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
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.