Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Is it unethical to waste food? exploring consumer’s ethical perspectives and waste intentions

  • Published:
Current Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Since food waste can be viewed as an ethical issue, consumers may face an ethical dilemma when they decide to waste food. This study explores consumer views on wasting food using ethical decision-making model in a Chinese society, such as Taiwan. The findings of this study indicate that moral philosophy principles are significant predictors of ethical judgments about food waste, which in turn influence behavioral intentions. The impact power of deontological philosophy is stronger than that of teleological philosophy. Additionally, consumers with a high level of vertical individualism tend to view food waste as not violating their moral principles using deontological evaluation. The higher the horizontal individualism or the lower the values of materialism, the stronger the beliefs that food waste violates moral norms and imposes negative consequences on society and the environment. Finally, theoretical and practical contributions are offered as a basis for future studies.

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aschemann-Witzel, J., de Hooge, I., Amani, P., Bech-Larsen, T., & Oostindjer, M. (2015). Consumer-related food waste: Causes and potential for action. Sustainability, 7(6), 6457–6477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baumgartner, H., & Homburg, C. (1996). Applications of structural equation modeling in marketing and consumer research: A review. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 13(2), 139–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belk, R. W. (1985). Materialism: Trait aspects of living in the material world. Journal of Consumer Research, 12(3), 265–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blodgett, J. G., Lu, L. C., Rose, G. M., & Vitell, S. J. (2001). Ethical sensitivity to stakeholder interests: A cross-cultural comparison. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 29(2), 190–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bloom, J. (2011). American wasteland: How America throws away nearly half of its food (and what we can do about it). Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Lifelong.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bock, D. E., Eastman, J. K., & Eastman, K. L. (2018). Encouraging consumer charitable behavior: The impact of charitable motivations, gratitude, and materialism. Journal of Business Ethics, 150(4), 1213–1228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bray, J., Johns, N., & Kilburn, D. (2011). An exploratory study into the factors impeding ethical consumption. Journal of Business Ethics, 98(4), 597–608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, H.-H., & Lu, L.-C. (2019). Actively persuading consumers to enact ethical behaviors in retailing: The influence of relational benefits and corporate associates. Journal of Business Ethics, 56(2), 399–416.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chowdhury, R. M., & Fernando, M. (2013). The role of spiritual well-being and materialism in determining consumers’ ethical beliefs: An empirical study with Australian consumers. Journal of Business Ethics, 113(1), 61–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chung, K. Y., Eichenseher, J. W., & Taniguchi, T. (2008). Ethical perceptions of business students: Differences between East Asia and the USA and among “Confucian” cultures. Journal of Business Ethics, 79(1–2), 121–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickson, M. (2005). Identifying and profiling apparel label users. In R. Harrison, T. Newholm, & D. Shaw (Eds.), The ethical consumer (pp. 155–172). London: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Flynn, L. R., Goldsmith, R. E., & Kim, W. M. (2013). A cross-cultural study of materialism and brand engagement. Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 5(3), 49–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fukukawa, K. (2003). A theoretical review of business and consumer ethics research: Normative and descriptive approaches. The Marketing Review, 3(4), 381–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fukukawa, K., & Ennew, C. (2010). What we believe is not always what we do: An empirical investigation into ethically questionable behavior in consumption. Journal of Business Ethics, 91(1), 49–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaiani, S., Caldeira, S., Adorno, V., Segrè, A., & Vittuari, M. (2018). Food wasters: Profiling consumers’ attitude to waste food in Italy. Waste Management, 72, 17–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gatley, A., Caraher, M., & Lang, T. (2014). A qualitative, cross cultural examination of attitudes and behaviour in relation to cooking habits in France and Britain. Appetite, 75, 71–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gentina, E., Shrum, L. J., Lowrey, T. M., Vitell, S. J., & Rose, G. M. (2018). An integrative model of the influence of parental and peer support on consumer ethical beliefs: The mediating role of self-esteem, power, and materialism. Journal of Business Ethics, 150(4), 1173–1186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gouveia, V. V., Clement, M., & Espinosa, P. (2003). The horizontal and vertical attributes of individualism and collectivism in a Spanish population. The Journal of Social Psychology, 143(1), 43–63.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graham-Rowe, E., Jessop, D. C., & Sparks, P. (2019). Self-affirmation theory and pro-environmental behaviour: Promoting a reduction in household food waste. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 62, 124–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haines, R., Street, M. D., & Haines, D. (2008). The influence of perceived importance of an ethical issue on moral judgment, moral obligation, and moral intent. Journal of Business Ethics, 81(2), 387–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (2009). Multivariate Data Analysis (7th edition). New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc..

