New insights into unethical counterfeit consumption

Bian, Xuemei, Wang, Kai-Yu, Smith, Andrew and Yannopoulou, Natalia (2016) New insights into unethical counterfeit consumption. Journal of Business Research, 69 (10). pp. 4249-4258. ISSN 0148-2963

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Abstract

Consumer demand for counterfeit luxury brands is unethical, but it is also robust and growing. The aim of this exploratory research, which employs in-depth interviews, is two-fold: 1) to identify the psychological and emotional insights that drive and result from the consumption of higher involvement counterfeit goods; and 2) to uncover the coping strategies related to unethical counterfeit consumption. This research reveals new psychological motivations (e.g., “thrill of the hunt”, being part of a “secret society” and genuine interest) underlying counterfeit consumption and the associated emotional outcomes (e.g., embarrassment, shame and positive hedonic gains). This research is also one of the few studies to identify cognitive moral logics by disclosing the neutralization techniques (specifically denial of responsibility and appealing to higher loyalties) that consumers adopt to cope with the cognitive dissonance associated with debatable counterfeit consumption. The paper contributes to scholarly, managerial and policy conversations.

Item Type: Article
Keywords: Counterfeit; Luxury brand; Consumer ethics; Motivation; Moral logics; Neutralization
Schools/Departments: University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Social Sciences > Nottingham University Business School
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.02.038
Depositing User: Fuller, Stella
Date Deposited: 02 Dec 2016 10:23
Last Modified: 12 Oct 2017 21:55
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/39125

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