Examining ethics and materialism with

purchase of counterfeits
Joy M. Kozar and Sara B. Marcketti

Joy M. Kozar is based at the

Kansas State University,
Manhattan, Kansas, USA.
Sara B. Marcketti is based
at the Iowa State University,
Ames, Iowa, USA.

Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study is to measure undergraduate students ethical and materialistic
values, and the correlation of these variables with the purchase of counterfeit apparel products.
Design/methodology/approach Students (n 741) were surveyed via an online method. Instrument
items from the Muncy-Vitell consumer ethics scale and the values-oriented materialism scale
ascertained students values of ethics and materialism. Previous purchasing behavior of counterfeit
apparel goods was also assessed.
Findings A significant relationship between materialism and ethics was found. Those participants
who reported to be more ethical in their decision making were those that held less materialistic values.
Ethics and materialism were also significantly related to the purchase behavior of counterfeit apparel
goods. Consumers holding stronger ethical values and who were less materialistic were less likely to
report purchasing counterfeit apparel products.
Practical implications Findings are useful in understanding the values orientation of consumers who
purchase counterfeit apparel goods. Segmenting consumer groups of varying ethical beliefs and
materialistic tendencies and targeting them through appropriate marketing messages could be
successful in encouraging greater socially responsible purchase behavior.
Originality/value Since purchasing counterfeit products is specifically a consumption activity related
to brand prestige and image, it seems plausible that a relationship between an individuals materialistic
values and purchase behavior of counterfeit apparel goods could exist. Moreover, given previous
findings that more materialistic consumers also tend to be less ethically-minded, exploring the
relationship between consumers ethical perceptions and their purchase behavior of counterfeit
products is useful.
Keywords Apparel purchase behavior, Counterfeiting, Ethics, Materialism
Paper type Research paper

ounterfeit goods are identical or near-identical copies of legitimate brands and

products, often associated with bargains obtained on busy city streets or suburban
purse parties (Ingrassia, 2004; Tucker, 2008). The cost of the manufacture,
distribution, and sale of counterfeit goods to the global economy is tremendous. According
to the World Customs Organization, counterfeit goods account for roughly 7 to 10 percent of
global trade and revenues from these sales are growing (Aroq Limited, 2008). The
International Chamber of Commerce suggests that counterfeit goods are produced and
consumed in virtually all global economies and have broad economy-wide effects on trade,
foreign investment, employment, innovation, criminality and the environment (International
Chamber of Commerce, 2009). Counterfeiting continues to increase globally due to the high
margins achieved through counterfeiting by manufacturers and the demand for trade name
goods at value-prices by consumers (Amine and Magnusson, 2007).

Consumers who knowingly purchase counterfeit goods are willing to engage in an illegal
activity and possibly trade quality and performance for the brand/status image of the
genuine good (Bloch et al., 1993). Much of the literature surrounding counterfeiting has

DOI 10.1108/17471111111154536

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SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY JOURNAL

PAGE 393

placed culpability on the supply side of the issue, blaming the manufacturers, suppliers, and
governmental policy for the proliferation of counterfeiting (McLaughlin, 2008; The White
House, 2005). However, consumers are a major participant in the consumption of
counterfeits and as such, it is vital to understand the values and ethics of consumers who
knowingly purchase counterfeit apparel goods (Albers-Miller, 1999; Vitell and Muncy, 1992).
Social responsibility encompasses the behaviors and actions of government, businesses,
organizations, and individuals to make decisions that positively (or negatively) impact
society (Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Businesses, 2005). As the topic of
social responsibility gains in significance and is documented in both popular and scholarly
literature (Duarte, 2008), it is important to understand consumer values and ethics while
engaging in a socially irresponsible act. The understanding of consumers willingness to
purchase counterfeit goods is particularly important to study since counterfeits have a
negative impact on society and the global economy (First Global Congress on Combating
Counterfeiting, 2004).
Literature suggests that the intentional purchasing of counterfeit goods is strongly
intertwined with a consumers values (Penz and Stottinger, 2005). Values encompass the
beliefs, attitudes, and moral judgments that consumers evaluate when making an ethical
decision (Kohlberg, 1969). According to Callen and Ownbey (2008), consumer ethics
involve a variety of issues, including the purchase of counterfeit goods, and can be
influenced by variables such as an individuals risk-taking behavior, shopping orientation,
and materialistic values. In order to better understand the demand side of counterfeiting, the
current study addressed the relationship between materialism (a value), consumer ethics,
and the deliberate purchase of counterfeit apparel goods. As stated by McGregor (2008),
an understanding of the thought processes that consumers employ as they justify unethical
consumption decisions is vitally important to consumer scholars, policy makers, and
educators. Knowledge gained from this study will be useful to educators in addressing with
students the dilemmas of holding certain materialistic values and the relationship of low
consumer ethics to participation in illegal or unethical activities. The findings of this study
also assist marketers and retailers in identifying various segments of consumers that may be
more engaged in unethical purchase behavior (i.e. purchasing counterfeit apparel goods).