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede, G. (1991). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. London: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede, G. (1993). Cultural constraints in management theories. Academy of Management Perspectives, 7(1), 81–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, C. C., Lu, L. C., You, C. S., & Yen, S. W. (2012). The impacts of ethical ideology, materialism, and selected demographics on consumer ethics: An empirical study in China. Ethics & Behavior, 22(4), 315–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, S. D., & Vitell, S. J. (1986). A general theory of marketing ethics. Journal of Macromarketing, 6(1), 5–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, S. D., & Vitell, S. J. (1993). The general theory of marketing ethics: A retrospective and revision. In N. C. Smith & J. A. Quelch (Eds.), Ethics in marketing (pp. 775–784). Homewood, IL: Irwin Inc..

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, S. D., & Vitell, S. J. (2006). The general theory of marketing ethics: A revision and three questions. Journal of Macromarketing, 26(2), 143–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Husted, B. W., & Allen, D. B. (2008). Toward a model of cross-cultural business ethics: The impact of individualism and collectivism on the ethical decision-making process. Journal of Business Ethics, 82, 293–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kilbourne, W., & Pickett, G. (2008). How materialism affects environmental beliefs, concern, and environmentally responsible behavior. Journal of Business Research, 61(9), 885–893.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lebersorger, S., & Schneider, F. (2011). Discussion on the methodology for determining food waste in household waste composition studies. Waste Management, 31(9), 1924–1933.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, M. S., & Ahn, C. S. Y. (2016). Anti-consumption, materialism, and consumer well-being. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 50(1), 18–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leonidou, L. C., Kvasova, O., Leonidou, C. N., & Chari, S. (2013). Business unethicality as an impediment to consumer trust: The moderating role of demographic and cultural characteristics. Journal of Business Ethics, 112(3), 397–415.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, N., & Wang, J. (2020). Food waste of Chinese cruise passengers. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28(11), 1825–1840.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Y., Zhao, X., & Liu, Y. (2018). Stress and unethical consumer attitudes: The mediating role of construal level and materialism. Personality and Individual Differences, 135, 85–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, L. C., & Lu, C. J. (2010). Moral philosophy, materialism, and consumer ethics: An exploratory study in Indonesia. Journal of Business Ethics, 94(2), 193–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, L. C., Rose, G. M., & Blodgett, J. G. (1999). The effects of cultural dimensions on ethical decision making in marketing: An exploratory study. Journal of Business Ethics, 18, 91–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, L. C., Chang, H. H., & Chang, A. (2015). Consumer personality and green buying intention: The mediate role of consumer ethical beliefs. Journal of Business Ethics, 127(1), 205–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, H., & Adam, S. (2003). A comparison of online and postal data collection methods in marketing research. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 21(2), 85–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, V. W., & Ka Lun Chan, J. (2002). Investigating UK consumers' unethical attitudes and behaviours. Journal of Marketing Management, 18(1–2), 5–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nunnally, J., & Bernstein, I. (1994). Psychometric theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pakpour, A. H., Zeidi, I. M., Emamjomeh, M. M., Asefzadeh, S., & Pearson, H. (2014). Household waste behaviours among a community sample in Iran: An application of the theory of planned behaviour. Waste Management, 34(6), 980–986.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Papargyropoulou, E., Lozano, R., Steinberger, J. K., Wright, N., & bin Ujang, Z. (2014). The food waste hierarchy as a framework for the management of food surplus and food waste. Journal of Cleaner Production, 76, 106–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parizeau, K., von Massow, M., & Martin, R. (2015). Household-level dynamics of food waste production and related beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours in Guelph, Ontario. Waste Management, 35, 207–217.