Development of a Scale on e-Consumers’ Attitudes towards Ethically Questionable Online Behaviors

Altuna, Oylum Korkut; Arslan, F. Müge; Gegez, Ercan; Sığırcı, Özge

doi:10.21773/boun.30.1.5

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 151 publications

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“…Among all retail types, supermarkets are the most frequently visited places that experience shoplifting (RetailNZ, 2017). The act of stealing from supermarkets by customers is known as "shoplifting" (Daunt and Greer, 2015) and it is considered as an aberrant consumer behaviour (Altuna et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Encouraging shoplifting prevention with quality relationships

Potdar

Guthrie

Gnoth

2017

IJRDM

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Purpose The cost to supermarkets from shoplifting is a growing problem. Despite huge investments in formal security measures, supermarkets experience shrinkage and face heavy financial losses. Hence, this paper explores an alternative approach to shoplifting prevention. The purpose of this paper is to propose that quality relationships between a supermarket and its customers could be a viable strategy for shoplifting prevention. A conceptual model is presented at the end of this paper for encouraging shoplifting prevention using a theory of planned behaviour perspective. Design/methodology/approach A systematic search of literature on relationship quality was conducted. Research papers were shortlisted from peer-reviewed journals published between 2007 and 2016. For the convenience of readers, studies on relationship quality are presented in six cross-checked information categories in a table. Findings This study produced two results. First, it finds three antecedents of supermarket-customer relationship quality. These are as follows: a supermarket’s participation in corporate social responsibility and cause-related marketing initiatives, a supermarket’s service quality, and a customer’s attachment to a supermarket’s place/location. Second, there are three major effective dimensions of relationship quality. These are as follows: satisfaction, trust, and commitment. The proposed model incorporates factors from both findings, to measure a supermarket-customer relationship quality that may influence intention of customers to engage in shoplifting preventive behaviour. Originality/value This research paper has reviewed the existing literature to utilise it in the context of shoplifting prevention, and developed a novel model/framework for effective shoplifting prevention with a theory of planned behaviour perspective.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Encouraging shoplifting prevention with quality relationships

Potdar

Guthrie

Gnoth

2017

IJRDM

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“…Freestone and Mitchell (2004) studied 24 internet-related misbehaviours, which were categorized as illegal, questionable activities, hacking related, human internet trade and downloading. Altuna et al (2016) identified and studied a number of online behaviours as ethically questionable including privacy violations, spreading misleading information and/or purchasing fake/illegal goods, lying and misconduct, propensity towards viewing/downloading/sharing violent content.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Following the lines of Altuna et al (2016), an attempt has been made to juxtapose the online questionable behaviours examined in this study against the various types of unethical behaviours subsumed under the consumer ethics scale in an offline context (Vitell and Muncy, 2005). Table 7 presents the highest mean scores of different online behaviours against the consumer ethics scale (Vitell and Muncy, 2005).…”

Section: Continuum Of Unethical Online Behavioursmentioning

confidence: 99%

The grey and dark facets of online activities: a study of consumer perceptions

Handa

Ahuja

2022

JICES

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Purpose The internet has provided a gamut of benefits to consumers. The digital world, however, also provides space for various illegal or unethical consumer activities. Consumers may not always be fully aware of the unethical or illegal nature of some of the online activities that they engage in. This study aims to examine the questionable side of online consumer behaviour in an emerging market where internet penetration and smart phone accessibility is rapidly expanding. Using a third-person technique, this study attempts to empirically capture the perceptions of Indian adults regarding the prevalence of various questionable online activities such as unauthorized downloading of digital content, spreading fake news/misinformation and fraudulent returns and to understand the extent to which these respondents believe that such actions are acceptable or illegal and unethical. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 212 consumers. Non-probability convenience and snowball sampling was used for the purpose. Findings Unauthorized watching or downloading of online content is reported to be the most prevalent among the various types of questionable behaviours examined. However, it is behaviours such as fraudulent returns and spreading misinformation through online channels which are considered to be the most unethical or illegal. Certain behaviours which may be deemed to be unethical and illegal nevertheless are seen as acceptable. Significant differences between demographics in the case of several of the unethical activities are reported. Research limitations/implications This study examines the grey and dark side of online behaviours among consumers in an emerging market and points to the need for action on several fronts to increase consumer awareness and sensitivity about the unethical or illegal nature of some of their online activities and the implications for multiple stakeholders. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations directed at consumers, marketers and policymakers are discussed. Originality/value Although the benefits of online communication channels have been extensively studied, their ability to facilitate certain unethical and even illegal activities is an under-researched area. The inclination to engage in these types of questionable behaviours may have been exacerbated by the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlights the importance of research on various grey consumer activities in the digital space and paves the way for further investigations by identifying online actions which are considered as most prevalent and/or unethical and illegal.

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Scale Development Procedures in the Context of Online Consumers: Key Recommendations

Dastane

Goi

2023

Business Perspectives and Research

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Scales are developed with rigorous theoretical and statistical procedures, and they play a paramount role in the predictions of the outcome of constructs. However, it was found in the extant literature that the development of several scales was done without adherence to standard practices. This article aims to critically review the procedures used for the scales developed in the context of online consumers, highlight limitations, discuss their implications, and recommend the best practices for future research. Scale development studies published in journals indexed in reputed international databases were selected for meta-synthesis. The present study analysis was divided according to the primary stages of the scale development process namely development, data collection, analysis, and reporting. Common issues, such as unsuitable qualitative analysis methods, improper sampling technique, sample size, sample composition, and non-adherence to the reporting standards were recorded. At the end of this study, 15 recommendations were formulated, which would help strengthen the future scale development process in the context of online consumers.

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Development of a Scale on e-Consumers’ Attitudes towards Ethically Questionable Online Behaviors

Cited by 4 publications

References 151 publications

Encouraging shoplifting prevention with quality relationships

Encouraging shoplifting prevention with quality relationships

The grey and dark facets of online activities: a study of consumer perceptions

Scale Development Procedures in the Context of Online Consumers: Key Recommendations

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