Review of literature
Consumer misbehavior
Consumers engage in illicit buying behavior, namely purchasing counterfeit products, for a
variety of reasons. Research suggests that consumers view counterfeit products favorably
because of attractive price savings of purchasing fake, brand-name merchandise (Ang
et al., 2001; Gentry et al., 2006; Prendergast et al., 2002; Wang, 2005). Researchers have
also documented the choice of purchasing counterfeit goods in relation to the evaluation of
product attributes, such as brand and logo (Gentry et al., 2001; Hoe et al., 2003). Many
researchers have investigated consumer ethical decision making related to demographic
characteristics, including age, gender, cultural background, and religiosity (Callen and
Ownbey, 2003; Cheung and Prendergast, 2006; Fisher et al., 2002; Shen and Dickson, 2001;
Swaidan et al., 2003, 2006; Van Kenhove et al., 2003; Vitell and Paolillo, 2003). Of particular
relevance to this study, previous research suggests that younger consumers are more likely
than older consumers to engage in unethical behavior such as the purchasing of counterfeit
goods (Callen and Ownbey, 2003; Cheung and Prendergast, 2006). Moreover, students
have been found to be less ethical than business practitioners in their decision making (Cole
and Smith, 1996; Cohen et al., 2001). Other researchers have found the significance of
friends and peer pressure in the decisions made by younger consumers to engage in illicit
buying behavior (Albers-Miller, 1999; Ang et al., 2001; Bearden et al., 1989).
Similar approaches have focused on identifying ethical/moral issues underlying consumers
decisions to engage in consumer misbehavior. Ethical/moral judgment is defined as the way
a person reasons when faced with an ethical dilemma (Kohlberg, 1969). According to
Wagner and Sanders (2001), behavioral intention and actual behavior is determined directly

