Morality in the era of smart devices

Abstract

PurposeDoes using smart devices change people's moral standards? The objective of this paper is to investigate how people's moral behavioral intentions while employing smart devices are modulated by their socioeconomic status (SES; as measured by educational level and income).Design/methodology/approachParticipants were randomly assigned to either the smart devices condition or the non-smart devices condition, and their moral standards was measured by the adapted Moral Foundations Questionnaire. Data were collected from both China and the UK.FindingsIndividuals' SES moderated people's moral standards when using smart devices. Specifically, when employing smart devices (vs non-smart devices), moral standards declined for low-SES individuals. However, the effect of employing smart devices was not significant for high-SES individuals. This suggests that certain demographics may be more inclined to harm others with smart devices.Practical implicationsIn emerging markets, the widespread of smart devices in workplace may lower consumers' and employees' moral standards for certain demographics. Managers and marketers need to be aware of this erosion of morality and employ some preventive measures in advance.Originality/valueThis paper examined morality in the era of smart devices. Even though the use of smart devices has become a norm in developed markets, smart devices usage is still on the rise in emerging markets. The authors findings enhance the understanding of moral behaviors and contribute to the knowledge of how smart devices are changing human behaviors.