The Effect of Social Exclusion on the Tendency to Engage in Unethical Consumer Behavior: An Experimental Study

Öz

Engaging in an unethical consumer behavior on one’s own is different from doing it for making a connection with a group. Thus, the effect of social exclusion on unethical consumer behavior may vary for different cases. Hence, the study aims to analyze the individuals’ responses to social exclusion in an unethical consumer issue with two experiments. The first experiment measures the excluded individuals’ willingness for engaging in unethical consumer behavior on their own. The second experiment analyzes the excluded individuals’ willingness for engaging in unethical consumer behavior for reconnection. Both studies include a control (non-excluded) and an experimental (excluded) group. A ball toss game called Cyberball manipulates social exclusion. Unethical consumer behavior is measured by “returning a used product as it is unused.” The results indicate that only excluded men tend to engage in unethical consumer behavior on their own. However, the results show that excluded individuals are less likely to engage in unethical consumer behavior for reconnection. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Social Exclusion,Ethical Decision Making,Unethical Consumer Behavior,Experimental Study

Sosyal Dışlanmanın Etik Olmayan Tüketici Davranışı Gösterme Eğilimi Üzerindeki Etkisi: Deneysel Bir Çalışma

Öz

Etik olmayan bir tüketici davranışını kendi başına gerçekleştirmek, onu bir grupla yakınlık kurmak için gerçekleştirmekten farklıdır. Dolayısıyla, sosyal dışlanmanın etik olmayan tüketici davranışı üzerindeki etkisi farklı durumlara göre değişiklik gösterebilir. Buradan yola çıkarak, bu çalışma etik olmayan bir tüketici davranışı meselesinde, bireylerin sosyal dışlanmaya karşı tepkilerini ölçmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu amaçla, farklı katılımcılarla iki ayrı deneysel çalışma yapılmıştır. İlk çalışmada, bireylerin bireysel olarak etik olmayan tüketici davranışı gösterme eğilimleri ölçülmüştür. İkinci çalışmada, bireylerin bir grupla yakınlık kurmak için etik olmayan tüketici davranışı gösterme eğilimleri ölçülmüştür. Her iki deney de bir kontrol (dışlanmayan) ve bir deney grubu (dışlanan) ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Sosyal dışlanma manipülasyonu Cyberball adındaki top atma oyunu ile verilmiştir. Etik olmayan tüketici davranışı “kullanılan bir ürünü kullanılmamış gibi iade etmek” davranışı üzerinden ölçülmüştür. Sonuçlar, dışlanan bireylerin (yalnızca erkeklerin) etik olmayan tüketici davranışını kendi başına gerçekleştirmek konusunda istekli olduklarını göstermiştir. Ancak dışlanan bireylerin bir grupla yakınlık kurmak için etik olmayan tüketici davranışı göstermek konusunda isteksiz oldukları tespit edilmiştir. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sosyal Dışlanma,Deneysel Çalışma,Etik Karar Verme,Etik Olmayan Tüketici Davranışı

Kaynakça

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