Consumers' evaluative structures in two ethical situations: A means-end approach

Abstract

In this paper, we examine differences in consumers' means-end chain knowledge structures that are developed during the evaluation of a seller's prior ethical/unethical behavior. Independent measures of personal list of values (terminal values) were obtained from undergraduate subjects prior to the presentation of one of two treatment scenarios. Reading one version, subjects made judgments regarding unethical business behavior, but were told that they were not personally affected by the misconduct. The second treatment group was told that they were victims of the unethical business behavior. The subjects were measured, post-treatment on ethical orientation (instrumental values) and ethical evaluation (consequence), and decision outcomes were taken using normal questionnaire techniques. These were analyzed using correlative statistical analysis. Comparisons revealed marked differences between means-end chain structures utilized when the ethical situation has personal versus social (nonpersonal) consequences to the subjects. This study suggests that means-end analysis may hold promise as a tool to better understand the process through which the individual utilizes chunks of associated information, or causal schema, in decision making.