Belief in a Just World: Consumer Intentions and Behaviors toward Ethical Products

Abstract

This is the published version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Although consumers report positive attitudes toward ethical goods, their intentions and behaviors often do not follow suit. Just-world theory highlights the conditions under which consumers are most likely to prefer fair-trade products. This theory proposes that people are motivated to construe the world as a just place where people get what they deserve. In the current research, when people are confronted with high levels of injustice (communicated need is high) and avenues for justice restoration seem uncertain or unavailable, assisting others by supporting fair trade decreases. However, highlighting how injustice can be redressed through purchases enhances fair-trade support under conditions of high need. The effects are moderated by justice sensitivity factors, such as just-world beliefs and whether the product type (indulgence vs. necessity) makes the injustice of consumer privilege salient. The results suggest that communicating high need when requesting consumer prosocial actions can sometimes backfire. Marketers employing high need appeals should heighten perceptions of justice restoration potential and activate fairness-related thoughts through product positioning to encourage fair-trade purchases. Permanent repository link

Should Charity Begin at Home? An Empirical Investigation of Consumers’ Responses to Companies’ Varying Geographic Allocations of Donation Budgets

“…Whereas those respondents who did not believe that corporate donations can make a change toward more justice in the world stated that they did not very much care about a company's engagement in poor countries, those who said they believed in a justice restoration potential reported that they had frequently bought products that are linked to donations to poorer countries. This result directly ties in with the results of White et al (2012), who find that customers who believe in a justice restoration potential of corporate actions are more likely to purchase fair trade products.…”

“…In line with the literature on whether corporate actors have the potential to restore global justice (White et al 2012), discussions encompassed this aspect in all three focus groups, and in all groups, the subject of a justice restoration potential emerged naturally from the participants' own comments (i.e., before the interviewer could raise justice restoration potential issues). The respondents discussed whether MNCs really have the potential to change the predicaments of the inhabitants of the poorer parts of the world.…”

“…To capture individual differences in reaction to these manipulations, on the basis of quotes from the interviews we develop and integrate a scale capturing customers' perceived morality of favoring the own in-group. Additionally, we measure customers' perceptions of the justice restoration potential of companies' donation activities (White et al 2012). Figure 1 provides an overview of the four studies.…”

“…Using a two-item scale from White et al (2012), we assessed consumers' perceptions of justice restoration potential (e.g., "I can depend on certain companies to help make the world a fairer place for everyone"). For a full list of all items please refer to the Appendix.…”

“…Three items adopted from White et al (2012) (i.e., "I would be likely to purchase this company's products," "I would likely make this company one of my first choices in this product category,"…”