Abstract
The effects of unethical and non-socially responsible organizational practices across supply chains have been hyper-normalized. For instance, the involvement of the private sector in modern day slavery, however alarming and unacceptable, is commonplace. Interestingly, consumers hold significant power to drive change. The question is, does consumer self-concept relate to consumer activism, and why is some consumers’ awareness of unethical practices insufficient to sway their purchase decision-making? A set of propositions were framed, and conceptual model was developed to analyze the relation among self-concept, consumer types as to social responsibility, and organizational practices across supply chains. The study contributes to the understanding of consumer behavior, particularly activism and conformism, regarding firm’s ethical behavior, social responsibility, and sustainability for purchase decision-making.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Achouri, M. A., & Bouslama, N. (2010). The effect of the congruence between brand personality and self-image on consumer’s satisfaction and loyalty: A conceptual framework. IBIMA Business Review, 2010(627203), 1–16.
Albino, V., Izzo, C., & Kühtz, S. (2002, July). Input–output models for the analysis of a local/global supply chain. International Journal of Production Economics, 78(2), 119–131.
Amoako, G. K., & Dartey-Baah, K. (2020). Corporate social responsibility: Strategy for boosting brand perception and competitive advantage. In A. Kuna-Marszalek, & A. Klysik-Uryszek, CSR and socially responsible investing strategies in transitioning and emerging economies (pp. 65–78). IGI Global.
Anti-Slavery International. (2020). What is modern slavery? Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/modern-slavery/#:~:text=Modern%20slavery%20is%20the%20severe,as%20cooks%2C%20cleaners%20or%20nannies
Basak, R., Sural, S., Ganguly, N., & Soumya, K. G. (2019, April). Online public shaming on Twitter: Detection, analysis, and mitigation. IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems, 2(6), 208–220.
Beamon, B. M. (1999). Designing the green supply chain. Logistics Information Management, 12(4), 332–342.
Belk, R. W. (1988, September). Possessions and the extended self. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139–168.
Brammer, S., Millington, A., & Rayton, B. (2007). The contribution of corporate social responsibility to organizational commitment. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(10), 1701–1719.
Bray, J., Johns, N., & Kilburn, D. (2011, February). An exploratory study into the factors impeding ethical consumption. Journal of Business Ethics, 98(4), 597–608.
Chopra, S., & Sodhi, M. S. (2004). Managing risk to avoid supply-chain breakdown. MIT Sloan Management Review, Fall, 53–61.
Council on Foreign Relations. (2020). Modern Slavery. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://www.cfr.org/interactives/modern-slavery/#!/section1/item-1
Cousins, P. D., Lawson, B., Petersen, K. J., & Fugate, B. B. (2019). Investigating green supply chain management practices and performance: The moderating roles of supply chain ecocentricity and traceability. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 39(5), 767–786.
De Mooij, M., & Hofstede, G. (2011). Cross-cultural consumer behavior: A review of research findings. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 23(3–4), 181–192.
De Pelsmacker, P., Driesen, L., & Rayp, G. (2006). Do consumers care about ethics? Willingness to pay for fair-trade coffee. The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 39(2), 363–385.
Devinney, T. M., Auger, P., & Eckhardt, G. M. (2010). The myth of the ethical consumer. Cambridge University Press.
Dijksterhuis, A., Smith, P. K., van Baaren, R. B., & Wigboldus, D. H. (2005). The unconscious consumer: Effects of environment on consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 15(3), 193–202.
Freedom United. (2020). Freedom 101. Retrieved October 9, 2020, from Learn: https://www.freedomunited.org/freedom-university/what-is-modern-slavery/
Frostenson, M., & Prenkert, F. (2015). November). Sustainable supply chain management when focal firms are complex: A network perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 107, 85–94.
Glickman, L. B. (2004, December). “Buy for the sake of the slave”: Abolitionism and the origins of American consumer activism. American Quarterly, 56(4), 889–912.
Gonzalez, C., Korchia, M., Menuet, L., & Urbain, C. (2009, September). How do socially responsible consumers consider consumption? An approach with the free associations method. Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition), 24 (3), 25–41.