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and indirectly through ethical judgments. Tan (2002) and Al-Raffe and Cronan (2006) used
moral judgment as a factor influencing ethical decision-making towards buying pirated
software. Further studies have focused on exploring the reasons behind consumers
knowingly stealing or cheating from a company, addressing the impact of ethics and
acceptability of unethical scenarios (Shoham et al., 2008). While unethical behavior may
occur as a result of a compulsion (Rosenbaum and Kuntze, 2005), the particular practice of
purchasing counterfeit apparel goods is pervasive, and consumers need not be compulsive
to engage in the illicit behavior of purchasing counterfeit goods.
Consumer ethics
According to Vitell (2003, p. 33), all aspects of consumer behavior have an integral ethical
component. Previous researchers have examined ethical decision making in business,
marketing, and consumer settings. Singhapakdi et al. (1999) found that consumers ethical
judgments varied according to the situation and perceived personal costs and benefits. For
example, when comparing ethical perception scores among marketers and consumers, the
authors found that marketers were less likely to perceive ethical problems in situations in
which they benefited from questionable practices. Conversely, consumers were less
sensitive to ethical situations in which marketers were mislead (i.e. consumers benefited in
some manner). According to Singhapakdi et al. (1999), the proximity or nearness an
individual feels to the relevancy of the ethical dilemma may impact their overall judgments.
Using applications from Hunt and Vitell (1986), Muncy and Vitell (1992) developed a
Consumer Ethics Scale to investigate consumers beliefs about a variety of marketplace
practices containing ethical content. The consumer ethics scale has been widely used and
validated in diverse cultural settings (Rawwas et al., 1995; Van Kenhove et al., 2001). Vitell
(2003) reviewed 20 studies that used the Muncy-Vitell scale and presented his major
findings. Of particular relevance to this study were findings that indicated younger
consumers were less ethical than older consumers (Callen and Ownbey, 2003; Cheung and
Prendergast, 2006) and that materialism was related to the dimensions of the consumer
ethics scale (Muncy and Eastman, 1998). Further, according to Roubanis (2008), while
many college students understand the need for morally responsible consumerism, this
awareness does not always translate into consumer behaviors that are reflective of morally
responsible consumerism (p. 211).
The consumer ethics scale was used by Muncy and Eastman (1998) to understand the
relationship between consumers ethical standards and materialism as measured by Richins
and Dawsons (1992) value-oriented materialism scale. In their study, Muncy and Eastman
(1998) found substantial evidence supporting the relationship between ethics and
materialism. Specifically, consumers with greater materialistic tendencies exhibited lower
ethical standards as compared to less-materialistic consumers. Contrary to these results,
however, Vitell et al. (1991) found that materialism, or an orientation toward possessions and
money, was not related to ethical judgments or intentions. Due to these conflicting results,
Vitell (2003) suggests the need for additional research investigating the relationship
between materialism and ethical beliefs. As such, the relationship among these variables
was further examined as part of this study.
Materialism
Materialism is the interest in acquiring goods and the importance one attaches to worldly
possessions (Belk, 1985). The meaning associated with acquiring material goods may also
influence the way people interpret their environment and structure their lives (Richins, 2004).
Materialism may interfere with other aspects of ones life and become harmful to the person
or to society. Richins and Dawson (1992) conceptualized materialism as a consumer value
with three components: centrality (acquisition centrality), happiness (acquisition of the
pursuit of happiness), and success (possession-defined success). As reported by Richins
and Dawson (1992), these domains measure the centrality of possessions in ones life, the
belief that possessions and their acquisition lead to happiness and life satisfaction, and the
use of possessions to judge the success of oneself and others. The values-oriented

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materialism scale has been used in more than 100 studies in the US and abroad; high
internal consistency of the scale has been previously reported (Richins, 2004).
In making possessions a primary component of ones life, it is possible that consumers with
greater materialistic tendencies are more engaged in bending ethical rules to gain
possessions (Muncy and Eastman, 1998). In fact, Muncy and Eastman (1998) suggested
that a reciprocal causal relationship between materialism and ethics may exist. Specifically,
the authors found that materialism was correlated with consumers ethical standards. Those
consumers who were more materialistic indicated less concern for ethical issues. Other
researchers have found that compulsive shopping behavior among college students was
positively correlated to materialism (Yurchisin and Johnson, 2004). Since purchasing
counterfeit products is a consumption activity related to brand prestige and image, it seems
plausible then that a relationship between an individuals materialistic values and purchase
behavior of counterfeit apparel goods exists. Moreover, given previous findings that more
materialistic consumers also tend to be less ethically-minded, exploring the relationship
between consumers ethical perceptions and their purchase behavior of counterfeit
products is warranted.
As part of this study, a sample of undergraduate students attending two 4-year institutions in
the Midwest was used. The correlation between materialism and ethics was examined. The
relationship of these variables to the intentional purchase of counterfeit apparel products
was also addressed. The following research questions were explored:
1. To what degree do students hold materialistic values?
2. Is there a significant relationship between materialism or the importance one places on
the value and acquisition of possessions, and the consumption of counterfeit goods?
3. Does a significant relationship exist between the purchase of counterfeit goods and
consumers ethical standards, or the values that guide behavior?

