Understanding Ethical Consumer Behavior

Did you ever take something in a supermarket without
paying for it? Did you ever keep quiet when receiving
too much change at the checkout? Did you ever
purchase an item, used it, and returned it to the
store afterwards for a refund? Did you ever copy a CD
(music/video) from a friend?

These and many more are all widespread everyday
deceptions by which we consumers benefit at the
expense of the seller The general purpose of the
present dissertation was to contribute to a more
thorough understanding of the why of consumer ethics,
allowing marketers to predict unethical consumer
behavior, and ultimately prevent consumers from
taking advantage of the seller. More specifically,
the impact of 1/ individual characteristics (personal
values), 2/ situational circumstances (relationship
marketing), and 3/ emotional experiences (guilt)
within the ethical decision-making processes of
consumers are investigated.

Autorentext
In 2006 Dr. Sarah Steenhaut obtained her doctoral degree in
Applied Economics with specialization in marketing & consumer
research at Ghent University (Belgium). Today Sarah is
consultant at Callebaut&Co specialized in brand strategy &
positioning. She works on national and international projects,
both B2C and B2B, in various industries.

Klappentext
Did you ever take something in a supermarket without paying for it? Did you ever keep quiet when receiving too much change at the checkout? Did you ever purchase an item, used it, and returned it to the store afterwards for a refund? Did you ever copy a CD (music/video) from a friend? These and many more are all widespread everyday deceptions by which we -consumers- benefit at the expense of the seller... The general purpose of the present dissertation was to contribute to a more thorough understanding of the why of consumer ethics, allowing marketers to predict unethical consumer behavior, and ultimately prevent consumers from taking advantage of the seller. More specifically, the impact of 1/ individual characteristics (personal values), 2/ situational circumstances (relationship marketing), and 3/ emotional experiences (guilt) within the ethical decision-making processes of consumers are investigated.