Defying Legislated or Moral Laws:

Consumer Misbehavior
Consumer behavior is all about value; the ironic thing is that consumer misbehavior
is also based on value. The difference is the way that consumers attempt to obtain
that value: morally or immorally.
To get a complete grasp on consumer misbehavior, its important to note that
misbehavior isnt the same as problem behavior. Misbehavior describes behavior
deliberately harmful to another party in the consumption process; problem behavior
refers to behaviors that are outside of the consumers control.
Most common acts of consumer misbehavior include shoplifting, computer fraud,
consumer fraud, hostile behavior, alteration and destruction of marketing materials,
unfounded complaints, product misuse, compulsive buying or shopping.
If you take the time to understand the motivations behind consumer misbehavior,
you still may not be able to avoid all the misbehaviors that affect your business. Use
the information and knowledge that youve gained from studying your consumers to
better understand and deter their misbehaviors. Many behaviors can be considered
misbehaviors, but its important to realize that what one person or culture views as
a misbehavior may be seen as perfectly fine to other individuals or cultures.
Motivating factors behind consumer misbehavior:

Unfulfilled aspirations - Unfulfilled aspirations are often the influence

behind consumer misbehavior.
Thrill seeking - even though it seems absurd, some consumers misbehave
just for the simple
thrill of the action.
Lack of learned moral constraints - some consumers simply dont have a
set of moral beliefs or even a conscience that keeps them from performing
immoral acts.
Differential association - differential association is the explanation of why
groups of people replace one set of acceptable norms with another set that
only a few others view as acceptable.
Pathological socialization - pathological socialization refers to consumers
that deviate from those in ownership or control as way of getting back at
their success.

Situational factors - factors like retail crowding, flight delays, excessive

heat, or noise can all contribute to consumer misbehavior.
Opportunism - misbehavior can be the outcome of a deliberate, rational
decision-making process that weighs the risk and rewards of the behaviors.
Compulsion -compulsive consumptions arent the same as addictive
consumptions.

Consumer behavior is guided by ethical decision making. In other words, consumers

are influenced by their moral beliefs and how they evaluate those beliefs. This
influence guides them in the decision-making process. When you understand the
components of moral beliefs, you have a better chance of marketing your
intolerance of misbehaviors in a way that can appeal to consumers morals.