Christin Philipp

Title of Dissertation: Consumer Decisions and the Trade-off between Economic and Moral Objectives. An Investigation of Responsible Consumer Behavior Using the Ordonomic Approach

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ingo Pies
University: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Scholarship:
Cohort: 9th Cohort, since 2022
Email:

• Short Abstract

  The dissertation analyses the role of the socially responsible consumer from the perspective of order ethics. It investigates which institutional conditions and incentive systems can promote responsible consumption behaviour. The central ordonomic ideas - firms can use morality as a factor of production; moral commitments can solve social dilemma structures and create win-win situations - are applied to questions related to consumer ethics.

  Although many consumers express interests in ethical production methods the necessary willingness to pay often is missing. From the angle of order ethics, the functional systems of the modern society are limiting an individual`s scope of action. Therefore, this dissertation focuses on the conditions under which a corresponding willingness to pay can be activated. First, a systematic review of the most relevant theories of consumer ethics is provided. Thereby the conceptual framework offered by the ordonomic approach is used for analysing and discussing potential strength and weaknesses of these normative concepts. It will be examined how consumer responsibility can be justified under modern conditions of action. In a second step, an experimental setting is used to investigate which types of nudges (Thaler and Sunstein 2008) can influence the decision architecture of consumers in favour of a certain result. In a third step, the resulting implications for the social responsibility of companies will be examined.

• Research Interests

  • Behavioural Economics
  • Consumer Ethics
  • Collective Action
  • Order Ethics

• Education

  • Since 2022 International Doctoral Program “Ethics and Responsible Leadership in Business”, Wittenberg-Center for Global Ethics, Wittenberg, Germany
  • 2021, Master of Science, Economics, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany
  • 2020, Master of Arts, Angewandte Ethik und Konfliktmanagement, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany
  • 2019, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Semester Abroad, The Netherlands
  • 2017, Bachelor, Volkswirtschaftslehre, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany

• Professional and Academic Career

  • 2022, research associate, Chair of Economic and Business Ethics HHL Leipzig, Germany
  • 2022, project staff “Nudging Corporate Compliance and Integrity – Based on the Ethical Compass“, project of the WCGE in cooperation with the HHL, Wittenberg, Germany

• Publications

  • N/A

• Conference Contributions: Talks

  • N/A

• Conference Contributions: Posters

  • N/A

• Memberships

  • N/A