Brands and ethical behavior: Exploring the integration of consumer-brand relationships with consumer perceived ethicality

Abstract

Objective: The relevance of ethical consumer perceptions (PEC) about companies is a topic that has grown in relevance, at a time when unethical business practices are increasingly questioned in Brazil. In this sense, this research aims to study the impacts of consumers' ethical perceptions on companies, and how this perception affects the development of the consumer-brand relationship, integrating attitudinal, conative, and behavioral elements. Method: A survey was carried out with 538 questionnaires, analyzed through structural equations, with the reference market of manufacturers of cellular devices (smartphones). Main Result: The consumer's ethical perception demonstrated contributions in the development of the consumer-brand relationship, under the attitudinal, conative, and action aspects. At an attitudinal level, the greatest impact of PEC is on consumer confidence. The total effects of PEC on behavioral intentions were consistent and relatively high, showing a strong relationship with loyalty, purchase intention, and brand value. Contributions: We describe how the PEC affects the development of the consumer-brand relationship in a chain that represents its evolution, integrating the attitudinal, connective components of action, suggesting a central role of consumers' ethical perception in brand management. The model explained 79.2% of loyalty and 74.1% of purchase intent in the development structure of the consumer-brand relationship, based on the impact of ethical perceptions. Originality: This research is the first to demonstrate the impact of Consumer Ethical Perception on the development of the consumer-brand relationship, integrating the three components, as well as demonstrating their impacts on the nomological chain and their consequent effects. © 2021 Revista Brasileira de Marketing. All rights reserved.