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pirsch, J., Gupta, S., & Grau, S. L. (2007). A framework for understanding corporate social responsibility programs as a continuum: An exploratory study. Journal of Business Ethics, 70(2), 125–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podoshen, J. S., & Andrzejewski, S. A. (2012). An examination of the relationships between materialism, conspicuous consumption, impulse buying, and brand loyalty. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 20(3), 319–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., & Organ, D. W. (1986). Self-reports in organizational research: Problems and prospects. Journal of Management, 12(4), 531–544.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quested, T. E., Marsh, E., Stunell, D., & Parry, A. D. (2013). Spaghetti soup: The complex world of food waste behaviours. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 79, 43–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reidenbach, R. E., & Robin, D. P. (1988). Some initial steps toward improving the measurement of ethical evaluations of marketing activities. Journal of Business Ethics, 7(11), 871–879.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richins, M. L., & Dawson, S. (1992). A consumer values orientation for materialism and its measurement: Scale development and validation. Journal of Consumer Research, 19(3), 303–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Segev, S., Shoham, A., & Gavish, Y. (2015). A closer look into the materialism construct: The antecedents and consequences of materialism and its three facets. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 32(2), 85–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shrum, L. J., Wong, N., Arif, F., Chugani, S. K., Gunz, A., Lowrey, T. M., et al. (2013). Reconceptualizing materialism as identity goal pursuits: Functions, processes, and consequences. Journal of Business Research, 66(8), 1179–1185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singelis, T. M., Triandis, H. C., Bhawuk, D. P. S., & Gelfand, M. J. (1995). Horizontal and vertical dimensions of individualism and collectivism: A theoretical and measurement refinement. Cross-Cultural Research, 29(3), 240–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singhapakdi, A., Vitell, S. J., & Kraft, K. L. (1996). Moral intensity and ethical decision-making of marketing professionals. Journal of Business Research, 36(3), 245–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sivadas, E., Bruvold, N. T., & Nelson, M. R. (2008). A reduced version of the horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism scale: A four-country assessment. Journal of Business Research, 61(3), 201–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C. N. (1995). Marketing strategies for the ethics era. Sloan Management Review, 36(4), 85–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stancu, V., Haugaard, P., & Lähteenmäki, L. (2016). Determinants of consumer food waste behaviour: Two routes to food waste. Appetite, 96, 7–17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stefan, V., Van Herpen, E., Tudoran, A. A., & Lähteenmäki, L. (2013). Avoiding food waste by Romanian consumers: The importance of planning and shopping routines. Food Quality and Preference, 28(1), 375–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strasser, S. (1999). Waste and want: A social history of trash. NY: Metropolitan Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thyberg, K. L., & Tonjes, D. J. (2016). Drivers of food waste and their implications for sustainable policy development. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 106, 110–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, H. C., & Gelfand, M. J. (1998). Converging measurement of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, 118–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, C. A., & Farrelly, T. (2016). Household food waste: The implications of consumer choice in food from purchase to disposal. Local Environment, 21(6), 682–706.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van der Werf, P., Seabrook, J, A., & Gilliland, J, A. (2019). “Reduce food waste, save money”: Testing a novel intervention to reduce household food waste. Environment and Behavior, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916519875180.

