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Consumer voters in imagined communities

Deirdre Shaw (School of Business and Management, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK)

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy

ISSN: 0144-333X

Article publication date: 1 May 2007

1992

Abstract

Purpose

Increasingly, reports of consumers are witnessed expressing their concerns regarding corporate practices through behaviours of boycotting, buycotting and voice. The theory of consumer votes suggests that such consumers may view their purchases as “votes” in the marketplace. The purpose of this paper is to explore consumer voting within competing theories of community.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts an exploratory approach through semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with a purposive sample of ten ethical consumers.

Findings

Findings reveal that consumers adopted a voting metaphor in their approaches to ethical consumption. While choices were mainly individual in nature they were characterised as part of a wider, largely imagined community of like‐minded consumers.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited to a single country and location and focused on a specific consumer group. Expansion of the research to a wider group would be valuable.

Practical implications

Findings reveal consumers active in registering their discontent towards companies considered to be unethical, while rewarding those considered ethical. This has important implications for marketers interested in appealing to this group. Findings also reveal consumers taking responsibility through marketplace actions for ethical/political issues. This view of consumer votes as being more effective than political votes is pertinent, given reports of a decline in engagement with traditional political participation.

Originality/value

Limited empirical attention has been given to consumption as voting explored within the context of community. However, with reports of a rise in consumer ethical concerns and reports of a search for community in society this suggests that further exploration of this area is worthwhile.

Keywords

Citation

Shaw, D. (2007), "Consumer voters in imagined communities", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 27 No. 3/4, pp. 135-150. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443330710741075

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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