The Effect of Business Ethics on Brand Attitude: Elucidating the Mediating Role of Brand Trust among Kaleh Brand Customers

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Kobra Heidari
Master's Degree, Business Management, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
10.22034/jmek.2026.603708.1215
Abstract
The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effect of business ethics on brand attitude and to elucidate the mediating role of brand trust among customers of the Kaleh brand in Iran. This applied research utilized a descriptive-survey and correlational design. The statistical population comprised Kaleh brand customers in Mazandaran Province. A sample of 385 respondents was selected via simple random sampling based on the Krejcie and Morgan table. Data were collected using a 16-item questionnaire measuring business ethics, brand trust, and brand attitude. The data were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS 4 for structural equation modeling. The structural model results indicated that business ethics significantly and positively affects brand attitude and brand trust. Furthermore, brand trust positively influences brand attitude. Bootstrapping results revealed that the specific indirect effect of business ethics on brand attitude through brand trust was significant, with a total effect of 0.630. Consequently, brand trust plays a partial mediating role, transmitting approximately 56.8% of the total effect. The findings highlight that adhering to ethical principles, maintaining honesty, and avoiding deceptive practices can significantly enhance customer trust, ultimately fostering a more favorable brand attitude. Brand trust serves as a crucial mechanism translating ethical practices into positive consumer evaluations.
Keywords
Business Ethics
Brand Trust
Brand Attitude
Kaleh Brand
PLS-SEM.
Subjects
Ahmadi, M. (2011). Examining the relationship between ethical marketing and consumer behavior in food products. Ethics in Science and Technology Quarterly, 4(1–2), 45–58. [In Persian]
Aghighi, M., & Torabian, R. (2019). Business ethics in Islam: Concepts, importance, and necessities. In Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Accounting, Management, and Business Innovation. Permanent Conference Secretariat, Tehran. [In Persian]
Attaranzadeh, M., & Hadadian, H. (2017). The effect of brand ethics on customer loyalty with the mediating role of brand trust. Journal of Marketing Management, 12(2), 235–258. [In Persian]
Chattalas, M., & Shukla, P. (2015). Impact of value perceptions on luxury purchase intentions: A developed market comparison. Journal of Luxury Research, 1(1), 40–57.
Chiu, C.-L., Hsieh, C.-C., & Chen, C.-C. (2016). The influence of brand trust on brand attitude and purchase intention. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 32, 145–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.06.012
Dadgar, Y. (2006). Business ethics from the perspective of economics and Islamic economics. Business Research Journal, 10(38), 123–148. [In Persian]
Erdem, O., & Swait, M. (2012). The effects of brand trust and brand loyalty on brand commitment. International Journal of Business and Management, 7(13), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v7n13p1
Ferrell, O. C., Harrison, D. E., Ferrell, L., & Hair, J. F. (2019). Business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and brand attitudes: An exploratory study. Journal of Business Research, 95, 491–501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.11.042
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104
Farzinfar, Z., Saeida-Ardakani, S., & Nardi-Bani, M. (2016). The effect of corporate social responsibility on customer loyalty, considering the mediating roles of trust and satisfaction in three- and four-star hotels in Yazd. Tourism Studies Quarterly, 11(24), 89–112. [In Persian]
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Hamidizadeh, M. R., Karimi Alavijeh, M. R., & Rezaei, M. (2014). The effect of perceived business ethics on brand personality dimensions and creation of brand equity in developing countries. Central European Business Review, 3(3), 46–53. https://doi.org/10.18267/j.cebr.93
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43, 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Herciu, M. (2016). ISO 26000—An integrative approach of corporate social responsibility. Studies in Business and Economics, 11(1), 73–79. https://doi.org/10.1515/sbe-2016-0008
Jaberi, S. M., Rezaei, M., & Karimi, A. (2019). The role of brand trust in the relationship between service quality and brand attitude in the electronic banking industry. Public Management Research Quarterly, 12(42), 145–168. [In Persian]
Khalili, S., Rahchamani, A., & Abtahi, M. S. (2013). Investigating the effects of brand experience, trust, perception image and satisfaction on creating customer loyalty: A case study of laptop market. Management Science Letters, 3, 2381–2386. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2013.10.001
Khwajavand Ahmadi, E., & Sanaei, M. (2016). An analysis of the relationship between urban managers’ social responsibility and sustainable urban development. In Proceedings of the Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility: Social Responsibility in the Oil Industry. Institute for Research in Energy Management and Planning, University of Tehran, Tehran. [In Persian]
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30, 607–610. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308
Krystallis, A., & Chrysochou, P. (2014). The effects of service brand dimensions on brand loyalty. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 21(2), 139–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2013.11.006

  • Receive Date 18 May 2026
  • Revise Date 25 July 2026
  • Accept Date 28 August 2026