Method
Sample
Participants in this study were recruited from newspaper advertisements appearing in the
student body newspapers at two four-year universities in the Midwestern US. The
advertisements appeared twice during the course of the semester in which the data was
collected. Within the ads, the link to an online survey designed to collect participants
responses was provided. Also included in the advertisement was a statement alerting
students to a $150 cash prize incentive to be awarded to one participant at the end of the
semester. Upon completion of the survey, students were provided the opportunity to enter
their name for the drawing. This information was kept separate from participants responses.
All data collected in the study was anonymous and confidential. Prior to data collection,
institutional review board approval was obtained from both institutions. The questionnaire
was pretested with a small group of graduate students to ensure the clarity of instructions
and wording of instrument questions.
Instrument
This study utilized an online survey method. To measure participants perceptions regarding
various situations that have ethical content, the Muncy-Vitell consumer ethics scale (Muncy
and Vitell, 1992) was included in the research instrument. The scale included 21 ethical
belief statements that participants are likely to face as consumers. For each statement,
respondents were asked to indicate whether they felt each action was wrong (i.e.
unethical) or not wrong (i.e. ethical) on a five-point scale ranging from 1 (strongly believe it
is wrong) to 5 (strongly believe that it is not wrong). These statements were further
subdivided into three summed variables as indicated by Muncy and Vitell (1992), including:
actively benefiting (situations where the consumer actively benefits at the expense of the
seller), passively benefiting (situations where the consumer is less actively involved in some
deception, but still benefits at the expense of the seller), and deceptive, legal practices

PAGE 396 SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY JOURNAL VOL. 7 NO. 3 2011

(situations where the consumer is actively involved in some deception, but actions are not as
likely to be perceived as illegal as compared to the first subgroup).
To assess the value of materialism, the values-oriented materialism scale was included as
part of the questionnaire (Richins and Dawson, 1992). The scale included 18 attitude
descriptions that encompassed three components: acquisition centrality (the importance of
acquisition and possession in general), acquisition as a pursuit of happiness (the perception
that possessions are necessary for happiness), and possession-defined success (the use of
possessions as an indicator of success in life). Using a five-point Likert-type ordered set of
options ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), respondents were asked to
rate the strength of their agreement with each statement. The individual items were then
combined to create the three summed materialism variables.
Standard measures used to collect demographic information such as gender, age, ethnicity,
year in school, and major were included in the questionnaire. Additionally, students were
asked to report whether they had ever knowingly purchased counterfeit apparel goods.
Data analysis
To generate an overview of the sample as well as an understanding of participants values
concerning ethics and materialism, descriptive statistics were generated on the
demographic variables and the constructs of the scales included in the instrument.
Internal reliability of the multiple item measures were evaluated using Cronbachs
standardized alpha (Krathwohl, 1998). After testing each measure for normal distribution
(Krathwohl, 1998), correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relationship among
the variables including the measures of ethics, materialism, and the purchase of counterfeit
apparel goods.

Research findings
Overview of sample
A total of 741 students participated in the study. Approximately half of the participants (50
percent) were between the ages of 18-20. Another 35 percent of the sample was between
the ages of 21-23, with the remaining participants (15 percent) over the age of 24. A higher
proportion of the sample (76 percent) included female students as compared to male
students (24 percent). Approximately 86.5 percent of the sample was Caucasian, with the
remaining participants belonging to African American, Asian American, and Hispanic
American ethnic groups. The distribution of participants was fairly even among students at
varying educational levels, including those in their first year (22.7 percent), second year
(21.3 percent), third year (22.7 percent), and fourth year (26.5 percent) of taking classes,
with the rest of the students enrolled in graduate programs (6.8 percent). The sample
included students enrolled in diverse programs and majors in Colleges of Business,
Education, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Arts and Sciences. Among the participants,
68 percent of students reported that they had knowingly purchased counterfeit apparel
goods in the past.
Reliability of measures
The internal reliabilities of the constructs included in the survey instrument were found to be
acceptable and were consistent with those previously reported by Vitell and Muncy (1992)
and Richins and Dawson (1992). Among the items of the Muncy-Vitell consumer ethics
scale, the Cronbachs alpha for the three summed variables were 0.82 (actively benefiting),
0.84 (passively benefiting), and 0.90 (deceptive, legal practices). The alpha for the three
summed variables of the values-oriented materialism scale were 0.79 (success), 0.74
(centrality), and 0.72 (happiness).
Ethics and materialism
In an effort to more fully understand participants values toward ethics and materialism,
descriptive statistics on the variables of the scales were examined. Specifically, an analysis