Gonzalez-Jimenez, H. (2017, June). The self-concept life cycle and brand perceptions: An interdisciplinary perspective. AMS Review, 7(1–2), 67–84.
Graeff, T. R. (1996, August). Image congruence effects on product evaluations: The role of self-monitoring and public/private consumption. Psychology and Marketing, 13(5), 481–499.
Grubb, E. L., & Grathwohl, H. L. (1967, October). Consumer self-concept, symbolism, and market behavior: A theoretical approach. Journal of Marketing, 31(4), 22–27.
Han, H., Yu, J., & Kim, W. (2019). Environmental corporate social responsibility and the strategy to boost the airline’s image and customer loyalty intentions. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 36(3), 371–383.
Hirschman, A. O. (1970). Exit, voice, and loyalty: Responses to decline in firms, organizations, and states. Harvard University Press.
Hogg, M. A. (2018). Social identity theory. In P. J. Burke (Ed.), Contemporary social psychological theories (pp. 112–138). Stanford University Press.
Hugos, M. H. (2018). Essentials of supply chain management (4th ed.). Wiley.
Ilaw, M. A. (2014). Who you are affects what you buy: The influence of consumer identity on brand preference. The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, 5(2), 5–16.
ILO. (2016). World employment and social outlook 2016: Transforming jobs to end poverty. International Labour Office. Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_481534.pdf
ILO. (2017). Forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking. Retrieved October 9, 2020, from Topics: https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/lang--en/index.htm#:~:text=Out%20of%20the%2024.9%20million,labour%20imposed%20by%20state%20authorities
ILO. (2018). Ending child labor by 2025: A review of policies and programmes. Geneva: International Labour Organization. Retrieved October 10, 2020, from https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---ipec/documents/publication/wcms_653987.pdf
ILO. (2020). World employment and social outlook. Trends 2020. Geneva: International Labour Office. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_734455.pdf
James, F., & Shuttleworth, R. (2017). Chapter Three Susanna Watts and Elizabeth Heyrick: Collaborative campaigning in the Midlands, 1820–34. In A. O. Winckles, A. Rehbein, T. Fulford, & A. Vardy (Eds.), Women’s literary networks and romanticism: “A tribe of authoresses” (pp. 47–72). Liverpool University Press.
Jermsittiparsert, K., Siam, M. R., Issa, M. R., Ahmed, U., & Pahi, M. (2019). Do consumers expect companies to be socially responsible? The impact of corporate social responsibility on buying behavior. Uncertain Suppy Chain Management, 7(4), 741–752.
Lee, J., & Cho, M. (2019, March). New insights into socially responsible consumers: The role of personal values. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 43(2), 123–133.
Li, S., Ragu-Nathan, B., Ragu-Nathan, T. S., & Subba Rao, S. (2006, April). The impact of supply chain management practices on competitive advantage and organizational performance. Omega, 34(2), 107–124.
Mani, V., Gunasekaran, A., & Delgado, C. (2018). Enhancing supply chain performance through supplier social sustainability: An emerging economy perspective. International Journal of Production Economics, 195(C), 259–272.
Margolis, J. D., & Walsh, J. P. (2003). Misery loves companies: Rethinking social initiatives by business. Administrative Science Quarterly, 48(2), 268–305.
Meagher, S. (2020, February 5). The not-so-hidden ethical cost of fast fashion: Sneaky sweatshops in our own backyard. Retrieved October 9, 2020, from Retail: https://www.forbes.com/sites/syamameagher/2020/02/05/the-not-so-hidden-ethical-cost-of-fast-fashion-sneaky-sweatshops-in-our-own-backyard/?sh=1d13844f25d1
Melé, J. A. (2009). Dinero y conciencia. ¿A quién sirve mi dinero? Plataforma Editorial.
Moulds, J. (2017). Child labour in the fashion supply chain. Where, why and what can be done (T. Guardian, Ed.). Retrieved October 10, 2020, from Child Labor: https://labs.theguardian.com/unicef-child-labour/
O’Cass, A., & McEwen, H. (2004, September). Exploring consumer status and conspicuous consumption. Journal of Consumer Behavior, 4(1), 25–39.
Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2006, December). Strategy and society. The link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility. Harvard Business Review, 84(12), 78–92.
