An examination of free downloading attitudes: perspectives from Romania Cover Image

An examination of free downloading attitudes: perspectives from Romania
An examination of free downloading attitudes: perspectives from Romania

Author(s): Simona Elena Iagăr, Dana-Nicoleta Lascu, Joanna Hernik
Subject(s): Media studies, Financial Markets, Business Ethics
Published by: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego
Keywords: ethics; cross-cultural differences; unauthorized downloading and distribution; Hofstede dimensions;

Summary/Abstract: Ethics is commonly defined as a moral code that rule or influence people’s behaviors, also as customers. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to explore consumer ethics and cultural dimensions in relationship to consumer attitudes toward software downloading. Specifically, the study assesses a sample of Romanian professionals in terms of their own standing on the Hofstede model dimensions (collectivism, masculinity, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance) relative to select consumer ethics dimensions, and it addresses the respondents’ personal attitudes toward unauthorized downloading of copyrighted material. The target respondents were approached repeatedly through social networking, like Facebook, with 49 respondents agreeing to complete the questionnaire. Obtained results show that Romanian consumers are likely to be more individualistic and as such, they see unethical behavior as more acceptable. Such behavior can be found as typical for many post-communist countries, where economy and society undergo profound and long-term changes and citizens often pay no attention to the issue of moral principles.

  • Issue Year: 2013
  • Issue No: 32
  • Page Range: 67-77
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: English