Can self-referencing exacerbate punishing behavior toward corporate brand transgressors?

Abstract

This article investigates consumer reactions (punishing behavior) regarding corporate brands that engage in various types of transgressions (mild vs. severe) through a scenario-based experiment. The study adopts a 2 × 2 factorial design that examines the moderating role of self-referencing on the relationship between brand transgression severity and the punishing behavior of consumers. Before conducting the main study, the researchers carried out a pilot study to acquire insights about the severity levels of various brand transgressions as well as to determine the likelihood of individuals encountering them. The main study confirms that there is an interaction effect between self-referencing and transgression severity on consumer punishing behavior. More notably, this research highlights the fact that in cases of mild transgressions, having a point of self-reference in the transgression prompts individuals to punish the transgressor more harshly than in cases of severe transgressions. This finding may serve as a warning for corporate brands, demonstrating that they need to be careful about mild transgressions because even when they represent violations of minor rules, they can have deleterious effects on consumer–brand relationships.

Appendices

Appendices

Appendix 1: Pretest transgression cases (listed from most to least severe)

• Funding terrorist organizations

• Unhealthy working conditions

• Environmental pollution

• Sexual harassment in the workplace

• Production of food under unsanitary conditions

• Sales of unsafe and/or unhealthy products

• Discrimination (based on race, gender, ethnicity, etc.) at the workplace

• Exploitation of child labor without providing social security benefits

• Production of meat and poultry goods with unhealthy ingredients

• Employing adults without providing social security benefits

• Mobbing

• Bans on labor union activities and strikes

• Not responding to cases of faulty products that are still under warranty

• Forcing employees to work overtime

• Non-payment of overtime work

Appendix 2: Scales

Perceptions of corporate brand transgressions (adapted from Hyman 1996) (α = 0.90)

The brand’s behavior…

• Was unethical/ethical.

• Was unacceptable/acceptable for me.

• Was very disturbing/not disturbing for me.

• Was very important/not important for me.

• Has unacceptable/acceptable consequences.

• Was unacceptable/acceptable in terms of my perceptions of fairness. (excluded)

• Was traditionally unacceptable/acceptable for me.

• Was personally unacceptable/acceptable for me.

• Was culturally unacceptable/acceptable for me.

Self-referencing (adapted from Meyers-Levy and Peracchio 1996) (α = 0.89)

• I could easily imagine myself experiencing the case described in the scenario.

• Because I have had a similar experience, it was easy for me to relate to the case described in the news story.

• I thought about my previous experiences as I read the news story.

• The news story had a profound effect on me. (excluded)

• The news story closely approximated my own negative experiences.

Punishing behavior of consumers (adapted from Creyer and Ross 1997) (α = 0.89)

• He would immediately stop using the brand’s products.

• He would buy the products of rival brands.

• He would inform others around him and ensure that they also stop using the brand’s products. (excluded)

• He would not recommend the brand to others.

• He would not advise people to work for the brand.

• He would inform other users via online forums and webpages dedicated to complaints. (excluded)

Scenario believability (adapted from Wilson and McNamara 1982)

• This is a situation in which I could find myself.

• I think such situations could exist in real life.

• The scenario is believable.

• This is a situation in which everyone could find themselves.

• The scenario is realistic.

Appendix 3: Manipulation scenarios

All of the studies manipulated the cases of transgression through the use of newspaper headlines (in Turkish). The manipulation visuals shown below were presented to the participants. After each visual, the SRE respondents were prompted with the sentence, “You have experienced a similar situation before,” whereas the non-SRE respondents were prompted with the sentence, “You have never experienced a situation like that.”

Mild case (withholding overtime payments) without SRE manipulation

“While reading a daily newspaper, you see the headline:

‘Turkey, an Attractive Country thanks to its Inexpensive Labor’ (A translation of the headline is provided in Figs. 2 and 3):

Fig. 2

Mild case without SRE manipulation of the fictitious newspaper article image

Fig. 3

Mild case fictitious newspaper article and SRE manipulation enhancement images

A popular, well-known convenience food company shifted its production to Turkey, which has cheap labor. Recently, it has come to light that the company withholds overtime payments to reduce its costs and increase its profits.” (A translation of the news shown in the hypothetical newspaper visuals is provided in Figs. 2 and 3)

In addition to the newspaper story, respondents read an additional personal statement:

You have never worked for a company that withholds overtime payments.

A mild case (withholding overtime payments) with SRE manipulation

In the self-referencing scenario, in addition to the newspaper story, respondents read an additional personal statement: “As you read the news story, you thought about a company you worked for and its similar policy concerning overtime payments.”

With the aim of reinforcing the self-reference effect, the SRE condition scenarios were presented along with an image that illustrates an imagination balloon as to represent an individual’s recall moment.

Severe case (endangering workers’ health and safety) without SRE manipulation

“While you are reading a daily newspaper, you see the following headline:

‘Laborers’ Health Issues Ignored’ (A translation of the headline is provided in Figs. 4 and 5):

Fig. 4

Severe case without SRE manipulation of the fictitious newspaper article image

Fig. 5

Severe case fictitious newspaper article and SRE manipulation enhancement images

Workers who do denim sandblasting for ABC, a popular clothing company, are suffering from respiratory failure and lung cancer because their health complications are being ignored.” (A translation of the news story shown in the fictitious newspaper visual is provided in Figs. 4 and 5)

In addition to the newspaper article, respondents read an additional personal statement:

You have never become seriously ill as a result of the health and safety policies of a company you worked for.

Severe case (endangering workers’ health and safety) with SRE manipulation

In the self-referencing scenario, in addition to the newspaper article, respondents read an additional personal statement: “As you were reading the news story, you were reminded of the days when you worked as a denim sandblaster and had to be hospitalized and treated for lung disease.”

With the aim of reinforcing the self-reference effect, the SRE condition scenarios were presented along with an image that illustrates an imagination balloon as to represent an individual’s recall moment.