The studies directed by Cone Inc. (2013) demonstrated that customers who buy an ethical product increasing progressively. The number of customers who purchased ethical product increased by 170% from 1993. The data explains that in recent years people care more about the environment in the last years. In spite of the developing enthusiasm for moral consumerism, earlier research gives constrained learning about behaviors of these consumers. However, there are extremely few data about the behavior of ethical consumers. Limited knowledge about such consumers can affect on features of previous studies. The utilization of key terms in this area is conflicting crosswise over investigations in the literature. For example, while numerous investigations apply a wide definition for portraying socially mindful purchasers, which considers differing moral issues, various examinations apply a much smaller definition, which includes a generally more modest number of ethical issues. Also, these researches describe fluctuating results, especially with respect to the impact of customers’ demographics and attitudinal factors like liberalism. Studies show that ethical consumers are limited to pro-environmental behavior and not concentrated on consumer purchase behavior. Literature review Theory of planned behavior The theory of planned behavior is a significant social-psychological model for defining human behavior. Behavioral intention is the use of these three resulting factors: attitude regarding the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The theory of planned behavior has been effectively applied to augment the predictive power of socially responsible behavior in diversified settings. Even though the theory of planned behavior is typically considered to be an adequate tool in behavioral studies, many researchers have mentioned the limitations of the theory of planned behavior in that it does not provide enough accuracy toward the prediction (e.g., Ogden 2003; O’Keefe 2002). Ogden (2003) criticized its theoretical bases by pointing out that some studies that use the theory of planned behavior showed no effect of attitude, subjective norms, or perceived behavioral control. However, Ajzen and Fishbein (2004) clarified that the comparative importance of the three antecedents could vary depending on the type of behavior and population. Socially responsible consumer, “takes into account the public consequences of his or her private consumption or who attempts to use his or her purchasing power to bring about social change” (p. 188) defined by Webster (1975). However, despite the present development in the number of socially responsible consumers, extant literature offers limited knowledge about them due to the multifaceted nature of the term and varying results in past reported studies. Some studies define the term socially responsible consumer broadly involving a wide range of social issues, such as of environmental protection, improvement of human rights, and community support, while other define it more narrowly such as the Antil (1984) study which only considered environmental matters when profiling socially responsible consumers. Results The difference in the magnitude between the attitude-intention and subjective norms-intention relationships was minimal, which contrasted with many meta-analytic study results on the theory of planned behavior or the theory of reasoned actions. In addition to the strong correlation of subjective norms and purchase intention, subjective norms also correlated moderately strongly with attitude. Adding moral norms increased the percentage variable accounted for from 39.7% to 41.3%. Adding self-identity increased the percentage variable accounted for from 32.0% to 34.9%. Adding environmental consciousness increased the percentage variable accounted for from 48.8% to 50.7%. This study explains how TPB (Theory of planned behavior) provides a good framework for explaining SRCB (Socially Responsible Consumer Behavior) by the results of this meta-analysis. A significate mutual relationship of sample weighted where found between the purchase intension and predictor variables. The association of subjective norms-intention was extremely archaic to that of attitude-intention and substantially exceeded the purpose correlation of PBC (perceived behavioral control)- intention that contrasted with the previous meta-analytic studies. It Is strongly indicated that SRCB (Socially Responsible Consumer Behavior) may be very much affected by the social pressure of significant others. The study also found that the moderating roles for product type, ethical issue, and culture are effects on the relationship between TPB (Theory of planned behavior) constructs as they vary across the category’s product attributes, outcome benefits, and purchase experiences. Some subjective norms-purchase have stronger association among consumers’ shopping for clothing products. Apparel products are in a high demand when visually displayed also affected to be criticize by others’ opinion. The main purpose of literature explains the role of apparel products as a technic of nonverbal communications that can be represented into a socially significant symbol. Commonly used as a role for opinions of socially appropriateness that affect the perceptions of consumers social role such as an accomplishment, and trustworthiness. For this reason, in view of their powerful social- symbolic belief, consumers may efficiently depend on group norms while the purchase is process of ethical apparel products as they can be reasonable indicators of choosing which products are socially valid or invalid. In addition to this study it involves many different facts that may exist across domains. Another focus that identifies the difference within the types of consumption specially while comparing positive attributes of services such as (tourism), foods, and general goods. Several constructs that help the prediction of consumers’ purchase intentions do not provide a specific idea of Socially Responsible Consumer Behavior. There is a variety of other constructs that can be involved to explain the behavior of a consumer as an employed in several Theory of Planned Behavior studies of Socially Responsible Consumer Behavior. Furthermore, studies may evaluate consumer behavior to be an issue for the two types of results that were obtain from testing and directly comparing an identical model while providing a more reasonable idea.
References
Methods
Meta-analysis
Sample of studies
In order to extract studies for the review, the present study:
* On Web crawler “Google Scholar” and electronic databases such as: ISI Web of Knowledge and EBSCO, for the search were used TPB (theory of planned behavior), TRA (theory of reasoned action) and the terms associated to the scope of the study (for instance; socially responsible consumers, ethical consumers, pro social consumers, green consumers, fair trade consumers).
* Examined citations in the located studies.
In the later stage, the abstract and method section of each corresponding, identified paper were read. TPB provides theoretical construct definitions, studies applying for this system needed to use items that will properly explain such definitions to measure the constructs. SRCB studies that are being published in the industrial domains, earlier studies show that apparel, food, and hotel tourism, product services that have less negative feeling to our environment and society, rapidly looked by consumers.
The impact size chose for present meta-analysis was r, the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. Along these lines, for the remaining studies, a correlation coefficient between no less than two TPB constructs and the sample size needed to be reported. In the present study, the unit of study was an autonomous example. Accordingly, one study used an identical sample with another study was written by the same authors, deleted for the statistical analysis. Thus, 30 studies reporting results of 33 independent data sets met the selection criteria.
Data coding and data retrieval
Studies oriented on correlation coefficients retrieved involving behavioral intention, attitude, subjective norms, PBC, and additional predictors. When a study has more than one behavioral intention (purchase intention of organic pizza and purchase intention of organic tomato) and reported separate correlation coefficient for each behavioral intention, the average of the correlation coefficients was used for the analysis. This process avoids violation of the independent supposition underlying the validity of meta analytic studies. Data retrieval was argued by the two independently working coders, and the gathered data were checked several times. Disagreement between two coders resolved after consultation.