(Un)ethical consumer behavior: Robin Hoods or plain hoods?

Purpose This paper seeks to assess the impact of consumer ethics and their piracy attitudes on piracy behaviors. The extent of such piracy is difficult to estimate because no worldwide statistics are available, but conservative estimates indicate that it costs manufacturers billions of dollars. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted using Israeli consumers through a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed mostly through regression models. Findings Attitudes to piracy served as a partial mediator of the impacts of consumer morals and ethics on actual piracy. Research limitations/implications The major limitation is the use of a convenience sample and future research should replicate and extend this study using random samples. Practical implications First, firms should advertise piracy as unethical. This would result in recognition of unethical piracy behavior by some part of the population. For piracy reduction, such people should recognize the need to “balance the ethical book” within the same context of behavior. In other words, if they have pirated from a company in the past, such people should be encouraged to purchase from the same company in the future. Originality/value The paper assesses the impact of consumer ethics and their piracy attitudes and behaviors.