Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship of moral philosophy
and self-conscious emotions and the way they impact behavioral intention.
The study investigates Forsyth’s Ethical Position Theory by theoretically
linking it with self-conscious emotions. Behavioral intention is measured
through the use of vignettes depicting ethical scenarios in retail settings. A
total of 1000 retail consumers were approached through social media (i.e.
Facebook), 350 respondents filled in an online survey (Google docs),
whereas final analysis included 338 valid responses. Descriptive statistics,
Exploratory Factor Analysis, Correlation and Regression Analysis is used to
examine the relationship. Findings of the study indicate a relationship
between moral philosophy and self-conscious emotions. Private selfconscious
emotion is not found to be associated with relativism and ethical
behavioral intention. The limitations associated with cross sectional research
design and online survey technique are inevitable. Online survey
administration is likely to contribute towards non-response bias and social
desirable bias. Marketers may develop promotional activities highlighting
the company’s efforts towards minimizing harmful outcomes to consumers
and society will have good chances to enhance brand image and customer
loyalty. Business courses targeting consumer behavior in Pakistan may use
the findings of the study to educate students about ethical beliefs of the
*Syed Afzal Moshadi Shah, Assistant Professor in the Department of Management Sciences at
COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad, Pakistan. Corresponding author
e-mail address: afzalshah@ciit.net.pk
∗∗ Dr. Shehla Amjad, Professor, Department of Management Sciences at COMSATS Institute
of Information Technology, Abbotabad, Pakistan
Shah & Amjad
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consumers in Pakistan. The study is among the pioneer studies that examines
moral philosophy with self-conscious emotions in Pakistan. The target
respondents are the general consumers that most previous studies have
ignored by using only student samples.
