Impact of Perceived Moral Violation on Consumers' Moral Consumption Behavioural Outcomes: Mediating role of Moral Disgust and Moral Intolerance and Moderating role of Severity of Moral Violation and Moral Self

Abstract

Purpose-This research delineates and examines morality within the context of consumer behaviour, therefore, investigates the impact of Perceived Moral Violation on consumers’ moral consumption behavioural outcomes. The aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the moral decision-making process of consumers through mediating and moderating mechanisms on the proposed linkages. The study attempts to bridge a gap in the judgment and moral consumption behaviour of consumers by examining how perceived moral violation influence their moral decision-making towards the consumption behaviour. Methodology/Approach-The study is explanatory in nature and has used an Experimental research design to investigate how witnessing a moral violation influences the moral consumption behaviour of the consumers with respect to Poultry and Dairy industry practices in Pakistan? Therefore, the data has been collected through convenience sampling from N=517 participants (consumers). The participants in Experimental group (N=256 participants) were selected on a convenience basis and has received an experimental treatment. The respondents in the Non-experimental group (N=261 participants), on the other hand, were selected through the convenience sampling technique, and the data has been collected in non-contrived settings. The experiment was performed using visual stimulus, and data was collected through a questionnaire, including multi-item scales tested, and used by the previous piece of research. Moreover, to deal with method biases, the data was collected in three shots, T1, T2, and T3with a time lag of about one (1) and then two (2) weeks between time waves; therefore, it was a time-lagged study. The independent variable (Perceived moral violation), Moderator (Severity of Moral violation), and emotional response (Moral Disgust), a mediator has been tapped at the first stage of the experiment (Time-1), another mediator and attitude (Moral Intolerance) and moderator (Moral Self) at stage 2 of the experiment (Time-2), whereas, consumers’ moral consumption behavioural outcomes including Consumption Withdrawal and Prohibitive voice has been self-reported at last stage (Time 3). The data has been analyzed using Hayes’ PROCESS macro for SPSS for mediation and moderation purpose. Also, the results from both groups have been compared. Moreover, measures of Moral Intolerance have been developed and tested by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with a sample of (N=204) participants. Next, the developed measures have been validated through Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Findings-The measures of Moral Intolerance were tested and verified through EFA and CFA, resulting in the items to be used in the further analysis of the study. The result of the study for Group A- Experimental Group fully supports the main and indirect effects, and the Model fit indices indicate that model adequately fits the data. The findings of the bootstrapping technique in Hayes’ PROCESS macro for SPSS indicate that Severity of Moral Violation moderates the relationship between Perceived Moral Violation and Moral Disgust, and the second moderator, Moral Self, moderates the relationship between Moral Intolerance and Prohibitive Voice only. However, the indirect paths from Perceived Moral Violation to moral consumption behavioural outcomes (Consumption withdrawal and Prohibitive voice) through the mediators Moral Disgust and Moral Intolerance were significant. Furthermore, the result supports the serial mediating effects of two mediators, Moral Disgust and Moral Intolerance, on the relationship between Perceived moral violation and moral consumption behavioural outcomes (Consumption withdrawal and Prohibitive voice). The results of the study for Group B, the Non experimental group, also support the direct effects except for Moral Intolerance with Prohibitive voice. However, the Goodness of fit test results indicates the model adequately fits the attained data. Moreover, moderation analysis using Bootstrapping technique in Hayes’ PROCESS macro for SPSS shows no support for moderating role of the Severity of moral violation and Moral self in the proposed relationships. Also, the results have supported the mediating role of Moral disgust in the relationship between Perceived moral violation and Prohibitive voice only. However, the results for serial mediation effects of Moral disgust and Moral intolerance on the relationship between Perceived moral violation and Consumption withdrawal have been supported in the study. Limitations and Implications-The current study has opened new avenues for researchers to understand the concept of morality in the consumers’ decision-making towards consumption. The data has been collected from consumers using a convenient sampling technique mainly related to the unjustifiable practices in the Dairy and Poultry industry in Pakistan; therefore, its findings are not generalizable in other sectors. The study highlights the role of morality in consumers’ decision-making process, which affects their consumption behaviour. Future studies consider mediators other than Moral Disgust and Moral Intolerance and other moderators affecting the moral consumption behavioural outcomes. The new contribution to the knowledge has to bridge the gap between the consumers’ judgment and behaviour in the consumption domain. Also, the study has been conducted in a South Asian cultural context to understand the moral consumption behaviour of consumers, thus contributing to the literature on moral consumption in Pakistan. Moreover, this research informs the practitioners that modern consumers are more conscious and concerned about consuming the products. Therefore, the study is helpful for practitioners to understand the moral decision-making process of the consumers, thus developing strategies to prevent such practices by ensuring product safety regulations and creating awareness among individuals.