Analysis of the moral mechanism to purchase counterfeit luxury goods: evidence from China

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend the theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behaviour to measure the effects of ethical and moral antecedents (e.g. integrity, moral judgement, extrinsic religiosity and intrinsic religiosity, and ethical concern) on attitudes towards counterfeit luxury products. Additionally, it also measured the effects on attitudes towards purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach The scope of the study is the Chinese market. The sample size for the study was 412 participants, and data were collected through established scales and measures. Structural equation modelling was used to test the developed model. Findings All the developed hypotheses were accepted. All the antecedents negatively affect attitudes towards counterfeit luxury products. At the same time, attitude has a positive effect on purchase intention. The results are consistent with those of earlier studies. Research limitations/implications Samples were gathered from just a single region in southwest China, which limits the generalisability of the discoveries. As past research in fake goods buying has done, future investigations relating to this situation in the domain of ethical reasoning should accumulate samples from other regions of China as well, as customer perception relating to profound morality and counterfeit Purchase Intention may change from region to region. Practical implications A few customers hold the opinion that luxury brands are lucrative because of the excessive costs of their products and therefore feel vindicated in buying counterfeits (Penz and Stottinger, 2005). Combatting this conviction requires luxury brand managers to endorse effective moral ideals and social commitment messages to prevail upon purchasers. Social implications A few customers trust that they are helping local people, such as the peddlers who offer the fakes or the producers who make these goods, suggesting in a way that a few individuals have positive attitudes towards these type of counterfeit goods sold locally. For such customers, there can be marketing messages that can show them the other side of the issue, such as the lost sales and loss caused to the organisations, which result in people becoming jobless because of their actions. Originality/value The primary goal of the study is to explore the relationship between the moral measurements of consumers and their attitudes and purchase intentions in the Chinese market.

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