Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Digital Piracy: Factors that Influence Attitude Toward Behavior

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A new form of software piracy known as digital piracy has taken the spotlight. Lost revenues due to digital piracy could reach $5 billion by the end of 2005.Preventives and deterrents do not seem to be working – losses are increasing. This study examines factors that influence an individual’s attitude toward pirating digital material. The results of this study suggest that attitude toward digital pirating is influenced by beliefs about the outcome of behavior (cognitive beliefs), happiness and excitement (affective beliefs), age, the perceived importance of the issue, the influence of significant others (subjective norms), and machiavellianism. Given these results, measures can be developed which could alter attitudes toward digital piracy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Eighth Annual BSA Global Software Piracy Study. Washington DC, Business Software Alliance, 2003

  • I. Ajzen (1985) ’From Intentions to Behavior: A Theory of Planned Behavior’ J. Kuhl J. Beckman (Eds) Action-Control: From Cognition to Behavior Springer Heidelberg 11–39

    Google Scholar 

  • I. Ajzen (1991) ArticleTitle‘The Theory of Planned Behavior’ Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50 IssueID1 179–211

    Google Scholar 

  • I. Ajzen (2001) ArticleTitle‘Nature and Operations of Attitudes’ Annual Review of Psychology 52 27–58 Occurrence Handle10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G. Allport (1935) Attitudes C. Murchison (Eds) Handbook of Social Psychology Clark University Press Worcester, MA 798–844

    Google Scholar 

  • Auerbach, J. A. and J. C. Welsh: 1994, Aging and Competition: Rebuilding the U.S. workforce. National Council on the Aging-National Planning Association Symposium. Washington DC, ISBN: 0890681287

  • R. Bagozzi L. Phillips (1991) ArticleTitle‘Assessing Construct Validity in Organizational Research’ Administrative Sciences Quarterly 36 421–458

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Banerjee T. P. Cronan (1998) ArticleTitle‘Modeling IT Ethics: A Study in Situational Ethics’ MIS Quarterly 22 IssueID1 31–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Barger, R. N., W. N. Kubitschek and J. C. Barger: 1998, Do Philosophical Tendencies Correlate with Personality Types? Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA, April 13–17

  • K. Bass T. Barnett (1999) ArticleTitle‘Individual Difference Variables, Ethical Judgments and Ethical Behavioral Intentions’ Business Ethics Quarterly 9 IssueID2 183–205

    Google Scholar 

  • L. Beck I. Ajzen (1991) ArticleTitle‘Predicting Dishonest Actions Using the Theory of Planned Behavior’ Journal of Research in Personality 25 IssueID3 285–301 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0092-6566(91)90021-H

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. Bhattacharjee R. Gopal (2003) ArticleTitle‘Digital Music and Online Sharing: Software Piracy 2.0?’ Communication of the ACM 46 IssueID7 107–111 Occurrence Handle10.1145/792704.792707

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • H. Bodur D. Brinberg (2000) ArticleTitle‘Belief, Affect, and Attitude: Alternative Models of the Determinants of Attitude’ Journal of Consumer Psychology 9 IssueID1 17–28 Occurrence Handle10.1207/15327660051044222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Bommer C. Gratto (1987) ArticleTitle‘A Behavioral Model of Ethical and Unethical Decision Making’ Journal of Business Ethics 6 IssueID4 265–280 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00382936

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. Borkowski Y. Ugras (1998) ArticleTitle‘Business Students and Ethics: a Meta-Analysis’ Journal of Business Ethics 17 1117–1127

    Google Scholar 

  • Breusch, T. and A. Pagan: 1980, ‘The LM Test and Its Applications to Model Specification in Econometrics’, Review of Economic Studies (January), 153–177

  • M. Chang (1998) ArticleTitle‘Predicting Unethical Behavior: A Comparison of the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behavior’ Journal of Business Ethics 17 1825–1834 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1005721401993

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • H. Cheng R. Sims (1997) ArticleTitle‘To Purchase or to Pirate Software: An Empirical Study’ Journal of Management Information Systems 4 49–60

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Christensen M. Fining (1991) ArticleTitle‘Factors Influencing Software Piracy: Implications for Accountants’ Journal of Information Systems 5 IssueID1 67–50

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Christie F. Geis (1970) Studies in Machiavellianism Academic Press New York

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Conner R. Rumlet (1991) ArticleTitle‘Software Piracy: An Analysis of Protection Strategies’ Management Science 37 IssueID2 125–139 Occurrence Handle10.1287/mnsc.37.2.125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Conner C. Armitage (1998) ArticleTitle‘Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior: A Review and Avenues for Further Research’ Journal of Applied Social Psychology 28 IssueID15 1429–1464

