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Strength in Numbers: the Moral Antecedent and Consequence of Consumer Conformity

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Strength in Numbers: the Moral Antecedent and Consequence of Consumer Conformity Strength in Numbers: The Moral Antecedent and Consequence of Consumer Conformity by Ping Dong A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Joseph L. Rotman School of Management University of Toronto © Copyright by Ping Dong 2017 ii Strength in Numbers: The Moral Antecedent and Consequence of Consumer Conformity Ping Dong Doctor of Philosophy Joseph L. Rotman School of Management University of Toronto 2017 Abstract Consumers often encounter moral violations in their daily life, from every day transgressions such as adultery and tax evasion to infamous company frauds. News reports about immoral behaviors of one type or another have become regular features on TV programs, radio stations, and social media websites. Previous research has mainly focused on how exposure to others’ moral violations can influence one’s own behaviors in a personal setting. However, we know very little about how moral violations may affect the way consumers relate to others. To fill this gap, my dissertation focuses on understanding the social nature of morality by exploring the moral antecedent (Essay 1) and consequence (Essay 2) of consumer conformity. Essay 1 investigates the moral antecedent of consumer conformity. By synthesizing insights from research on social order and conformity, I propose that exposure to others’ immoral behaviors can heighten the perceived threat to social order, which may increase consumers’ endorsement of conformist attitudes and hence their preferences for majority- endorsed choices in subsequently unrelated consumption situations. Moreover, I show that the effect disappears (a) when the moral violator has already been punished by third parties (Study 4) and (b) when the majority-endorsed option is perceived as immoral and therefore may be viewed as being complicit with the moral violators (Study 5). iii Essay 2 examines the moral consequence of consumer conformity. Extending the results of Essay 1, I propose and demonstrate that perceptions of being in the majority (vs. minority) group, even in a completely unrelated domain (e.g., consumption), can induce perceptions of being in the moral majority and signal social order to consumers, which has important downstream consequences on consumers’ moral judgments such as reducing their concerns about condemning and punishing moral transgressors. Three studies provide support for these propositions. By advancing our understanding of the moral antecedent and consequence of consumer conformity, this dissertation adds to a growing research stream showing that moral concerns can affect consumer behavior by exploring (a) how moral principles could serve as a basis for consumers’ preferences and choices and (b) how consumption conformity can buffer moral threats. iv Acknowledgements The completion of this thesis represents a milestone in my academic career. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to a number of people, who have greatly contributed to not only the completion of this thesis but also my growth as a scholar. I would like to thank my advisor Prof. Chen-Bo Zhong, who has been both an exceptional advisor and role model throughout my Ph.D. studies. I am truly grateful for having you as my advisor for the past five years. I benefited so much from your sharp insights, excellent advice, and unwavering support, which has always motivated me to overcome the obstacles in my research. I am also deeply indebted to my co-advisor Prof. Pankaj Aggarwal, and the other members of my supervisory committee, Prof. Spike Lee and Prof. Wil Cunningham. I am grateful for your excellent advice, support, guidance, and invaluable input, which was critical in helping me grow as an academic. I feel incredibly privileged to have all of you as my advisors during my Ph.D. studies and hope that I can be a wonderful advisor and mentor like you to my future students. I also want to thank Prof. Bob Wyer, Prof. Aparna Labroo, Prof. Anirban Mukhopadhyay, and Prof. Xianchi Dai for continued support, advice, and trust, and all faculty members and Ph.D. students in the Marketing area at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto for listening to my presentation, giving me invaluable feedback on my research and job talks, and supporting me in so many ways. Finally, I would like to thank my husband Jinghui Qian and my parents and parents-in- law for their love and support for all these years. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ..............................................................................................................v CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 2: ESSAY 1 .................................................................................................................3 Theoretical Background ...............................................................................................................4 Overview of the Present Research ...............................................................................................9 STUDY 1 .......................................................................................................................................10 Method .......................................................................................................................................10 Results and Discussion ..............................................................................................................13 STUDY 2 .......................................................................................................................................14 Method .......................................................................................................................................14 Results and Discussion ..............................................................................................................16 STUDY 3 .......................................................................................................................................18 Method .......................................................................................................................................19 Results and Discussion ..............................................................................................................21 STUDY 4 .......................................................................................................................................22 Method .......................................................................................................................................23 Results and Discussion ..............................................................................................................26 STUDY 5 .......................................................................................................................................29 Method .......................................................................................................................................29 Results and Discussion ..............................................................................................................31 GENERAL DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................33 CHAPTER 3: ESSAY 2 ...............................................................................................................42 Theoretical Background .............................................................................................................43 Overview of Studies ...................................................................................................................49 STUDY 1 .......................................................................................................................................50 Method .......................................................................................................................................50 Results and Discussion ..............................................................................................................52 STUDY 2 .......................................................................................................................................53 Method .......................................................................................................................................54 Results and Discussion ..............................................................................................................56 STUDY 3 .......................................................................................................................................58 Method .......................................................................................................................................58 Results and Discussion ..............................................................................................................60 GENERAL DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................62 CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION OF THE THESIS ....................................................................68 REFERENCES FOR INTRODUCTION
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