Incorporation of victim size in an examination of consumer ethics in South Korea

• A profile of Korean residents regarding their attitudes towards 12 questionable consumer actions is developed.
• Size of the victimized organization is used to see how size impacts acceptance or unacceptance of each behaviour.
• Size of victim is a factor for nine of the twelve consumer actions.
• The role of culture is incorporated in the discussion as a mediator of perception.

Chinese abstract透过对韩国消费者的伦理研究探讨其与 [消费者不当行为]受害者多寡的关系消费者行为不当的概念近年已变成一项重大的疑问。从韩国的成年人当中抽出239人进行调查访问，征询其认为消费者所做的12项受质疑的行为是否恰当并做出判断。该调查访问使用了多个版本使操作的情形都能反映出多数或少数的消费者行为受害者。调查结果指出韩国的消费者对一些受质疑的行为持开放的态度，但对其它行为则反对，因此反映出消费者伦理的情境因素。该结果也说明一个事实，[消费者不良行为受害者的多寡]与对受质疑行为的可接受性认识 有关。这个的结果并未如人们所预料的那样；然而这个明显的矛盾却出现看似合理的解释。本文提供了管理上的涵义及将来的研究方向。

The concept of consumer misbehaviour has become a subject of significant inquiry in recent years. A sample of 239 adults in South Korea provided insight regarding their judgment about the appropriateness of 12 questionable actions undertaken by consumers. The survey used multiple versions that allowed for the manipulation of the scenarios to reflect either a large or a small organisation as the victim of the consumers’ actions. The results indicate that South Korean consumers are open to some questionable behaviour, but opposed to others – thus reflecting the situational nature of ethics. The results also document the fact that the size of the victimized organisation is related to the perceived acceptability of the questionable act. The results in this regard were not as predictable as one might expect; however, plausible explanations for this apparent paradox are presented. Managerial implications and future research directions are provided.