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Coombe L. Newman (1997) ArticleTitle‘Ethics in Early Childhood Field Experiences’ Journal of Australian Research in Early Childhood Education 1 1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • L. Dawson (1997) ArticleTitle‘Ethical Differences Between Men and Women in The Sales Profession’ Journal of Business Ethics 16 1143–1152 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1005721916646

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J. Digman (1990) ArticleTitle‘Personality Structure: An Emergence of the Five-Factor Model’ The Annual Review of Psychology 41 417–440

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Dubinsky B. Loken (1989) ArticleTitle‘Analyzing Ethical Decision Making in Marketing’ Journal of Business Research 19 83–107 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0148-2963(89)90001-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Eining A. Christensen (1991) ‘A Psycho-Social Model of Software Piracy: The Development and Test of a Model’ R. Dejorie G. Fowler D. Paradice (Eds) Ethical Issues in Information Systems Boyd and Fraser Boston, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Fishbein I. Ajzen (1975) Attitude, Intention, and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research Addison-Wesley Reading, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Fishbein S. Middlestadt (1995) ArticleTitle‘Noncognitive Effects on Attitude Formation and Change: Fact or Artifact?’ Journal of Consumer Psychology 4 IssueID2 181–202 Occurrence Handle10.1207/s15327663jcp0402_05

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • B. Flannery D. May (2000) ArticleTitle‘Environmental Ethical Decision Making in the U.S. Metal-Finishing Industry’ Academy of Management Journal 43 IssueID4 642–662

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Ford W. Richardson (1994) ArticleTitle‘Ethical Decision Making: A Review of the Empirical Literature’ Journal of Business Ethics 13(March) 205

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Glass W. Wood (1996) ArticleTitle‘Situational Determinants of Software Piracy: An Equity Theory Perspective’ Journal of Business Ethics 15 1189–1198 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00412817

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. Gopal L. Sanders (1997) ArticleTitle‘Preventive and Deterrent Controls for Software Piracy’ Journal of Management Information Systems 13 IssueID4 29–47

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Haddock M. Zanna (1998) ArticleTitle‘Assessing the Impact of Affective and Cognitive Information in Predicting Attitudes toward Capital Punishment’ Law and Human Behavior 22 IssueID3 325–339 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1025758623612

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • W. H. Hegarty H. P. Sim SuffixJr. (1978) ArticleTitle‘Some Determinants of Unethical Decision Behavior: An Experiment’ Journal of Applied Psychology 63 IssueIDAugust 451

    Google Scholar 

  • W. H. Hegarty H. P. Sims SuffixJr. (1979) ArticleTitle‘Organizational Philosophy, Policies, and Objectives Related to Unethical Decision Behavior: A Laboratory Experiment’ Journal of Applied Psychology 64 IssueIDJune 331

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Holbrook R. Batra (1987) ArticleTitle‘Assessing the Role of Emotions as Mediators of Consumer Responses to Advertising’ Journal of Consumer Research 14 404–420

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Hunt S. Vitell (1986) ArticleTitle‘A General Theory of Marketing Ethics’ Journal of Micromarketing 6 5–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Im, J. and P. Van Epps: 1991, ‘Software Piracy and Software Security in Business Schools: An Ethical Perspective’, The DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems (Summer), 15–21

  • G. Jones M. Kavanagh (1996) ArticleTitle‘An Experimental Examination of the Effects of individual and situational fact that is on Unethical Behavioral Intentions in the Workplace’ Journal of Business Ethics 15 511–523 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00381927

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. Kempf (1999) ArticleTitle‘Attitude Formation from Product Trials: Distinct Roles of Cognition and Affect for Hedonic and Functional Products’ Psychology and Marketing 16 IssueID1 35–50 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1520-6793(199901)16:1<35::AID-MAR3>3.0.CO;2-U

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. Khazanchi (1995) ArticleTitle‘Unethical Behavior in Information-Systems – The Gender Factor’ Journal of Business Ethics 14 IssueID9 741–749 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00872327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L. Kohlberg (1969) Stages and Sequence: The Cognitive-Developmental Approach to Socialization D. Grosling (Eds) Handbook of Socialization Theory and Research Rand Mcnally Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Kreie P. Cronan (1999a) ArticleTitle‘Copyright, Piracy, Privacy, and Security Issues: Acceptable or Unacceptable Actions for End Users?’ Journal of End User Computing 11 IssueID2 13–21

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Kreie P. Cronan (1999b) ArticleTitle‘How Men and Women View Ethics’ Communications of the ACM 41 IssueID9 70–76

