

Downloads
50 (#281,070)

6 months
3 (#439,386)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?