Consumer Responses to For-Profit Firms Exercising Religious Freedom in the Marketplace. (April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fitzgerald, M. Paula; Donovan, Karen Russo
• Is Part Of: Journal of public policy & marketing. Volume 37:Number 1(2018)
• Page Start: 39
• Page End: 54
• Publication Date: 2018-04
• Subjects: religious freedom -- discrimination -- consumer perceptions -- consumer access; Marketing -- Periodicals; Marketing -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; 658.802
• DOI: 10.1509/jppm.16.208
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0743-9156

Abstract

Two judgments are at the heart of the controversy surrounding state-level religious freedom legislation and for-profit firms. For some, firms choosing to limit product/service access due to the owner's religious beliefs are viewed as appropriately asserting their First Amendment rights to religious freedom. Others posit that such laws legalize discrimination. The authors offer a theory in which homophily mediates consumers' perceptions of a firm that chooses to exercise its religious convictions in the for-profit market, and an orthodox worldview moderates this relationship. When these practices are perceived to be discriminatory, there is a strong negative effect on behavior intentions; however, perceptions that the firm is appropriately asserting religious freedoms are unlikely to increase customer traffic. The authors examine the policy implications from these investigations for states and local municipalities.