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Kreie P. Cronan (2000) ArticleTitle‘Making Ethical Decisions’ Communications of the ACM 43 IssueID12 66–72 Occurrence Handle10.1145/355112.355126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • F. Kuo M. Hsu (2001) ArticleTitle‘Development and Validation of Ethical Computer Self-Efficacy Measure: The Case of Softlifting’ Journal of Business Ethics 32 299–315 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1010715504824

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • E. Lau (2003) ArticleTitle‘An Empirical Study of Software Piracy’ Business Ethics 12 IssueID3 233–245 Occurrence Handle10.1111/1467-8608.00323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L. Leonard T. P. Cronan (2001) ArticleTitle‘Illegal, Inappropriate, and Unethical Behavior in an Information Technology Contexts: A Study to explain Influence’ Journal of the Association for Information Systems 1 IssueID12 1–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Limayem, M. and M. Khalifa, et al.: 1999, ‘Factors Motivating Software Piracy: A Longitudinal Study’, Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems, pp. 124–131

  • K. Loch S. Conger (1996) ArticleTitle‘Evaluating Ethical Decision Making and Computer Use’ Communications of the ACM 39 IssueID7 74–83 Occurrence Handle10.1145/233977.233999

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • T. Madden P. Ellen (1992) ArticleTitle‘A Comparison of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Theory of Reasoned Action’ Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 18 3–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Moseley, O. and R. Whitis: 1995, ‘Preventing Software Piracy’, Management Accounting (December), 42–47

  • J. Neter W. Wasserman (1985) Applied Linear Statistical Models Irwin Homewood, IL

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Nunnaly (1978) Psychometric Theory McGraw-Hill NY

    Google Scholar 

  • S. O’Leary-Kelly R. Vokura (1998) ArticleTitle‘The Empirical Assessment of Construct Validity’ Journal of Operations Management 16 387–405

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Olson M. Zanna (1993) ArticleTitle‘Attitudes and Attitude Change’ Annual Review of Psychology 44 117–154 Occurrence Handle10.1146/annurev.ps.44.020193.001001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A. Peace D. Gallette (2003) ArticleTitle‘Software Piracy in the Workplace: A Model and Empirical Test’ Journal of Management Information Systems 20 IssueID1 153–177

    Google Scholar 

  • E. Pedhauzr L. Schmelkin (1991) Measurement, Design, and Analysis: An Integrated Approach Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers Hillsdale, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Petty D. Wegener (1997) ArticleTitle‘Attitudes and Attitude Change’ Annual Review of Psychology 48 609–647 Occurrence Handle10.1146/annurev.psych.48.1.609

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. Randall A. Gibson (1991) ArticleTitle‘Ethical Decision Making in the Medical Profession: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior’ Journal of Business Ethics 10 111–122

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Reid J. Thompson (1992) ArticleTitle‘Knowledge and Attitudes of Management Students Toward Software Piracy’ Journal of Computer Information Systems 33 46–51

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Reiss K. Mitra (1998) ArticleTitle‘The Effects Of Individual Difference Factors On The Acceptability Of Ethical And Unethical Workplace Behaviors’ Journal of Business Ethics 17 IssueID14 1581–1593 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1005742408725

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Report 2003, Thoughts On The Digital Future Of Movies, The Threat Of Piracy, The Hope Of Redemption. Encino, CA, Motion Picture Association of America

  • J. Rest (1986) Moral Development: Advances in Research and Theory Praeger New York

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Rest D. Narvaez (1999a) Postconventional Moral Thinking: A Neo-Kohlbergian Approach Lawrence Erlbaum Mahwan, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Rest D. Narvaez (1999b) ArticleTitle‘DIT2: Devising and Testing a Revised Instrument of Moral Judgment’ Journal of Educational Psychology 91 IssueID4 644–659 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0022-0663.91.4.644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C. Robertson W. Crittenden et al. (2002) ArticleTitle‘Situational Ethics Across Borders: A Multicultural Examination’ Journal of Business Ethics 38 IssueID4 327–339 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1016067231599

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. Robin R. Reidenbach (1996) ArticleTitle‘The Perceived Importance of an Ethical Issues as an Influence on the Ethical Decision-Making of Ad Managers’ Journal of Business Research 35 17–28 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0148-2963(94)00080-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G. Shepherd D. O’Keefe (1984) ArticleTitle‘Separability of Attitudinal and Normative Influences on Behavioral Intentions in the Fishbein–Ajzen Model’ The Journal of Social Psychology 122 287–288 Occurrence Handle10.1080/00224545.1984.9713496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • T. A. Shimp A. Kavas (1984) ArticleTitle‘The Theory of Reasoned Action Applied to Coupon Usage’ Journal of Consumer Research 11 IssueIDDecember 795

