The article aims to analyze the cause–effect relationship between Brand Ethicality Perception (CPE), legitimacy and purchase intention during the COVID-19 first wave, taking into consideration the mediation effect of the country of residence Data collection was based on a survey launched during the COVID-19 lockdown in Madrid and New York To analyze the established hypotheses and to test the multigroup analysis, we applied a structural modelling with SmartPLS The research contributes to the field of brand management, and specifically of ethical branding, since it will analyze how stakeholders’ expectations fulfillment is key to build a consistent and valued brand meaning in crisis’ situations, demonstrating that ethical behaviors are key for gaining corporate legitimacy and, therefore, for improving business performances [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of American Behavioral Scientist is the property of Sage Publications Inc and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )
Consumer Ethicality Perception and Legitimacy: Competitive Advantages in COVID-19 Crisis