CONSUMER ETHICS - AN EMPIRICAL-INVESTIGATION OF THE ETHICAL BELIEFS OF AUSTRIAN CONSUMERS

Business and Marketing ethics have come to the forefront in recent yea rs. While consumers have been surveyed regarding their perceptions of ethical business and marketing practices, research has been minimal wi th regard to their ethical beliefs and ideologies. In addition, no stu dy has examined the ethical beliefs of Austrian consumers even though Austria maintains a unique status of political neutrality, nonalignmen t, stability, economic prosperity and geographical proximity to the Ea st- and West-European countries. This research investigates the relati onship between Machiavellianism, ethical ideology and ethical beliefs of Austrian consumers. The results indicate that Austrian consumers ar e mostly ''situationists'' who, while rejecting moral rules, judge the ethics of a behavior by the consequences and outcomes of the situatio n.