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Simpson D. Banerjee (1994) ArticleTitle‘Softlifting: A Model of Motivating Factors’ Journal of Business Ethics 13 431–438 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00881451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. Sims H. Cheng et al. (1996) ArticleTitle‘Toward a Profile of Student Software Piraters’ Journal of Business Ethics 15 839–849 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00381852

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A. Singhapakdi S. J. Vitell (1992) ArticleTitle‘Marketing Ethics: Sales Professionals Versus Other Marketing Professionals’ The Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management 12(Spring) 27

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Solomon J. O’Brien (1990) ArticleTitle‘The Effect of Demographic Factors on Attitudes Toward Software Piracy’ The Journal of Computer Information Systems 30 IssueID3 45–45

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Tabachnick L. Fidell (1996) Using Multivariate Statistics Hyper Collins Publishers New York

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Tan (2002) ArticleTitle‘Understanding Consumer Ethical Decision Making with Respect to Purchase of Pirated Software’ The Journal of Consumer Marketing 19 IssueID2/3 96–111

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Thong C. Yap (1998) ArticleTitle‘Testing an Ethical Decision-Making Theory: The Case of Softlifting’ Journal of Management Information Systems 15 IssueID1 213–237

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Trafimow (1996) ArticleTitle‘The Importance of Attitudes in the Prediction of College Students’ Intention to Drink’ Journal of Applied Social Psychology 26 IssueID24 2167–2188

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Trafimow K. Finlay (1996) ArticleTitle‘The Importance of Subjective Norms for a Minority of People: Between-subjects and Within-subjects Analyses’ Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin 22 820–829

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Trafimow P. Sheeran (1998) ArticleTitle‘Some Tests of the Distinction between Cognitive and Affective Beliefs’ Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 34 378–397 Occurrence Handle10.1006/jesp.1998.1356

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, C.: 1980, ‘Values, Attitudes and Interpersonal Behavior’, Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 1979: Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values (University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE) pp. 159–295

  • R. J. Vallerand L. G. Pelletier (1992) ArticleTitle‘Ajzen and Fishbein’s Theory of Reasoned Action as Applied to Moral Behavior: A Confirmatory Analysis’ Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 62 IssueIDJanuary 98

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Verplanken G. Hofstee (1998) ArticleTitle‘Accessibility of Affective Versus Cognitive Components of Attitude’ European Journal of Social Psychology 28 23–35 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1099-0992(199801/02)28:1<23::AID-EJSP843>3.0.CO;2-Z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. Wagner G. Sanders (2001) ArticleTitle‘Considerations in Ethical Decision-Making and Software Piracy’ Journal of Business Ethics 29 IssueID1/2 161–167 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1006415514200

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Business Administration, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5486, Safat, 13055, Kuwait

    Sulaiman Al-Rafee

  2. Walton College of Business 204, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701

    Timothy Paul Cronan

Authors
  1. Sulaiman Al-Rafee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Timothy Paul Cronan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sulaiman Al-Rafee.

Additional information

Sulaiman Al-Rafee received his Ph.D. in Information Systems from the University of Arkansas in the USA, May, 2002. He is an assistant professor of Information Systems at the department of Quantitative Methods and Information Systems at the College of Business Administration, Kuwait. He is the MIS coordinator at the department, and has taught different MIS courses within the department. His reserch interests include: ethics, behavioral psychology, software and digital piracy, user acceptance of information technology, and cross-cultural studies.

Timothy Paul Cronan, Professor and M.D. Matthews Chair in Information Systems, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Dr. Cronan received the D.B.A. from Louisiana Tech University and is an active member of the Decision Sciences Institute and The Associaton for Computing Machinery. He has served as Regional Vice President and on the Board of Directors of the Decision Sciences Institute and as President of the Southwest Region of the Institute. In addition, he has served as Associate Editor for MIS Quarterly. He is currently Director of Enterprise Systems and Director of the Master of Information Systems degree programs. His research interests include information systems ethical behavior, work groups, change management, expert systems, performance analysis and effectiveness, and end-user computing. Publications have appeared in MIS Quarterly, Decision Sciences, Journal of Business Ethics, Information and Management, OMEGA The International Journal of Management Science, The Journal of Management Information Systems, Communications of the ACM, Journal of Organizational and End User Computing, Database, Journal of Research on Computing in Education, Journal of Financial Research, as well as in other journals and Proceedings of various Conferences.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Al-Rafee, S., Cronan, T.P. Digital Piracy: Factors that Influence Attitude Toward Behavior. J Bus Ethics 63, 237–259 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-005-1902-9

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-005-1902-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation