TY - JOUR

T1 - The Differential Influence of Identification on Ethical Judgment

T2 - The Role of Brand Love

AU - Dalman, M. Deniz

AU - Buche, Mari W.

AU - Min, Junhong

N1 - Dalman, M. D. The Differential Influence of Identification on Ethical Judgment : The Role of Brand Love / M. D. Dalman, M. W. Buche, J. Min // Journal of Business Ethics. - 2019. - Volume 158. - P. 875-891. Publisher Copyright: © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature. Copyright: Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2019/9/10

Y1 - 2019/9/10

N2 - As negative information about companies becomes widely available and spreads rapidly through digital communications, understanding consumer reactions to these events and how human perceptions are shaped becomes increasingly important. In this paper, we investigate how consumers’ identification with brands and their love for them affect their support for the brand during extremely unethical (negative) situations. The results indicate that brand identification both decreases (direct effect) and increases (indirect effect through brand love) consumers’ ethical judgment following extremely unethical events. Moreover, we find that consumers who are in a love type relationship with the brand proactively shield the brand from other consumers by employing two brand supportive behaviors; sin of omission and brand defense.

AB - As negative information about companies becomes widely available and spreads rapidly through digital communications, understanding consumer reactions to these events and how human perceptions are shaped becomes increasingly important. In this paper, we investigate how consumers’ identification with brands and their love for them affect their support for the brand during extremely unethical (negative) situations. The results indicate that brand identification both decreases (direct effect) and increases (indirect effect through brand love) consumers’ ethical judgment following extremely unethical events. Moreover, we find that consumers who are in a love type relationship with the brand proactively shield the brand from other consumers by employing two brand supportive behaviors; sin of omission and brand defense.

KW - Brand defense

KW - Brand identification

KW - Brand love

KW - Extreme unethicality

KW - Sin of omission

KW - SCOPUS

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85039747501&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s10551-017-3774-1

DO - 10.1007/s10551-017-3774-1

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85039747501

VL - 158

SP - 875

EP - 891

JO - Journal of Business Ethics

JF - Journal of Business Ethics

SN - 0167-4544

IS - 3

ER -