Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-wg55d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-20T18:00:36.077Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Coping with boycotts: An analysis and framework

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2015

Saleh Al Shebil
Affiliation:
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Abdul A Rasheed
Affiliation:
Department of Management, College of Business, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
Hussam Al-Shammari
Affiliation:
Department of Management, Eberly College of Business and Information Technology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, USA

Abstract

In recent years, consumer boycotts are increasingly being used by various activist groups to punish targeted countries. This paper develops an analytic framework to help managers formulate strategies to cope with country-of-origin-related consumer boycotts. Based on the two dimensions of brand–country association and boycott intensity, we propose four possible strategies. We discuss spillover effects wherein certain firms become unintended victims of boycotts due to misperceptions about their nationality. Also discussed are economic opportunities that boycotts present to potential new entrants.

Type
Conceptual Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abu-Nasr, D. (2004). Calls to boycott U.S. sweep Gulf. New York Times. Retrieved 04 16, 2004 from http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mideast-Boycott-American.htmlGoogle Scholar
Ahluwalia, R., Burnkrant, R. E., & Unnava, H. R. (2000). Consumer response to negative publicity: The moderating role of commitment. Journal of Marketing Research, 37(2), 203214.Google Scholar
Ang, S. H., Jung, K., Kau, A. K., Leong, S. M., Pornpitakpan, C., & Tan, S. J. (2004). Animosity towards economic giants: What the little guys think. The Journal of Consumer Marketing, 21(2/3), 190207.Google Scholar
Arab News. (2006). Muslim boycotts of Danish products costing companies millions. Associated Press, 17 02.Google Scholar
BBC News. (2002). Islamic cola benefits from boycott. Retrieved April 17, 2004 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2000574.stmGoogle Scholar
Biel, A. L. (1993). Converting image into equity. In Aaker, A. David & Biel, Alexander L. (Eds.), Brand equity and advertising: Advertising's role in building strong brands (pp. 6781). London: Lawrence Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Bilkey, W. J., & Nes, E. (1982). Country-of-origin effects on product evaluations. Journal of International Business Studies, 13(1), 8899.Google Scholar
Brandweek, . (2003). Perrier avoids hot water: Plays up je ne sais quoi, not French heritage. Brandweek, 44(12), 14.Google Scholar
Davidson, D. K. (1995). Ten tips for boycott targets. Business Horizons, 38(2), 7780.Google Scholar
Davidson, W. N., Worrell, D., & El-Jelly, A. (1995). Influencing managers to change unpopular corporate behavior through boycotts and divestitures. Business and Society, 34(2), 171196.Google Scholar
Ettenson, R., & Klein, G. (2005). The fallout from French nuclear testing in the South Pacific – A longitudinal study of consumer boycotts. International Marketing Review, 22(2), 199224.Google Scholar
Ettenson, R., Smith, N. C., Klein, J., & John, A. (2006). Rethinking consumer boycotts. MIT Sloan Management Review, 47(4), 67.Google Scholar
Farquhar, P. H., & Herr, P. M. (1993). The dual structure of brand associations. In Aaker, D. A. & Biel, A. L. (Eds.), Brand equity and advertising: Advertising's role in building strong brands (pp. 263279). London: Lawrence Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Fershtman, C., & Gandal, N. (1998). The effect of the Arab boycott on Israel: The automobile market. RAND Journal of Economics, 29(1), 193214.Google Scholar
Freedman, J. (2003). Sacre blew. Money, 32(6), 24.Google Scholar
Friedman, M. (1985). Consumer boycotts in the United States, 1970–1980: Contemporary events in historical perspective. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 19(1), 96117.Google Scholar
Funches, V., Markley, M., & Davis, L. (2009). Reprisal, retribution and requital: Investigating customer retaliation. Journal of Business Research, 62(2), 231238.Google Scholar
Funk, C. A., Arthurs, J. D., Trevino, L. J., & Joireman, J. (2010). Consumer animosity in the global value chain: The effect of international production shifts on willingness to purchase hybrid products. Journal of International Business Studies, 41(4), 639651.Google Scholar
Garrett, D. E. (1987). The effectiveness of marketing policy boycotts: Environmental opposition to marketing. Journal of Marketing, 51(2), 4657.Google Scholar
Gelb, B. D. (1995). More boycotts ahead? Some implications. Business Horizons, 38(2), 7076.Google Scholar
Hari, J. (2002). Calvin Klein beneath a veil – Arabs and America – Arab boycott of American goods. New Statesman. Retrieved 04 17, 2004 from http://www.?ndarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FQP/is_4612_131/ai_95679356Google Scholar
Hilotin, J. (2002). Move boycott American products. Gulf News (online edition). Retrieved 04 17, 2004 from http://www.gulf-news.com/articles/news.asp?articleID=47624Google Scholar
Huefner, J. C., & Hunt, K. H. (2000). Consumer retaliation as a response to dissatisfaction. Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, 13(1), 6182.Google Scholar
John, A., & Klein, J. (2003). The boycott puzzle: Consumer motivations for purchase sacrifice. Management Science, 49(9), 11961209.Google Scholar
Kaplan, A. (2003). Cola wars of a different flavor. Beverage World, 122(3), 9.Google Scholar
Karon, T. (2002). Dirty laundry. Business 2.0, 3(12), 28.Google Scholar
Kaynak, E., Kucukemiroglu, O., & Hyder, A. S. (2000). Consumer's country-of-origin (COO) perceptions of imported products in a homogenous less-developed country. European Journal of Marketing, 34(9/10), 12211241.Google Scholar
Klein, J. (2002). Us versus them or us versus everyone? Delineating consumer aversion to foreign goods. Journal of International Business Studies, 33(2), 345363.Google Scholar
Klein, J. G., Ettenson, R., & Morris, M. D. (1998). The animosity model of foreign product purchase: An empirical test in the People's Republic of China. Journal of Marketing, 62(1), 89100.Google Scholar
Koku, A., Akhibe, P. A., & Springer, T. (1997). The financial impact of boycotts and threats of boycotts. Journal of Business Research, 41(1), 1520.Google Scholar
Kratovac, K. (1999). At least one U.S. icon survives in Belgrade. Marketing News, 33(21), 29.Google Scholar
Lampert, S. I., & Jaffe, E. D. (1996). Country of origin effects of international market entry. Journal of Global Marketing, 10(2), 2752.Google Scholar
Lee, M. S. W., Motion, J., & Conroy, D. (2009). Anti-consumption and brand avoidance. Journal of Business Research, 62(2), 169180.Google Scholar
Lindemann, J. (2003). Wars and boycotts, both fade away. Business Week Online. Retrieved 04 17, 2004 from http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=9467704Google Scholar
Madden, N. (1999). U.S. marketers feel heat after China protests. Advertising Age, 70(21), 16.Google Scholar
Majidi, N., & Passarielo, C. (2003). After Iraq, cola wars heat up. Business Week Online. Retrieved 04 17, 2004 from http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=9550104Google Scholar
Media Asia. (2003). Play up local links to tackle boycotts. Retrieved 04 17, 2004 from http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&an=9931101Google Scholar
Micheletti, M. (2003). Political virtue and shopping. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Natasha, T. (2002). Ammanite boycott has local fallout'. Star, The (Jordan). Retrieved 04 17, 2004 from http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&an=2W81879976282Google Scholar
Nijssen, E., & Douglas, S. (2004). Examining the animosity model in country with a high level of foreign trade. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 21(1), 2338.Google Scholar
Nation's Restaurant News. (2002). Chains in Mideast battle anti-U.S. rumors, slumps. Retrieved 04 17, 2004 from http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_17_36/ai_85285456Google Scholar
Okada, E. M., & Reibstein, D. J. (1998). When !@#? (bad stuff ) happens … effects of related and unrelated positive associations on the influence of negative secondary associations. Advances in Consumer Research. Association for Consumer Research, 25(1), 349356.Google Scholar
O'Leary, N. (2003). Survey: Americans taking sides on product front. Adweek, 44(14), 20.Google Scholar
Papadopoulos, N., & Heslop, L. (1993). Product and country images: Research and strategy. New York: The Haworth Press.Google Scholar
Parmar, A. (2004). Drink politics: Upstart Cola firms sound clarion call to global consumers. Marketing News, 38(3), 1012.Google Scholar
Peterson, R., & Jollibert, A. (1995). A meta analysis of country-of-origin effects. Journal of International Business Studies, 26(4), 883900.Google Scholar
Postlewaite, S. (2001). Brands counter Arab boycott. Ad Age Global, 1(8), 15.Google Scholar
Postlewaite, S. (2003). U.S. marketers try to head off boycotts. Advertising Age, 74(13), 34.Google Scholar
Pruitt, S. W., & Friedman, M. (1986). Determining the effectiveness of consumer boycotts: A stock price analysis of their impact on corporate targets. Journal of Consumer Policy, 9(4), 375387.Google Scholar
Riefler, P., & Diamantopoulos, A. (2007). Consumer animosity: A literature review and a reconsideration of its measurement. International Marketing Review, 24(1), 87119.Google Scholar
Roth, M. S., & Romeo, J. B. (1992). Matching product category and country image perceptions: A framework for managing country-of-origin effects. Journal of International Business Studies, 23(3), 477497.Google Scholar
Sandikci, O., & Ekici, A. (2009). Politically motivated brand rejection. Journal of Business Research, 62(2), 208217.Google Scholar
Shin, M. (2001). The animosity model of foreign product purchase revisited: Does it work in Korea? Journal of Empirical Generalizations in Marketing Science, 6(1), 614.Google Scholar
Teoh, S. H., Welch, I., & Wazzan, C. P. (1999). The effect of socially activist investment policies on the financial markets: Evidence from the South African boycott. Journal of Business, 72(1), 3589.Google Scholar
The Economist. (2002). Regime change. The Economist, 365(8297), 65.Google Scholar
Weinberger, M. G. (1986). Products as targets of negative information: Some recent findings. European Journal of Marketing, 20(3/4), 110128.Google Scholar
Witowski, T. H. (1989). Colonial consumers in revolt: Buyer values and behavior during the nonimportation movement, 1764–1776. Journal of Consumer Research, 16(2), 216226.Google Scholar
Yuksel, U., & Mryteza, V. (2009). Politically motivated brand rejection. Journal of Business Research, 62(2), 248259.Google Scholar