Richins, M. L. (1997, September). Measuring emotions in the consumption experience. Journal of Consumer Research, 24, 127–146.
Roberts, J. A. (1993). Sex differences in socially responsible consumers’ behavior. Psychological Reports, 73(1), 139–148.
Rodriguez, A. A. (2015). The image congruence hypothesis: A meta-analytic review. In H. E. Spotts, Marketing, technology and customer commitment in the new economy. Developments in marketing science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing (p. 173). Springer.
Rosenberg, M. (1989, September). Self-concept research: A historical overview. Social Forces, 68(1), 34–44.
Ross, I. (1971, January). Self-concept and brand preference. The Journal of Business, 44(1), 38–50.
Schiffman, L. G., & Kanuk, L. L. (2004). Consumer behaviour. Prentice Hall.
Schneider, B., Ehrhart, M. G., & Macey, W. H. (2013). January). Organizational climate and culture. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 361–388.
Schouten, J. (1991, March). Selves in transition: Symbolic consumption in personal rites of passage and identity reconstruction. Journal of Consumer Research, 17(4), 412–425.
Serdarasan, S. (2013, November). A review of supply chain complexity drivers. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 66(3), 533–540.
Shaw, D., & Clarke, I. (1999). Belief formation in ethical consumer groups: An exploratory study. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 17(2), 109–119.
Silvestre, B. S. (2015, June). A hard nut to crack! Implementing supply chain sustainability in an emerging economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 96, 171–181.
Sinha, I., & Batra, R. (1999, September). The effect of consumer price consciousness on private label purchase. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 16(3), 237–251.
Sirgy, M. J. (1982, December). Self-concept in consumer behavior: A critical review. Journal of Consumer Research, 9(3), 287–300.
Slaninova, G., & Stainerova, M. (2015, January). The Self-concept of Students—Formation and its Changes. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 171, 257–262.
Stevens, G. C. (1989). Integrating the supply chain. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Materials Management, 19(8), 3–8.
Talluri, S., & Baker, R. C. (2002, September). A multi-phase mathematical programming approach for effective supply chain design. European Journal of Operational Research, 141(3), 544–558.
The World Bank. (2020). Poverty. Retrieved November 9, 2020, from Unerstanding poverty: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty
U.S. Department of State. (2020). What is Modern Slavery? Retrieved October 19, 2020, from Office to Monitor and combat trafficking in persons: https://www.state.gov/what-is-modern-slavery/
Verbeke, W., Vanhonacker, F., Sioen, I., Van Camp, J., & De Henauw, S. (2007, November). Perceived importance of sustainability and ethics related to fish: A consumer behavior perspective. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 36(7), 580–585.
Vinson, D. E., Scott, J. E., & Lamont, L. M. (1977, April). The role of personal values in marketing and consumer behavior. Journal of Marketing, 41(2), 44–50.
Vitell, S. J. (2014). A case for consumer social responsibility (CnSR): Including a selected review of consumer ethics/social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 130(4), 767–774.
Wang, X., & Wood, L. C. (2016). The influence of supply chain sustainability practices on suppliers. In B. Christiansen, Handbook of research on global supply chain management (pp. 531–544). IGI Global.
Webb, D. J., Mohr, L. A., & Harris, K. E. (2008, February). A re-examination of socially responsible consumption and its measurement. Journal of Business Research, 61(2), 91–98.
Whalen, J., Pitts, R. E., & Wong, J. K. (1991). Exploring the structure of ethical attributions as a component of the consumer decision model: The vicarious versus personal perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 10, 285–293.
Zhang, Y. (2015). The impact of brand image on consumer behavior: A literature review. Open Journal of Business and Management, 3(1), 58–62.
Zinkhan, G. M., & Hong, J. W. (1991). Self-concept and advertising effectiveness: A conceptual model of congruency conspicuousness and response mode. Advances in Consumer Research, 18, 348–354.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
López-Fernández, A.M. (2022). Consumer Paradox: A Manifestation of Self-Concept in Activism in Response to Supply Chain Practices. In: Rajagopal, Behl, R. (eds) Managing Disruptions in Business. Palgrave Studies in Democracy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship for Growth. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79709-6_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79709-6_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-79708-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-79709-6
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)