Abstract
Although several articles have investigated ethical product attributes, earlier research has not empirically examined different benefits offered by ethical attributes (i.e., symbolic or utilitarian benefits). This study demonstrates that ethical attributes have functional benefits as well as symbolic benefits. More importantly, when the ethical attribute benefit is congruent with the product category benefit, ethical attributes improve product evaluations. In addition, products with a higher degree of physical contact with consumers are affected more positively by benefit congruity of ethical attributes. For products with lower degree of physical contact, benefit congruity of ethical attributes still has a positive impact, but not for consumers who have strong price–quality beliefs.
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Notes
We used regression analysis to utilize the continuous price–quality belief measure, the results of repeated measures ANOVA with categorical price–quality belief (median-split) provided similar results.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the helpful comments of Kimberly Duval on earlier versions of the manuscript and the support of the Center for Multidisciplinary Behavioral Business Research (CMBBR).
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Bodur, H.O., Gao, T. & Grohmann, B. The Ethical Attribute Stigma: Understanding When Ethical Attributes Improve Consumer Responses to Product Evaluations. J Bus Ethics 122, 167–177 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1764-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1764-5