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Does Consumer Unethical Behavior Relate to Birthplace? Evidence from China

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Abstract

This study explores the relationship between individual birthplace [rural birthplace (RB) and urban birthplace (UB)] and consumer unethical behavior (CUB). As a result, CUB is verified to closely relate to individual birthplace, and those new urban residents with RB are found to behave more ethically than the patrimonial urban residents with UB in CUB4 (“no harm/no foul”). This study also finds that the differentiation of CUB between two categories of consumers is correlated with the personal moral ideology or Machiavellianism (MA) functioning with varying degree, which idealism ideology is a main variable impacting on the unethical behaviors of the members born in the rural subculture while MA for those in the urban one. Additionally, the “no harm/no foul” (CUB4) and the “actively benefiting from a questionable action” (CUB3) in the list of CUBs are found to be more efficient in discriminating the two groups than the other two kinds, the “passively benefiting at the expense of others” (CUB2) and the “actively benefiting from an illegal activity” (CUB1). The results shed light on the roles of individual birthplace in influencing CUB and contribute to a better understanding on the effects of subculture on CUB.

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Abbreviations

CEB:

Consumer ethical belief (the plural form is CEBs)

CES:

Consumer ethics scale

RB:

Rural birthplace

UB:

Urban birthplace

CUB:

Consumer unethical behavior, CUBs (the plural form) include four dimensions as following:

CUB4 :

No harm/no foul

CUB3 :

Actively benefiting from a questionable action

CUB2 :

Passively benefiting at the expense of others

CUB1 :

Actively benefiting from an illegal activity

RE:

Relativism ideology

ID:

Idealism ideology

MA:

Machiavellianism

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Acknowledgments

The project was supported by the Special Fund for Basic Scientific Research of Central Colleges, South-Central University for Nationalities, under Grant CSY11008.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Management, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China

    BaoChun Zhao & ShanShan Xu

Authors
  1. BaoChun Zhao
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Correspondence to BaoChun Zhao.

Appendix

Appendix

List of Scale Items

CUB scale (based on: Vitell and Muncy 1992 ; Rawwas 1996 ; Kenhove et al. 2003 ; Liu et al. 2009 )

In store A, I would or I have engaged in behavior which involved …

Actively benefiting from an illegal activity

  1. 1.

    Changing price tags on merchandise in store A.

  2. 2.

    Put merchandise into your own pocket without paying for it in store A.

  3. 3.

    Giving misleading price information to a clerk for an item without price tag in store A.

  4. 4.

    Returning damaged merchandise to store A when the damage is your own fault.

Passively benefiting at the expense of others

  1. 5.

    Getting too much change and not saying anything in store A.

  2. 6.

    Not saying anything when the server miscalculates the bill in your favor in store A.

  3. 7.

    Seeing someone stealing something and not reporting it to the store personnel.

Actively benefiting from deceptive or questionable practices

  1. 8.

    Using an expired coupon for merchandise.

  2. 9.

    Damaging merchandise by accident in store A but doing nothing about it.

  3. 10.

    Returning merchandise to store A by claiming that it was a gift when it was not.

No harm/no foul

  1. 11.

    Trying on different clothes and consciously not returning them to where they belong but leaving them in the fitting cubicle.

  2. 12.

    Returning merchandise to store A after trying it.

  3. 13.

    Spending over an hour trying on different dresses but not purchasing any in store A.

Ethics Position Questionnaire (EPQ) (Forsyth 1980 )

Relativism

  1. 1.

    There are no ethical principles that are so important that they should be a part of any code of conduct.

  2. 2.

    What is ethical varies from one situation and society to another.

  3. 3.

    Moral standards should be seen as being individualistic; what one person considers to be moral may be judged to be immoral by another person.

  4. 4.

    Different types of morality cannot be compared as to “rightness”.

  5. 5.

    What is right for everyone can never be resolved since what is moral or immoral is up to the individual.

  6. 6.

    Moral standards are simply personal rules which indicate how a person should behave, and are not to be applied in making judgments of others.

  7. 7.

    Ethical considerations in interpersonal relations are so complex that individuals should be allowed to formulate their own individual codes.

  8. 8.

    Rigidly codifying an ethical position that prevents certain types of action stand in the way of better human relations and adjustment.

  9. 9.

    No rule concerning lying can be formulated whether a lie is permissible or not permissible totally depends on the situation.

  10. 10.

    Whether a lie is judged to be moral or immoral depends on the circumstances surrounding the action.

Idealism

  1. 1.

    A person should make certain that their actions never intentionally harm another even to a small degree.

  2. 2.

    Risks to another should never be tolerated, irrespective of how small the risks might be.

  3. 3.

    The existence of potential harm to others is always wrong, irrespective of the benefits to be gained.

  4. 4.

    One should never psychologically or physically harm another.

  5. 5.

    One should not perform an action which might in any way threaten the dignity and welfare of another individual.

  6. 6.

    If an action could harm an innocent other, then it should not be done.

  7. 7.

    Deciding whether or not to perform an act by balancing the positive consequences of the act against the negative consequences of the act is immoral.

  8. 8.

    The dignity and welfare of people should be the most important concern in any society.

  9. 9.

    It is never necessary to sacrifice the welfare of others.

  10. 10.

    Moral actions are those which closely match ideals of the most “perfect” action.

MACH IV scale (Chiristie and Geis 1970 )

  1. 1.

    Never tell anyone the real reason you did something unless it is useful to do so.

  2. 2.

    The best way to handle people is to tell them what they want to hear.

  3. 3.

    One should take action only when sure it is morally right.

  4. 4.

    Most people are basically good and kind.

  5. 5.

    It is safest to assume that all people have a vicious streak and it will come out when given the chance.

  6. 6.

    Honesty is the best policy in all cases.

  7. 7.

    There is no excuse for lying to someone else.

  8. 8.

    Generally speaking, people will not work hard unless they are forced to do so.

  9. 9.

    All in all, it is better to be humble and honest than to be important and dishonest.

  10. 10.

    When you ask someone to do something for you, it is best to give the real reasons for wanting it rather than giving reasons which carry more weight.

  11. 11.

    People who get ahead in the world lead clean, moral lives.

  12. 12.

    Anyone who completely trusts others is asking for big trouble.

  13. 13.

    The biggest difference between criminals and others is that the criminals are stupid enough I to get caught.

  14. 14.

    Most people are brave.

  15. 15.

    It is wise to flatter important people.

  16. 16.

    It is possible to be good in all respects.

  17. 17.

    Barnum was wrong when he said that there is a sucker born every minute.

  18. 18.

    It is hard to get ahead without cutting corners.

  19. 19.

    People suffering from incurable diseases should have the choice of being put to death painlessly.

  20. 20.

    Most people forget more easily the death of their father than the loss of their property.

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Zhao, B., Xu, S. Does Consumer Unethical Behavior Relate to Birthplace? Evidence from China. J Bus Ethics 113, 475–488 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1317-3

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