"You can't make me do it!" A model of consumer compliance. Issue 1 (10th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bharti, Vijay Payal; Gratz, Elizabeth T.; Fitzgerald, M. Paula
• Other Names: Minton Elizabeth A. guestEditor.; Das Arindam guestEditor.; Pradhan Debasis guestEditor.; Chaudhuri Himadri R. guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of consumer affairs. Volume 56:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 120
• Page End: 140
• Publication Date: 2022-03-10
• Subjects: complacency -- compliance -- consumer ethics -- COVID‐19 -- political ideology -- restricted freedom -- social distancing; Consumer education -- Periodicals; Consumers -- Periodicals; 381.33
• DOI: 10.1111/joca.12446
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-0078

Abstract

Abstract: Consumer well‐being often depends on compliance with service setting rules and product/service use guidelines. This issue came to the forefront during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Here, we propose and test a compliance model in the context of COVID‐19 social distancing guidelines. Although COVID mitigation is politicized, we fully mediate the impact of political ideology with three constructs: (1) consumer perception that freedom is restricted, (2) complacency, and (3) perceived ethicality. We suggest specific tools that help bypass the political polarization that has occurred in the pandemic. The model can be applied to other areas in which compliance is key to consumer well‐being, such as enforcing age‐related restrictions on purchases and safety‐related behaviors.