How Do Personal Values Affect Boycott Participation? The Moderating Role of National Culture

Grzegorz Zasuwa; Alicja Węgierak

doi:10.18290/pepsi-2025-0013

Published : 2025-12-30

Vol. 31 No. 1 (2025)

How Do Personal Values Affect Boycott Participation? The Moderating Role of National Culture

Grzegorz Zasuwa

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4131-5079

Alicja Węgierak

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4567-4701

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/pepsi-2025-0013

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine the relationship between personal values and participation in consumer boycotts across countries, taking into account the role of national culture. The study is based on data from the 11th round of the European Social Survey (2023–2024), covering 27 European countries and Israel (N = 46,162). Personal values were measured using Schwartz’s Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-21), while national culture was described by Hofstede’s six cultural dimensions. The results confirm that self-transcendence and openness to change values along with lower levels of conservation values are associ-ated with greater involvement in boycotts. Moreover, the cultural dimension of indulgence was found to strengthen the positive influence of universalism, benevolence and self-direction values on boycott participation, suggesting that a higher tolerance for emotional expression in more indulgent countries may lead to greater boycott participation. These findings extend previous research by demonstrating that the relationship between personal values and consumer boycotts is shaped by the cultural context.

Keywords:

ethical consumption, basic values, cultural context, boycotting, European Social Survey

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Zasuwa, G., & Węgierak, A. (2025). How Do Personal Values Affect Boycott Participation? The Moderating Role of National Culture. Journal for Perspectives of Economic Political and Social Integration, 31(1), 357–385. https://doi.org/10.18290/pepsi-2025-0013

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