Impact of moral ethics on consumers’ boycott intentions: A cross-cultural study of crisis perceptions and responses in the United States, South Korea, and Singapore

Author

KyuJin SHIM, Singapore Management UniversityFollow
Hichang CHO, National University of Singapore
Soojin KIM, University of Technology Sydney
Su Lin YEO, Singapore Management UniversityFollow

Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

4-2021

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of individuals’ ethics on perceptions and responses to a company’s crisis. Drawing on Moral Foundations Theory, it empirically tests a theoretical model of crisis attribution and emotional reaction with two antecedents (i.e., individualizing moral and binding moral) on three outcomes (i.e., crisis attribution, emotions, and boycott intentions), using more than 3000 samples from three culturally-diverse countries - the U.S., South Korea, and Singapore. The study finds that individualizing and binding moral foundations have significant effects on attribution, emotional reaction, and behavioral intentions related to corporate irresponsibility, but that their effects are distinct and vary across countries. Individualizing moral foundations lead to boycott intentions through their positive direct effects and indirect effects via blame attribution and emotional reactions. However, the effects of binding moral foundations is multifaceted. They directly inhibit boycott intentions while invoking boycott intentions through their positive indirect effects via attribution and emotion.

Keywords

Crisis communication, moral foundations theory, boycott, emotions, United States, South Korea, Singapore

Discipline

Asian Studies | Business and Corporate Communications | International and Intercultural Communication | Social Influence and Political Communication

Research Areas

Corporate Communication

Publication

Communication Research

Volume

48

Issue

3

First Page

401

Last Page

425

ISSN

0093-6502

Identifier

10.1177/0093650218793565

Publisher

SAGE

Citation

SHIM, KyuJin; CHO, Hichang; KIM, Soojin; and YEO, Su Lin. Impact of moral ethics on consumers’ boycott intentions: A cross-cultural study of crisis perceptions and responses in the United States, South Korea, and Singapore. (2021). Communication Research. 48, (3), 401-425.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6224

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650218793565