Deconstructing corporate hypocrisy: A delineation of its behavioral, moral, and attributional facets

Although the literature on corporate hypocrisy continues to grow, conceptualizations and deployed empirical measures of the concept are often discordant. The current research addresses the need for theoretical clarity by delineating multiple facets of corporate hypocrisy perceptions and by integrating diverse theoretical perspectives into a single framework that identifies its antecedents and consequences. Using contemporary social psychology theory, this study identifies three theoretical facets of corporate hypocrisy perceptions: moral hypocrisy, behavioral hypocrisy, and hypocrisy attributions. These perceptions emerge from two distinct conceptual routes: one driven by firms' deceptive practices and one driven by mere inconsistent behaviors. Moreover, these perceptions of hypocrisy drive stakeholders' cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses.