Towards a Better Understanding of Ethical Consumption

Ethical and social responsible consumer behavior has been object of a number of research in the last two decades. Actual consumer behavior has been a neglected topic when compared to a the significant number of studies measuring consumers' ethical attitudes and beliefs. This investigation tries to go deeper in the understanding of ethical consumption, explaining why not always consumers behave according to their ethical and socially responsible beliefs and attitudes. Understanding these reasons will allow policy makers to develop effective marketing communication strategies that can enhance a more ethical and socially responsible consumer behaviour. A qualitative approach, based on interviews with Portuguese consumers, will be undertaken, in order to attend the defined objectives.