Developing a Trichotomy Model to Measure Socially Responsible Behaviour in China

Abstract

Since the Chinese government advocated a Harmonious Society, socially responsible consumption has increased and companies are responding to the trend. However, our understanding of the attitude and behaviour of 1.3 billion Chinese consumers on socially responsible consumption is almost blank. The primary objective of the present study is to develop a scale to measure socially responsible consumer behaviour (SRCB) in China's Taoist context. The secondary objective is to identify whether Chinese consumers share the same ecological and social concerns with their western counterparts as previous research suggests. This paper starts with a new definition of SRCB based on a literature review, then identifies the dimensions of SRCB in China on the basis of in-depth interviews and previous findings. Finally, a nine-factor, 34-item scale is developed through a widely used scale-building process. Differences with findings from the US and France are discussed and marketing implications are elaborated.