  • Visschers, V. H., Wickli, N., & Siegrist, M. (2016). Sorting out food waste behaviour: A survey on the motivators and barriers of self-reported amounts of food waste in households. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 45, 66–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vitell, S. J. (2003). Consumer ethics research: Review synthesis and suggestions for the future. Journal of Business Ethics, 43(1–2), 33–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vitell, S. J., Singhapakdi, A., & Thomas, J. (2001). Consumer ethics: An application and empirical testing of the Hunt-Vitell theory of ethics. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 18(2), 153–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wastes & Resources Action Programme (WRAP). (2009). Household food and drink waste in the UK, report prepared by WRAP. Banbury: WRAP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weaver, G. R., & Treviño, L. K. (2009). Normative and empirical business ethics. Business Ethics Quarterly, 4(2), 129–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, H., Wikström, F., Otterbring, T., Löfgren, M., & Gustafsson, A. (2012). Reasons for household food waste with special attention to packaging. Journal of Cleaner Production, 24, 141–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, R.O.C., for financially supporting this research under Grant No. MOST 106-2410-H-035-014. The author highly appreciates the editors and the reviewers’ constructive suggestion.

Funding

This study was funded by The Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, R.O.C. (Grant number MOST 106–2410-H-035-014).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business Administration, School of Business, Feng Chia University, 100, Wenhwa Road, Seatwen, Taichung, 40724, Taiwan

    Hsiu-Hua Chang

Authors
  1. Hsiu-Hua Chang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hsiu-Hua Chang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The author has received research grants from The Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, R.O.C. (grant number MOST 106–2410-H-035-014).

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

ESM 1

(DOCX 62.9 kb)

Appendix 1 The measurement items

Appendix 1 The measurement items

Food waste behavioral intention.

1. I would have done food waste behaviors.

2. If I find someone else has food waste behaviors, I would do the same thing.

3. In life, I would have a decision-making to waste food.

4. I would never do food waste behaviors.*.

Ethical judgment toward food waste.

1. Food waste is acceptable to my family.

2. Food waste is fair.

3. Food waste is just.

4. Food waste is moral.

Deontological evaluation toward food waste.

1. Food waste is consistent with my moral norms.*.

2. It would be morally right for me to waste food.*.

3. Food waste is in line with my ethical values.*.

4. I would feel guilty if I waste food.

5. To waste food goes against my principles.

Teleological evaluation toward food waste.

1. Food waste would have a negative impact on society.

2. Food waste would cause serious harm to others.

3. Food waste would have a negative impact on the ecological environment.

4. Food waste would cause serious damage to the ecological environment.

Vertical individualism.

1. It annoys me when other people perform better than I do.

2. Competition is the law of nature.

3. When another person does better than I do, I get tense and aroused.

4. Winning is everything.

5. It is important that I do my job better than others.

6. I enjoy working in situations involving competition with others.

7. Some people emphasize winning, I’m not one of them.*.

Horizontal individualism.

1. I often do “my own thing”.

2. One should live one’s life independently of others.

3. I like my privacy.

4. I prefer to be direct and forthright when discussing with people.

5. I am a unique individual.

6. What happens to me is my own doing.

7. When I succeed, it is usually because of my abilities.

8. I enjoy being unique and different from others in many ways.

Materialism – Central.

1. I usually buy only the things I need.*.

2. I try to keep my life simple, as far as possessions are concerned.*.

3. The things I own aren’t all that important to me.*.

4. I enjoy spending money on things that aren’t practical.

5. Buying things gives me a lot of pleasure.

6. I like a lot of luxury in my life.

7. I put less emphasis on material things than most people I know.*.

Materialism – Happiness.

1. I have all the things I really need to enjoy life.*.

2. My life would be better if I owned certain things I don’t have.

3. I wouldn’t be any happier if I owned nicer things.*.

4. I’d be happier if I could afford to buy more things.

5. It sometimes bothers me quite a bit that I can’t afford to buy all the things I’d like.

Materialism – Success.

1. I admire people who own expensive homes, cars, and clothes.

2. Some of the most important achievements in life include acquiring material possessions.

3. I don’t place much emphasis on the amount of material objects people own as a sign of success.*.

4. The things I own say a lot about how well I’m doing in life.

5. I like to own things that impress people.

6. I don’t pay much attention to the material objects other people own.*.

*Reverse scored.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chang, HH. Is it unethical to waste food? exploring consumer’s ethical perspectives and waste intentions. Curr Psychol 41, 8434–8448 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01257-3

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01257-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation