Varieties of Political Consumerism by Carolin V. Zorell

Author:Carolin V. Zorell
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783319910475
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Trust and Confidence in the Citizen-Consumer Sphere

The theory of the Varieties of Capitalism focuses on firms as actors and on the countries’ systemic structure for solving coordination problems (Hall and Soskice 2001, 6–7). Inherent to coordination problems is that actors (companies in this case) with different interests interact and must arrange this interaction such that none of the two may be exploited or deceived (Hall and Soskice 2001, 5; Milgrom and Roberts 1992; Morgan and Hunt 1994). Put differently, they require a framework which provides them with security and confidence in that some counterpart will not delude them.

In (political) consumerism, the principal parties involved are firms and individuals: firms deliver a product and want to sell it, whereas individuals want to buy a product if they conceive that the purchase can fulfil a need or provide another type of added value to them. In this realm of classic consumerism, trust is considered a decisive factor that influences buying decisions: a lack of trust can deter from buying, its presence encourage a purchase (see Atkinson and Rosenthal 2014, 33–4; Chaudhuri 2006, 116; Kroeber-Riel and Gröppel-Klein 2013, 484; Morgan and Hunt 1994; Pivato et al. 2008, 5–6; see for an overview also Hoffmann 2008, 88). Depending on the particular person, different criteria may be more or less relevant for the provision of trust. Yet, common criteria relate to the expectation that the use or consumption of a good is secure on the one hand; and, on the other hand, that the firm fulfils what it promises to the customer, such as a certain usability or a determined price-performance ratio (Chaudhuri 2006, 121; Crane 2005, 227; see also Ariely and Norton 2009).

The provision of information, brands and other (symbolic) anchors are viewed to be tools which can promote the establishment of a trusting relationship between firms and their customers and encourage a purchase (see Atkinson and Rosenthal 2014, 34; see also Aguilera et al. 2007, 847; Chaudhuri 2006, 130–1). The expectations on the duties and responsibilities firms must fulfil have increased, as has the scrutiny with which their activities are assessed by the public (e.g. Scherer and Palazzo 2011, 907; Stolle and Micheletti 2013, 139–41). Simultaneously, with the growing complexity of production processes and an expanding number of product alternatives available to consumers, individuals can hardly fully assess the origins and characteristics of their purchases (Atkinson and Rosenthal 2014, 34). Periodic reports of adverse company conduct and misleading information provision further obstruct the creation of trusting relationships (Atkinson and Rosenthal 2014, 33–4; Valor 2007; see also Lin-Hi 2008, 3; Muthuri et al. 2009, 87). Therefore, consumers are said to be losing trust in companies (Crane 2005, 227; see also Stolle and Micheletti 2013, 141).

Trust has been defined as a ‘phenomenon of reciprocity’ between two parties, (Offe 1999, 2001 cit. in Seubert 2009, 112; see also Kaase 1999, 3 and 12): ‘I trust you because I believe that you will reciprocate this trust when interacting with me’ (Newton 2008, 242–3). Applied to the interaction between individuals and firms and in the context described, this entails three ambivalences.

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