Willingness to punish and reward brands associated to a political ideology (BAPI)

Duman S., Özgen Ö.

JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH, vol.86, pp.468-478, 2018 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 86
  • Publication Date: 2018
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.05.026
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.468-478
  • Keywords: Brand avoidance, Punishing/rewarding, Religious commitment, Political consumerism, CONSUMERS ETHICAL BELIEFS, EMERGING MARKETS, RELIGIOUS COMMITMENT, ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTIFICATION, SOCIAL-RESPONSIBILITY, ANTI-CONSUMPTION, REASONED ACTION, UNITED-STATES, BEHAVIOR, CULTURE
  • Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study explores the customer insights behind punishing/rewarding brands associated to a political ideology (BAPI) and extends theories of brand avoidance and political consumerism. Study 1 analyzes attitude toward BAPI through a qualitative study and in study 2 the relationship between identification, disidentification, moral avoidance, religiosity and willingness to punish/reward BAPI with the mediating role of attitude is tested via structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that consumers punish the brands they oppose politically, when there is no self-congruence and believe these brands distract the well-being of the society by polarizing and conservatizing it. Moreover, while religious commitment did not have any effect on attitude and willingness to punish/reward BAPI, the results confirm that consumers who attend religious services are found to have a tendency to punish BAPI. This is the first study intended to empirically test these relationships and understand the underlying reasons behind punishing and rewarding BAPI.