VOL. 7 NO. 3 2011 SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY JOURNAL PAGE 397

of the means of the three summed variables of the consumer ethics scale revealed that
overall, the sample of students that participated in the study possessed high ethical
standards. For each of the summed variables, the mean scores were below the neutral point
of 3.0 on a five-point ordered set of options ranging from 1 (strongly believe it is wrong) to 5
(strongly believe it is not wrong). A review of the mean scores showed that differences in
consumers judgments regarding ethical situations did not exist depending on whether the
buyer or the seller were at fault for the potentially unethical behavior. Although the mean
score for the passively benefiting subscale was slightly higher than the mean score for the
actively benefiting subscale, participants viewed both actions, regardless of who was more
actively at fault (the buyer or the seller), to be unethical (Table I). Moreover, the mean score
for the deceptive, but legal subscale was below the neutral point of 3.0, suggesting that the
perceived legality of the situation did not influence participants ethical beliefs. In other
words, participants did not indicate that situations that could be viewed as deceptive, but
legal, were more ethically acceptable than those perceived to be illegal.
Similar to the findings of the ethics subscales, all three mean scores on the values-oriented
materialism scale were below the neutral point of 3.0 on a five-point ordered set of options
ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). As shown in Table I, among the
scores of the three subscales, the happiness subscale had the highest mean score, followed
by the success subscale, and then centrality. Based on these scores, participants as a
whole generally disagreed that possessions were needed for happiness (acquisition as a
pursuit of happiness) or that the use of possessions was an indicator of success in life
(possession-defined success). Moreover, participants placed little importance on the
acquisition and possession of material objects. It can therefore be deduced from these
findings that the sample of participants in the study did not maintain strong materialistic
tendencies.
To examine the relationship between participants responses to the consumer ethics
statements and their values toward materialism, a correlation analysis among the variables
of the two scales was conducted. As a result, the Pearson coefficients indicated a significant
relationship among all the summed variables. As seen in Table II, the computed subscales of
the consumer ethics scale (actively benefitting, passively benefitting, and deceptive, but
legal) had a small (Pallant, 2005), but significant (at the 0.01 level) relationship to the three
summed variables of the values-oriented materialism scale (acquisition centrality,
Table I Descriptive statistics of ethics and materialism variables
Variables
Deceptive, but legala
Passively benefita
Actively benefita
Happinessb
Successb
Centralityb

Mean

SD

2.46
2.23
1.68
2.84
2.71
2.64

0.82
0.91
0.65
0.76
0.78
0.69

Notes: n 741; aMuncy-Vitell consumer ethics scale variables; bValues-oriented materialism scale
variables

Table II Correlations between ethics and materialism variables

Variables
Successb
Centralityb
Happinessb

Actively benefita

Passively benefita

Deceptive, but legala

0.23*
0.21*
0.21*

0.24*
0.24*
0.25*

0.24*
0.20*
0.24*

Notes: n 741; aMuncy-Vitell consumer ethics scale variables; bValues-oriented materialism scale
variables; *p , 0.01

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acquisition as a pursuit of happiness, and possession-defined success). As part of the

consumer ethics scale, participants were asked to indicate whether they felt each action was
wrong (i.e. unethical) or not wrong (i.e. ethical) on a five-point scale ranging from 1
(strongly believe it is wrong) to 5 (strongly believe that it is not wrong). As part of the
materialism scale, respondents were asked to rate the strength of their agreement to each
statement using a five-point Likert-type ordered set of options ranging from 1 (strongly
disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Therefore, given the coding of the scales used to measure
these variables and the significant positive relationships found among the variables, these
findings revealed that those participants more materialistic in nature were also less
ethically-minded in their overall purchasing behavior. Conversely, those more ethically
driven in their purchasing decisions tended to hold less materialistic values concerning the
importance of acquisition and possession of material objects. These participants were also
less likely to use possessions as an indicator of success in life or maintain the perception that
possessions were needed for happiness.
Counterfeit apparel purchase behavior
To assess whether a relationship between participants reported purchase behavior of
apparel counterfeit goods and their ethical values existed, the Pearson coefficients between
the purchase behavior variable and the three computed scores of the consumer ethics scale
were examined. As a result of the analyses, the coefficients were found to be small (Pallant,
2005), but significant at the 0.01 level among all the variables. Participants reported
purchase behavior of counterfeit apparel goods was significantly related to the three
computed scores for actively benefit ( p , 0.01, r 0:16), passively benefit ( p , 0.01,
r 0:15), and deceptive, but legal actions ( p , 0.01, r 0:15). Consequently, given the
scales used to assess these characteristics, it can be inferred that those participants less
ethically-minded, both in situations concerning the perception of who is more actively at fault
(the seller or the buyer) as well as those of differing perceptions regarding the legality of the
action, were more likely, in general, to have reported knowingly purchasing counterfeit
apparel goods in the past.
It can also be concluded that those participants more materialistic in their values were more
likely to have reported purchasing counterfeit apparel goods in previous situations. Based
on the correlation analyses, the purchasing behavior variable was significantly positively
related to the three computed variables of the values-oriented materialism scale, which
included the subscales of possession-defined success ( p , 0.01, r 0:11), acquisition
centrality ( p , 0.01, r 0:17), and acquisition as a pursuit of happiness ( p , 0.01,
r 0:10). This suggests that those participants more apt to use possessions as an indicator
of success in life and place more importance on the acquisition and possession of material
objects, were also those participants who reported to have knowingly purchased counterfeit
apparel goods in the past.

