Corporate brand transgression and punishing the transgressor: moderation of religious orientation
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-01-2017-1388 |
| Published date | 12 March 2018 |
| Pages | 221-234 |
| Date | 12 March 2018 |
| Author | Elif Karaosmanoglu,Didem Gamze Isiksal,Nesenur Altinigne |
Corporate brand transgression and punishing
the transgressor: moderation
of religious orientation
Elif Karaosmanoglu and Didem Gamze Isiksal
Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey, and
Nesenur Altinigne
Istanbul Bilgi University, Istanbul, Turkey
Abstract
Purpose –With the aim of developing a better understanding of why some consumers still excuse corporate brands that engage in transgressions,
this study tests whether extrinsically religious people tolerate corporate brands more than intrinsically religious individuals at different transgression
levels (severe and mild) and punish them less than the latter.
Design/methodology/approach –This study adopts a 2 2 experimental design to manipulate corporate brand transgression levels (mi ld vs
severe) and religiosity orientations (intrinsically religious vs extrinsically religious) on a convenience sample of 134 subjects who live in Turkey, a
country where Islam shapes religious context. It uses a scenario technique and projective approach.
Findings –While the main effect of corporate brand transgression on punishing behaviour does not appear in the analysis, religiosity’s main effect
on the latter does. Unexpectedly, extrinsically religious consumers punish corporate brand transgressors more than their intrinsically religious
counterparts regardless of the transgression severity levels.
Research limitation/implications –Although the study does not refer to any religion in particular, countries predominated by religions other than
Islam may yield different consumer reactions. Future studies should focus on transgressions in such different settings.
Practical implications –Corporate brand transgressors should immediately take up good causes to attract the attention of intrinsically religious
consumers. Otherwise, for the sake of showing off, extrinsically religious people may punish the transgressor for its intentional mistakes, which may
harm corporate brand associations.
Originality/value –This study examines the link between religiosity and corporate branding. Unique in this way, it introduces religiosity as a valid
contributor that can explain why some consumers do not punish corporate brand transgressors, especially in countries like Turkey where religiosity is
intertwined with the developments in the liberal economy which led to the emergence of a new middle class.
Keywords Corporate brand, Religiosity, Brand transgression, Punishing behaviour, Religious orientation
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
In today’s consumption-oriented world, companies and their
brands are increasingly facing fierce competition and this can
drive them to engage in unethical behaviours. As branding is a
social construct as much as an economic one (Fan, 2005),
brands are considered to be a part of modern-day customers’
social lives. For that reason, corporate brands and their
unethical behaviour have come under closer scrutiny.
Examples of unethical behaviour such as Apple’s labour
violations in the production of the iPhone in China and
Samsung’s infringement on several Apple patents and product
designs have had significant effects on brand-consumer
relationships (Aaker et al.,2004;Paulssen and Bagozzi, 2009).
Many scholars argue that organisations need to pay close
attention to the accountability of their acts which have societal
consequences (Sen and Bhattacharya,2001;Bhattacharya and
Sen,2003, 2004;Maignan and Ferrell, 2004;Maignan et al.,
2005,Ellen et al., 2006;Du et al., 2007;Balmer et al., 2011).
From a corporate marketing perspective, an ethical corporate
marketing positioning that indicates a company’s mindfulness
towards society is a crucial requirement for achieving positive
associations about the corporate brand(Balmer et al., 2011)as
well as for enjoying favourable consumerresponses towards the
firm (Bhattacharyaand Sen, 2004).
Although many organisationspraise having ethically oriented
corporate brands as an important strategy to communicate
their corporate brand promises to their stakeholders
(Bhattacharya et al., 2009;Ethisphere Institute, 2012), there
are still brands that violate ethical issues and are prone to
receiving unfavourableresponses. For example, Apple received
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on
Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/1061-0421.htm
Journal of Product & Brand Management
27/2 (2018) 221–234
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/JPBM-01-2017-1388]
This project was supported by ITU BAP.
Received 10 January 2017
Revised 30 May 2017
20 July 2017
Accepted 25 July 2017
221
To continue reading
Request your trial