Consumers’ Ethical Beliefs and Dark Traits: Their Influence on Masstige Perception and Brand Evangelism in an Emerging Market
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Infas Malik
und
Hem Chand Jain
Abstract
Drawing inspiration from masstige theory, this study investigates the influence of consumers’ ethical orientations (idealism and relativism) and dark personality traits (narcissism and Machiavellianism) in shaping their perceptions of masstige fashion brands and, subsequently, their brand evangelism behaviors. The study further examines the mediating role of masstige perception within this framework. Using convenience sampling method, a quantitative survey of Indian fashion consumers has been conducted and 303 valid responses were collected and analyzed with PLS-SEM. The findings indicate that idealism significantly enhances masstige perception, whereas relativism has no notable effect. Furthermore, both the dark traits positively predict masstige perception and brand evangelism, with masstige perception serving as a significant mediator in all relationships except that involving relativism. This research extends knowledge on consumer ethics, masstige marketing, and personality traits by offering empirical evidence from an emerging market context and integrating psychological dispositions with brand value perceptions.
Study variable and their measures.
| Constructs | No | Items | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masstige perception | MP1 | I like this brand because of brand knowledge. | (Paul 2015, 2018) |
| MP2 | I would buy this brand because of its mass prestige. | (Paul 2015, 2018) | |
| MP3 | I would pay a higher price for this brand for status quo. | (Paul 2015, 2018) | |
| MP4 | I consider this brand a top-of-mind brand in my country, state, or district. | (Paul 2015, 2018) | |
| MP5 | I would recommend this brand to friends and relatives. | (Paul 2015, 2018) | |
| MP6 | I believe this brand is known for its high quality. | (Paul 2015, 2018) | |
| MP7 | I believe this brand meets international standards. | (Paul 2015, 2018) | |
| MP8 | I Love to buy this brand regardless of price. | (Paul 2015, 2018) | |
| MP9 | Nothing is more exciting than this brand | (Paul 2015, 2018) | |
| MP10 | I believe that individuals in my country, state, or district perceive this brand as prestigious. | (Paul 2015, 2018) | |
| Brand evangelism | BE1 | I have proselytized several of my friends to this brand. | (Matzler et al. 2007) |
| BE2 | I try to convince as many people as possible to buy this brand. | (Matzler et al. 2007) | |
| BE3 | I feel the need to tell everybody that this is the most appealing brand. | (Matzler et al. 2007) | |
| BE4 | I would make a perfect salesperson of this brand. | (Matzler et al. 2007) | |
| BE5 | If someone tries to criticize this brand I will do my best to change him if necessary. | (Matzler et al. 2007) | |
| Narcissism | N1 | I tend to want others to admire me | (Jonason and Webster 2010) |
| N2 | I tend to want others to pay attention to me | (Jonason and Webster 2010) | |
| N3 | I tend to seek prestige or status | (Jonason and Webster 2010) | |
| N4 | I tend to expect special favours from others | (Jonason and Webster 2010) | |
| Machiavellianism | M1 | I tend to manipulate others to get my way | (Jonason and Webster 2010) |
| M2 | I have used deceit or lied to get my way | (Jonason and Webster 2010) | |
| M3 | I have used flattery to get my way | (Jonason and Webster 2010) | |
| M4 | I tend to exploit others towards my own end | (Jonason and Webster 2010) | |
| Idealism | ID1 | A person should make certain that their actions never intentionally harm another even to a small degree. | (O’Boyle and Forsyth 2021) |
| ID2 | The existence of potential harm to others is always wrong, irrespective of the benefits to be gained. | (O’Boyle and Forsyth 2021) | |
| ID3 | One should never psychologically or physically harm another person. | (O’Boyle and Forsyth 2021) | |
| ID4 | One should not perform an action which might in any way threaten the dignity and welfare of another individual. | (O’Boyle and Forsyth 2021) | |
| ID5 | If an action could harm an innocent other, then it should not be done | (O’Boyle and Forsyth 2021) | |
| Relativism | RE1 | What is ethical varies from one situation and society to another. | (O’Boyle and Forsyth 2021) |
| RE2 | Moral standards should be seen as being individualistic; what one person considers to be moral may judge to be immoral by another person. | (O’Boyle and Forsyth 2021) | |
| RE3 | Questions of what is ethical for everyone can never be resolved since what is moral or immoral is up to the individual. | (O’Boyle and Forsyth 2021) | |
| RE4 | Moral standards are simply personal rules which indicate how a person should behave, and are not to be applied in making judgments of others. | (O’Boyle and Forsyth 2021) | |
| RE5 | Ethical considerations in interpersonal relations are so complex that individuals should be allowed to formulate their own individual codes. | (O’Boyle and Forsyth 2021) |
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Source: The authors.
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