Discussion
An examination of the constructs of the passively benefiting subscale and the actively
benefiting subscale revealed that overall, participants perceived both actions to be
unethical, regardless of who was at fault (the buyer or the seller). This finding is consistent
with research previously reported by Vitell and Muncy (1992). Within their study, consumers
did make some ethical comparisons among situations that varied in who was at fault. Yet, as
a whole, all actions in both the passively benefiting subscale and actively benefiting
subscale were perceived as wrong. As part of the current study, the perceived legality of the
issue did not seem to strongly influence participants ethical beliefs. This was also similar to
that reported by Vitell and Muncy (1992) who indicated that although slightly higher mean
scores for the items of the deceptive, but legal subscale were found as compared to the
scores of the other two subscales, overall, participants rated these actions to be unethical.
The findings of this study provide further evidence that consumers may not perceive actions
that could be considered deceptive, but legal, to be more ethically acceptable or tolerable
than those viewed as illegal.

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Participants ethical beliefs were found to be correlated with materialistic values. This
relationship was supported by that previously reported by Muncy and Eastman (1998), who
found that more materialistic consumers had lower ethical standards than less-materialistic
consumers. It can be proposed that consumers more ethically driven in their purchasing
decisions tend to be less materialistic. In general, the participants in the current study did
not exhibit strong materialistic values. Among the constructs of the values-oriented
materialism scale, the scores of all three subscales were below the neutral point of 3.0 on a
five-point ordered set of options.
According to Richins and Dawson (1992), materialism is:
[. . .] a value that guides peoples choices and conduct in a variety of situations, including, but not
limited to, consumption arenas [. . .] materialism will influence the type and quantity of goods
purchased (p. 307).

Overall, materialistic consumers place greater value on acquiring possessions and are more
driven to consume (Richins and Dawson, 1992; Richins, 1994). Consumers more
materialistically driven have also been found to be more conscious than less materialistic
consumers regarding the design, aesthetic appeal, and other appearance features related
to their possessions. As reported by Richins (1994), this perception likely influences
purchase decisions.
Similarly, Rosenbaum and Kuntze (2005) found that compulsive buyers were more likely to
engage in unethical purchase behavior such as abusing a retailers return policy.
Compulsive buyers were more likely than non-compulsive buyers to be fashion trendsetters
and focused on obtaining acknowledgement from others related to their possessions.
Among the constructs of this study, the results showed that participants purchase behavior
of counterfeit apparel goods was correlated to both their ethical beliefs and materialistic
values. Participants more ethically conscious in their purchase behavior were less likely to
report knowingly purchasing counterfeit apparel goods in the past. Participants who
reported stronger materialistic values were more likely to have previously purchased a
counterfeit apparel good. However, given the relatively high ethical standards and low
materialistic values of those surveyed in this study, and the relatively high percentage (68
percent) of participants that engaged in purchasing counterfeit goods, it is clear that other
factors besides ethical and materialistic values influence consumers misbehavior. Although
the findings of this study are useful in better understanding the relationship among these
variables, further research examining additional factors impacting the demand of counterfeit
goods in the marketplace is warranted.

