Business-Size bias in consumer dishonesty: People are more dishonest against big than small organizations

Big businesses can have both good and bad effects on society, but they are often portrayed in a one-sided negative way. Apparently, big businesses lack the moral character and sympathetic nature of small businesses. Can such size-based perceptions influence the moral behavior of consumers? Drawing on moral typecasting theory, we suggest that consumers are less likely to perceive big businesses as a vulnerable victim than small businesses, making it seem more acceptable to cheat big businesses for personal gain. Eight studies (N = 6,338) support this hypothesis. Consumers not only show greater dishonest intentions toward big than small businesses, but also cheat big businesses more in incentivized choice experiments. Furthermore, greater dishonesty toward big businesses is mediated by big businesses being perceived as less vulnerable and less moral than small businesses. These findings show that size-based victim characteristics affect moral consumer behavior, which has implications for managers, policymakers, and society.