“Vice Goods and Services in the Contemporary Marketplace”

Call for Papers – Special Issue: “Vice Goods and Services in the Contemporary Marketplace”

Journal: Journal of Business Research (JBR)
Publisher: Elsevier
Impact Factor: 9.8 | CiteScore: 25.3
Paper submission deadline: 1 July 2026

This special issue explores “vice goods and services”—products that deliver immediate gratification but often carry long‑term harm—in modern, evolving marketplaces. It examines how consumer behaviour, marketing, entrepreneurship, policy, and public‑health considerations intersect in markets such as cannabis, alcohol, tobacco, fast food, gambling, digital betting, and adult‑content platforms, as well as newer forms of “digital indulgence.”

Why this issue matters

• Vice‑product markets are expanding, legalising, and digitising rapidly (e.g., legal cannabis, mobile‑betting apps, so‑called “functional” vice alternatives), yet research has not kept pace with their new forms, delivery mechanisms, and consumer narratives.

• Consumption of vice goods is not inherently irrational; it links to identity, culture, coping, and hedonic wellbeing, but also to addiction, financial‑risk, stigma, and public‑health concerns.

• This SI invites work that moves beyond a purely harm‑focused or “sin‑good” lens to explore ethical innovation, marginalised‑consumer inclusion, behavioural theory, and policy tools that shape responsible and meaningful vice‑market engagement.

Key themes and research topics

Submissions are welcome from marketing, consumer psychology, sociology, economics, public‑policy, and entrepreneurship traditions. Topics include:

1. Consumer cognition, emotion, and identity

• How consumers reconcile immediate pleasure vs. long‑term risk in decision‑making.

• Role of vice goods in self‑expression, autonomy, rebellion, social identity, and coping.

• Emotional and contextual drivers (stress, boredom, social cues) of vice consumption across cultures, age groups, and life stages.

2. Evolving vice landscapes and marketing ethics

• How branding, positioning, digital platforms, influencer marketing, and gamification contribute to normalisation, destigmatisation, or escalation of vice‑behaviour.

• Ethical tensions in targeting youth or vulnerable populations and corporate‑social‑responsibility strategies in vice‑markets.

3. Entrepreneurship, innovation, and market opportunity

• Innovative business models in “vice‑adjacent” spaces: mindful‑drinking platforms, harm‑reduction apps, sustainable cannabis brands, transparency‑first gambling or betting platforms.

• Barriers and ethical considerations for entrepreneurs entering stigmatised or regulated vice‑industries.

4. Policy, regulation, and industry self‑governance

• Regulatory models that balance consumer freedom with public‑harm mitigation.

• Use of nudges, warnings, labelling, and self‑regulation to promote more informed or responsible consumption.

5. Vice goods and consumer wellbeing

• How vice‑consumption affects psychological wellbeing, social connection, and long‑term life‑domain outcomes.

• Consumer constructions of “responsible use” and tipping points toward addictive or maladaptive behaviour.

• Role of support ecosystems (online communities, recovery services, alternative products) around problematic consumption.

6. Contextual and cultural dimensions

• Influence of religion, community norms, and subcultures on vice‑consumption patterns.

• Cross‑cultural comparisons in how cannabis, alcohol, gambling, or digital betting are framed and consumed.

7. Methodological orientation

• The SI welcomes both theoretical and empirical work, including:

  • Quantitative (lab‑ and field‑experiments, surveys, behavioural‑data analysis).

  • Qualitative (ethnography, netnography, in‑depth interviews).

  • Mixed‑methods and conceptual frameworks that integrate multiple perspectives.

Guest editors

• Prof. Chris Berry, Colorado State University, USA

• Prof. Joshua D. Dorsey, Florida International University, USA

• Prof. Ronald Paul Hill, American University, USA

• Prof. Jeremy Kees, Villanova University, USA

Submission details

• Submission platform: Journal of Business Research via Editorial Manager:
  https://www.editorialmanager.com/JOBR

• When submitting, select article type “Vice Goods and Services”.

• Submissions open: 1 May 2026

• Submission deadline: 1 July 2026

• All papers will undergo JBR’s standard double‑blind review process.

This special issue is ideal for marketing, consumer‑behaviour, entrepreneurship, public‑policy, and public‑health researchers interested in advancing nuanced, theory‑driven, and managerially relevant work on vice‑goods and services in the contemporary marketplace.

ServiceSetu Academics — Premier Platform for Academic Opportunities & Research Collaboration

Visit official website of the publisher