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The Relationship between Consumers’ Unethical Behavior and Customer Loyalty in a Retail Environment

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Author Info
P. VAN KENHOVE ()
K. DE WULF
S. STEENHAUT ()

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Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between two outcomes of relationship marketing – affective commitment and behavioral loyalty – and consumers’ unethical behavior. The main objective of the study is to assess whether affective commitment and behavioral loyalty to a store translate into more ethical behavior towards that store, controlling for the variables of age, gender, and ethical beliefs. The study does not rely on a single measurement tool, but is based on ten months' panel data and three different mail surveys targeted at 359 Belgian households. The results provide support for our hypothesis that affective commitment is indeed negatively correlated with consumers’ unethical behavior. The same conclusion could not be drawn for the relationship between behavioral loyalty and consumers’ unethical behavior. No significant relationship was detected, not even in situations where affective commitment was high. The results hold major implications for retailing practice.

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Paper provided by Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration in its series Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium with number 03/167.

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Length: 33 pages
Date of creation: Feb 2003
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Handle: RePEc:rug:rugwps:03/167

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Bloemer, JoseM. M. & Kasper, Hans D. P., 1995. "The complex relationship between consumer satisfaction and brand loyalty," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 311-329, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Cox, Dena & Cox, Anthony D & Moschis, George P, 1990. " When Consumer Behavior Goes Bad: An Investigation of Adolescent Shoplifting," Journal of Consumer Research: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, University of Chicago Press, vol. 17(2), pages 149-59, September.
  3. Muncy, James A. & Vitell, Scott J., 1992. "Consumer ethics: An investigation of the ethical beliefs of the final consumer," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 297-311, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Arnold, Stephen J. & Handelman, Jay & Tigert, Douglas J., 1996. "Organizational legitimacy and retail store patronage," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 229-239, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Babin, Barry J. & Darden, William R., 1996. "Good and bad shopping vibes: Spending and patronage satisfaction," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 201-206, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Chonko, Lawrence B. & Hunt, Shelby D., 1985. "Ethics and marketing management: An empirical examination," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 339-359, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Strutton, David & Vitell, Scott J. & Pelton, Lou E., 1994. "How consumers may justify inappropriate behavior in market settings: An application on the techniques of neutralization," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 253-260, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Fournier, Susan, 1998. " Consumers and Their Brands: Developing Relationship Theory in Consumer Research," Journal of Consumer Research: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, University of Chicago Press, vol. 24(4), pages 343-73, March.
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Sarah Steenhaut & Patrick Kenhove, 2006. "The Mediating Role of Anticipated Guilt in Consumers’ Ethical Decision-Making," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 69(3), pages 269-288, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. S. Steenhaut & P. Van Kenhove, 2003. "Consumers’ Reactions to “Receiving Too Much Change at the Checkout”," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 03/186, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. [Downloadable!]
  3. S. Steenhaut & P. Van Kenhove, 2006. "The Mediating Role of Anticipated Guilt in Consumers’ Ethical Decision-Making," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 06/370, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. [Downloadable!]
  4. D. Van Den Poel, 2003. "Predicting Mail-Order Repeat Buying: Which Variables Matter?," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 03/191, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. [Downloadable!]
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