Moral avoidance for people and planet : anti-consumption drivers

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine a form of anti-consumption termed moral avoidance. Design/methodology/approach: The study builds and tests a model of moral avoidance, using a sample (n=457) of adults aged 50-94 years. Findings: Two distinct forms of this type of anti-consumption emerged, one based on exploitation of eco-systems and one on exploitation of humans. Ecology concerns and perceived consumer effectiveness are significant antecedents to both forms, while ethical ideology also impacts anti-consumption for social reasons. Greater numbers practice this form of anti-consumption for social reasons than for ecology reasons. Practical implications: The study uncovers new underlying reasons why people practice moral avoidance and in so doing guides managers in their targeting and decision making. Originality/value: The study is the first to demonstrate that this form of anti-consumption has two different perspectives: planet and people. Moreover, older adults are important ethical consumers, but no previous study has explored them from an anti-consumption perspective.