Systematic review of ethical perception in online retailing: a comparison of Eastern and Western perspectives
Mukesh Kumar, Om Raj Katoch, Naresh KumarPurpose
This systematic literature review aims to examine consumers’ ethical perceptions in online retailing by comparing Eastern and Western perspectives and explaining how these differences influence consumer repurchase intention.
Design/methodology/approach
Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 43 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2007 and 2025 were identified through Scopus and Google Scholar. A thematic and comparative synthesis was conducted to identify the key ethical dimensions, explain cross-cultural differences and examine their influence on consumer behavioural outcomes. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the modified Newcastle–Ottawa Scale.
Findings
Five core ethical dimensions emerged: privacy and security, non-deception, fulfilment and reliability, service recovery and shared value creation, forming the Consumer Perception of Online Retail Ethics (CPEOR) framework. The findings reveal that Western studies primarily focus on developing ethical constructs, whereas Eastern studies emphasise their behavioural implications. Cultural orientations, institutional environments and trust-formation mechanisms explain these differences. Across both contexts, ethical perceptions positively influence trust, satisfaction, loyalty and repurchase intention. Emerging concerns include algorithmic fairness, dark patterns and sustainability.
Research limitations/implications
The review is limited to English-language peer-reviewed empirical studies and predominantly quantitative research.
Practical implications
The findings provide actionable recommendations for retailers and policymakers to strengthen ethical governance, transparency and culturally adaptive strategies.
Originality/value
This review extends existing CPEOR literature by providing the first mechanism-based, cross-cultural synthesis of online retail ethics across Eastern and Western markets.