Consumer Culpability and Boycott in China’s Fast Fashion Industry: The Mediating Role of Consumer Perceived Ethicality and the Moderating Effect of Perceived Benefits
Kesalahan Pengguna dan Boikot dalam Industri Fesyen Pantas China: Peranan Pengantara Etika yang Ditanggapi Pengguna dan Kesan Penyederhanaan Faedah yang Dirasai

Kexin Su
Faculty of Economics and Management
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
43600 UKM, Bangi Selangor, MALAYSIA

p130602@siswa.ukm.edu.my

Faculty of Economics and Management
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, MALAYSIA.

ctngayesah@ukm.edu.my

Abstract

This study examines consumer responses to Corporate Social Irresponsibility (CSI) in the fast fashion industry, focusing on the roles of consumer culpability, consumer perceived ethicality (CPE), and boycott behaviour. Drawing on cognitive dissonance theory and moral philosophy theory, the research investigates how consumers’ recognition of moral responsibility influences their ethical judgments and behavioral responses. The study surveyed 324 Chinese consumers using purposive sampling and tested the model with PLS-SEM. The results reveal that consumer culpability negatively affects CPE, which in turn increases boycott behaviour. This relationship is moderated by perceived benefits, such that higher perceived personal benefits reduce the likelihood of boycott. The study highlights the importance of consumer moral agency in ethical consumption and suggests that enhancing consumer awareness and responsibility is critical for mitigating CSI in fast fashion markets.

Keywords

boycott; China; consumer culpability; Corporate social irresponsibility (CSI); fast fashion industry; perceived benefits
https://doi.org/10.17576/pengurusan-2026-76-1

Citation

Su, K., & Ab. Hamid, S. N. (2026). Consumer Culpability and Boycott in China’s Fast Fashion Industry: The Mediating Role of Consumer Perceived Ethicality and the Moderating Effect of Perceived Benefits. Jurnal Pengurusan, 76, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.17576/pengurusan-2026-76-1

@article{su2026consumer,
  title={Consumer Culpability and Boycott in China’s Fast Fashion Industry: The Mediating Role of Consumer Perceived Ethicality and the Moderating Effect of Perceived Benefits},
  author={Su, Kexin and Ab. Hamid, Siti Ngayesah},
  journal={Jurnal Pengurusan},
 

volume={76},
  number={},
  pages={1—14},
  year={2026},
  doi={https://doi.org/10.17576/pengurusan-2026-76-1},
  publisher={Penerbit UKM},
}

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76 (2026) 1 – 14

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