• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1956-1964
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• 2009

Understanding ethical fashion consumers in Korea is essential for the expansion of the ethical fashion market. This study analyzed ethical consumers in Korea in an examination of the factors that influence ethical purchase behavior and attitudes. The differences between ethical fashion consumers and non-ethical fashion consumers were investigated using eight variables (perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE), self-direction, benevolence, universalism, social responsibility, perceived behavioral control, face saving, and group conformity). Data were collected by means of a questionnaire through both on-line and off-line surveys from April 20 to June 7, 2009. Only the respondents knowledgeable of ethical products or ethical consumption were asked to complete the questionnaire. A total of 494 samples were used for analyses. Using independent samples t-test, the differences in each variable between two groups were examined. There were significant differences between ethical fashion consumers and non-ethical fashion consumers in attitudes toward ethical consumption behavior, behavioral intention, PCE, self-direction, universalism, social responsibility, and face saving variables. The factors influencing attitude and behavior intention were investigated by step-wise regression analyses. For ethical fashion consumers, the attitudes to ethical consumption behavior were largely influenced by PCE and benevolence. Social responsibility was the most predictable variable in guiding behavioral intention. Behavioral intention was also influenced by benevolence and attitude. Group conformity was found to be negatively correlated with behavioral intention. The findings of this study provide significant guidance for marketers of ethical fashion products. This study is the start of ethical fashion consumer research in Korea and can develop into variable subfields in the future.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.17-37
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• 2012

The evolution of the IT facilitated the social actions of the consumers by supporting social communication of the online users. At the same time it help for the consumer to post malicious comments on the Internet or to spread the unproven news for distorting the public opinion in the SNSs. Although the number of the consumer unethical behaviors and the estimated damage of the innocent companies have been increased, a few studies had investigate on this issue. Based on the Literature on the consumer unethical behaviors and the institution based trust, we had developed the defense strategies against the consumer unethical behaviors. This study would introduce the new perspective that the consumer could always not be innocent. Also, the defense strategy developed in this study could contribute to make the guideline for consumer service manual.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.891-901
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• 2004

This study is to investigate the degree of consumers' non-ethical perceptions and behaviors, and to explore related variables such as demographic variables, idealism and relativism. The data used in this study were obtained by surveying 237 college students from 10th through 24th of October, 2002 in Kimhae city. We conducted a statistical analysis of the data, using percentiles, frequencies, means, t-test, ANOVA, and Multiple Regression. Consumers' non-ethical perceptions and behaviors were measured by modifying Consumer Ethics Scale(CES, Muncy & Vitell, 1992). The CES scale comprises 4 sub-factors: actively benefiting from illegal activity(CES1), passively benefiting(CES2), actively benefiting from questionable action(CES3), no harm/no foul(CES4). Average scores of consumers' non-ethical perceptions and behaviors marked below a mid-value, which means that most of the students are basically ethical. The related variable of consumers' non-ethical perceptions was idealism. The related variables of consumers' non-ethical behaviors were idealism and the amount of discretionary money. The results show that most of the participants are basically ethical as a consumer. However, the results related with the CES4 sub-factor which includes consumer attitudes toward copyrights of consumer softwares and music CDs tell us that they are relatively non-ethical. This claims an importance of consumer education to college students in regards to intellectual property.

• Proceedings of the KHMA Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.166-167
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• 2005

• Proceedings of KHEA Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.169-169
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• 2004

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1015-1023
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• 2006

This study examined the levels of consumers' non-ethical behaviors in the marketplace and the factors affecting each category of them. The data were collected from 222 adults in Busan and Gyeongnam areas through a self-administered questionnaire. Frequencies, Cronbach's alpha, Pearson's correlation analysis and multiple regression analyses were conducted by SPSS Windows. The results from this study were as follows: First, respondents showed the highest level of non-ethical behavior in the no harm/no foul category, while the lowest level in the actively benefiting from questionable behavior category. Second, as the results of multiple regression analyses, age was significant in all categories of non-ethical behaviors. In addition, religion, consumer knowledge and consumer role attitudes were found to be significant in some categories. These results imply that the consumer ethics should be included in the consumer education for more effective consumer behaviors of young generation.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.165-178
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to understand the consumer non-ethical behavior and the interaction with salespersons and their relationships. For this purpose, adults in Chunlabuk-do were surveyed and 675 questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS statistical program. The results of the analysis were as follows: 1. Three dimensions of the consumer non-ethical behaviors were the unconscience, the illegality, and the deception. Two dimensions of the interaction with salespersons were the passive and the assertive interactions. 2. There were two clusters respectively; ethical and non-ethical groups for the consumer non-ethical behavior/ passive and assertive groups for the interaction with salespersons. 3. Generally, the more educated and the older persons were, the less they tended to be ethical and the more passively they tended to interact with the salespersons. 4. There were significant differences between the clusters of consumer non-ethical behavior and those of interaction. The non-assertive interaction group were found more in the non-ethical group and the assertive interaction group more in the ethical groups.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.267-282
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• 2013

This study analyzed the effect of consumer value and unethicality on the type of consumer complaint behaviors. Despite the obvious importance of the research on consumer complaint behaviors focused on consumer's inherent personality, there is relatively little work done. The purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants of consumer complaint behaviors in order to improve consumers' well-being and develop the market condition. The 1,050 respondents are finally analyzed using the descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and multinominal logit model. Consumer value and unethicality are significant effect on the type of consumer complaint behaviors such as no action, private action only, public action only, and both private and action. The orientation of achievement and pleasure among consumers' value is associated with the higher level of complaint behaviors compared with no action. In terms of consumers' unethicality, no harm unethicality is associated with the types of each consumer complaint behavior except no action. On the other hand, both proactive and passive unethicality increase the possibility of no action. The policy implications of the consumer education are suggested as well as the directions of customer management strategies in the business sector.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.417-423
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to compare the consumers' ethics depending on consumers' characteristics. From the exploratory factor analysis, consumers' ethics were composed of four sub-factors such as actively benefiting from non-ethic behavior, actively benefiting from illegal behavior, benefiting from passively illegal behavior, and benefiting from others' costs. As results of this study, followings were found: 1) non-city residents, females, and 20's aged group tended to be more non-ethical rather than city residents, males and other aged group, respectively. 2) Group of middle school education tended to behave actively illegal compared with that of the graduate school education. 3) Religious values influenced on consumers' ethics. 4) While the lower income group tended to be actively benefiting more from non-ethic behaviors, the upper income group from actively illegal ones.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.907-916
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• 2008

The purposes of this study were to examine the consumer beliefs on the wrongness and occurrence of unethical behaviors in retail settings, to examine the differences in unethical beliefs by consumer characteristics, and to examine the effects of anomie on unethical beliefs. A total of 609 questionnaires collected from a consumer survey were analyzed. Results revealed that respondents tended to perceive illegal activities as the most unethical and the least prevalent behaviors and downloading intellectual properties as the least unethical and the most prevalent behaviors. There were differences by age, marital status, occupation, and education in the four dimensions of unethical beliefs including actively benefiting from illegal/deceiving activities, passively benefiting at the expense of the seller, no harm/no foul, and common but questionable actions. Partial differences were observed by shopping frequency and return experience. Valuelessness of anomie affected actively benefiting from illegal/deceiving activities and no harm/no foul.