Title: Put the blame on me? An empirical study of consumers' assignment of responsibility to a focal firm during a sustainability crisis

Authors: Arvid Skage; Terje Hjelset; Aksel I. Rokkan

Addresses: Deloitte Norway, Postboks 221, 0103 Oslo, Norway ' Nordea Norway, Postboks 1166 Sentrum, 0107 Oslo, Norway ' NHH Norwegian School of Economics, Helleveien 30, 5045 Bergen, Norway

Abstract: This research assesses the extent in which consumers hold a focal firm responsible (blame it) for an accident in its production system with severe negative environmental consequences. Using an experimental research design, we examine whether perceived responsibility varies with vertical integration (i.e. own vs. outsourced production), green marketing efforts by the firm, and third-party certification (eco-labelling) of the production. We also test whether firm responsibility (blame, as perceived by consumers) has an effect on consumers' intention to buy the firms' products/services in the future. We find that, compared with own production, outsourcing increases the responsibility (blame) of the focal firm (as perceived by consumers) for the accident in the production system. We also find that third-party certification (eco-labelling) reduces the attributed responsibility of the focal firm. Responsibility attributed to the focal firm (perceived blame) has a significant, negative association with consumers' purchase intentions.

Keywords: sustainability crisis; responsibility attribution; vertical integration; green marketing; eco-labelling; purchase intention.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPM.2024.142032

International Journal of Procurement Management, 2024 Vol.21 No.3, pp.378 - 400

Received: 27 Jul 2023
Accepted: 02 Aug 2023
Published online: 07 Oct 2024 *

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