The Catch-22 of Responsible Luxury: Effects of Luxury Product Characteristics on Consumers' Perception of Fit with Corporate Social Responsibility

Janssen, Catherine;Lefebvre, Cécile;Lindgreen, Adam;Vanhamme, Joëlle
(2014) Journal of Business Ethics — Vol. 119, n° 1, p. 45-57 (2014)

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Authors
  • Janssen, CatherineUCLouvain
    Author
  • Lefebvre, CécileIESEG School of Management, Lille
    Author
  • Lindgreen, AdamUniversity of Cardiff
    Author
  • Vanhamme, JoëlleEDHEC Business School, Roubaix
    Author
Abstract
The notion of "responsible luxury" may appear as a contradiction in terms. This article investigates the influence of two defining characteristics of luxury products-scarcity and ephemerality-on consumers' perception of the fit between luxury and corporate social responsibility (CSR), as well as how this perceived fit affects consumers' attitudes toward luxury products. A field experiment reveals that ephemerality moderates the positive impact of scarcity on consumers' perception of fit between luxury and CSR. When luxury products are enduring (e.g., jewelry), a scarce product is perceived as more socially responsible than a more widely available one and provokes positive attitudes. However, this effect does not appear for ephemeral luxury products (e.g., clothing). The perceived fit between luxury and CSR mediates the combined effects of scarcity and ephemerality on consumers' attitudes toward luxury products. This study provides valuable insights that luxury brand managers can use to design their CSR and marketing strategies. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.
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Citations

Janssen, C., Lefebvre, C., Lindgreen, A., & Vanhamme, J. (2014). The Catch-22 of Responsible Luxury: Effects of Luxury Product Characteristics on Consumers’ Perception of Fit with Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 119(1), 45-57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1621-6 (Original work published 2014)