Consumer ethics: an application and empirical testing of the Hunt‐Vitell theory of ethics

Abstract

Analyzes how consumers make decisions involving ethical issues. In particular, investigates the extent to which consumers rely on ethical norms (deontology) versus the perceived consequences of behaviors (teleology) in forming their ethical judgments and in determining behavioral intentions in situations involving ethical issues. The results based upon three studies, including a national sample of adult consumers, reveal that consumers tend to rely primarily on ethical norms and less on perceived consequences in forming ethical judgments. Results also indicate that consumers, to a large degree, rely primarily on ethical norms in determining their behavioral intentions in situations involving ethical issues. Finally, a number of personal characteristics were tested as moderating variables, but results were generally inconclusive, despite some evidence that education and religiosity may be moderators.