Contributions to industry and educators

While marketers may be inclined to encourage materialistic tendencies among consumers, it
can be argued that it is not in societys interest to encourage such values (Muncy and
Eastman, 1998). Mullin Marta et al. (2004) suggested that social consensus is an effective
driver of behavior. With this in mind, the results of this study could be used by industry
professionals in combating the demand of counterfeit goods in the marketplace. According
to Richins and Dawson (1992), materialistic values can be influenced by marketing activities
such as advertising. Segmenting consumer groups of varying ethical beliefs and
materialistic values and then targeting them through appropriate marketing messages
could be useful in encouraging greater socially responsible purchase behavior. Singhapakdi
et al. (1999) indicated that marketers can benefit by upholding strong ethical standards and
practices. Given the saturation and competiveness among apparel firms in the marketplace
today, satisfying the ethical expectations of consumers while also discouraging materialistic
values can be used as a differential advantage.
From an educational perspective, past research has shown a positive relationship between
students knowledge and concern about counterfeiting and their perceptions regarding the
legality of manufacturing, distributing, and purchasing counterfeit goods (Kozar and
Marcketti, 2008). Participants who were more knowledgeable and concerned about
counterfeiting were more likely to believe that the practice of making and selling counterfeit

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goods is an illegal activity. Additionally, those who perceived counterfeiting as illegal and a
significant problem in the marketplace were less likely to have purchased a counterfeit good
in the past. Within the classroom, educators can discuss the negative results of distributing
and purchasing counterfeit goods and the implications of materialistic and ethical values on
consumption behavior. Techniques for encouraging socially responsible purchasing
behavior present an opportunity to influence students toward intolerance of counterfeiting.
Developing educational campaigns focused on students who are engaged in unethical
consumer practices should be considered.
Over the last decade or more, the social responsibility movement has left an imprint on the
apparel industry, impacting everything from product development to the distribution of
goods to the marketing and consumption of merchandise. While government, businesses,
consortiums, and individuals have attempted to address and resolve the counterfeiting
problem, more work needs to be accomplished. Marketers, retailers and educators should
work together to strategize solutions for increased social responsibility within the industry,
including furthering consumers knowledge on ethical and environmentally conscious
consumption practices. As firms implement initiatives to advance issues of sustainability and
social responsibility, educators can also be fundamental in encouraging greater ethical
apparel purchasing behavior among students, which includes the dissuasion to purchase
illegal counterfeit goods. It has become increasingly clear that ending counterfeiting from
both a supply and demand side is needed.

Limitations and further research

Because a college-aged sample of predominantly female students within the Midwestern US
was used, the findings of the relationships between participants materialistic and ethical
values with their purchase behavior of counterfeit goods may not be generalizable to the
larger population of consumers. However, despite the homogeneity of the sample, the
purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between materialism, consumer ethics,
and the purchasing of counterfeit goods. As such, the findings do lend valuable insight
regarding possible variables impacting the demand of counterfeit products in the
marketplace. Future research should further explore this topic utilizing a sample of
consumers of diverse ages, socio-economic status, and ethnic backgrounds. Attaining a
more representative sample of consumers will supplement the understanding of ethical
apparel consumption practices in the global marketplace. Additionally, the perceived
legality of purchasing counterfeit apparel goods should be addressed in future studies.
According to Vitell and Muncy (1992), consumers who equate illegal with unethical are
less likely to tolerate or engage in questionable acts. Consequently, future research on this
topic should address the perceived legality of purchasing counterfeit apparel goods,
exploring whether consumers who view the purchase of counterfeit apparel products as a
questionable or illegal act are less likely to knowingly engage in such behavior.

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About the authors

Joy M. Kozar is an assistant professor in the Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior
Design at Kansas State University. Her research activities include an examination of issues
pertaining to consumer social responsibility and ethical decision making in the purchasing of
apparel and textile goods. Joy M. Kozar is the corresponding author and can be contacted
at: jkozar@ksu.edu
Sara B. Marcketti is an assistant professor in the Department of Apparel, Educational
Studies, and Hospitality Management at Iowa State University. Her research interests
include history of the ready-to-wear apparel history, ethical consumption practices, and the
scholarship of teaching.

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