Seeking attention versus seeking approval: How conspicuous consumption differs between grandiose and vulnerable narcissists

Narcissism, a personality trait characterized by entitlement and conceit, is increasingly prevalent in society. Two subtypes of narcissism exist: grandiose narcissism (characterized by arrogance and dominance) and vulnerable narcissism (characterized by social insecurity and overreliance on others’ feedback). We posit that both narcissistic subtypes will engage in ostentatious, showy purchases, that is, conspicuous consumption. Since the two subtypes differ so profoundly in their self-esteem regulation strategies, we further posit that their motivations to consume conspicuously may vary. Specifically, we hypothesize that grandiose narcissists’ conspicuous consumption will be driven by their need-for-uniqueness, whilst that of vulnerable narcissists by their need to avoid social disapproval. We test our hypotheses using data obtained from 382 participants. Our results support our expectations that both narcissism subtypes predict conspicuous consumption and that the relationship between grandiose narcissism and conspicuous consumption is mediated by their need-for-uniqueness. Meanwhile, we find that approval-seeking (AS) is only a marginally significant mediator of vulnerable narcissism and conspicuous consumption in females. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications.     

Reexamining emerging market animosity toward western developed countries: A social dilemma in physical retailing consumption under normative influence

Focusing on physical retailing as an apparent target for boycotts in the context of emerging market consumers' animosity toward Western developed countries, this research pioneers in its in-depth examination of a social dilemma whereby consumers on one hand wish to avoid purchasing Western products/services to meet social expectations, while on the other wish to continue purchasing Western products/services, because of perceived Western product/service superiority, at the risk of social disapproval. Differing from conventional animosity research that largely neglects interpersonal influence, this research synthesizes social influence theory and social exchange theory to compare consumers’ purchase decisions in visible (physical retailing) and less-visible (online shopping) consumption contexts that are subject to different strengths of normative influence, and proposes a cost-benefit analysis to explain how consumers make trade-offs between social expectations and self-interest. Two studies were conducted to test the hypotheses. Our study findings have important implications for future animosity research on consumer services that are subject to stronger normative pressure.     

Interpersonal influence and consumer innovativeness

Innovators represent a small and somewhat elusive group of consumers who are often the earliest adopters of new products. As such, marketing researchers and practitioners alike are interested in determining the personality characteristics that influence innovators to purchase a new product early in the product life cycle. This correlational study examined the relationships of three of these characteristics (susceptibility to interpersonal influence, attention to social comparison information, and role‐relaxed consumption) to individual innate innovativeness. Data were collected using self‐report surveys administered to 326 students at a large public university in the south‐east United States. The results supported hypothesized negative relationships between consumer innovativeness and both susceptibility to interpersonal influence and attention to social comparison information, as well as a positive relationship between consumer innovativeness and role‐relaxed consumption.     

Self-concept,individual characteristics,and counterfeit consumption: Evidence from an emerging market

The study draws on a sample of over 350 consumers from 10 department stores in an emerging market where counterfeit products are available in abundance and there is a huge demand for such goods. The findings reveal that interdependent and independent self traits significantly affect individual characteristics, that is, susceptibility to normative influence, readiness to take social risk, and status acquisition (SA), which in turn influences counterfeit purchase intention. It was discovered that such individual characteristics play a mediating effect on the self-concept—purchase intention relationship and that high degrees of interdependent self traits positively affect consumers' purchase intention. The study adds to the theory of reasoned action (TRA) by incorporating SA variables into the TRA framework and discovers their significant influence on purchase intention. Some novel insights surrounding counterfeit consumption in an emerging economy context are presented and several implications are extracted to help practitioners appeal to such individual characteristics for combating counterfeit consumption.     

Understanding the role of social influence in piquing curiosity and influencing attitudes and behaviors in a social network environment

Social networks provide an innovative means for facilitating social influence as well as arousing consumer curiosity. However, research on how social influence impacts attitudes and behaviors in this context is limited. Further, even less research exists examining how curiosity impacts consumers’ behaviors, which is concerning since curiosity may be especially relevant in an online setting. To overcome these gaps, two studies were conducted which demonstrate that a consumer's curiosity toward a social network post is influenced by the group membership of the individual who created the post. In turn, curiosity leads to more positive attitudes toward the experience described or represented in the post, which leads to higher intentions to undertake that experience. Additionally, consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence is found to moderate the relationship between group membership and curiosity. If susceptibility to interpersonal influence is strong enough, content posted by a dissociative group member can also arouse curiosity and positively influence attitudes and behavioral intentions.     

Consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence and attributional sensitivity

This research examines the relationship between consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence and attributional sensitivity. It is hypothesized that consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence is moderated by the level of attributional sensitivity. Across two studies, this hypothesis was supported. Individuals high in attributional sensitivity scored higher on various measures of consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence than individuals low in attributional sensitivity. This suggests that consumers susceptible to the influence of others are more likely to purchase products that they perceive will lead others to make favorable attributions about them, and avoid purchasing products that they perceive will lead others to evaluate them negatively. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

How Attachment Affects the Strength of Peer Influence on Adolescent Consumer Behavior

This research examined how attachment affected the peer influence on adolescent consumer behavior. Results showed that attachment toward family and toward peers emerged together. Adolescent attachment anxiety strengthened the peer influence in consumption while attachment avoidance weakened the peer influence. Anxiety was positively related to adolescents’ perception of friends’ greater knowledge, spending when shopping with friends, and motivation to comply with friends’ suggestions on purchases directly and indirectly through consumer susceptibility to informational and normative influence. In contrast, attachment avoidance decreased the tendency to shop often with friends and the motivation to comply in a purchase. This study revealed that the influence of individual attachment orientations on interpersonal relationships can be extended to the field of consumption.     

How power distance belief,self-construal,and relationship norms impact conspicuous consumption

Building on the idea that luxury products can signal the owner's status to others, this research elucidates how fundamental and pervasive social factors—power distance belief (PDB), self-construal, and relationship norms—dynamically impact consumers' preferences for conspicuous consumption. Through three experiments, we found that (1) high-PDB consumers are more likely to prefer conspicuous consumption compared to low-PDB consumers, and this effect is mediated by their need for status; (2) the relationship between PDB and conspicuous consumption is enhanced under interdependent self-construal, attenuated under independent self-construal, and mediated by consumers' need for status; (3) these effects are moderated by relationship norms, such that the positive effect of PDB on conspicuous consumption under interdependent self-construal is attenuated when communal relationships (vs. exchange relationships) are salient. Our conceptualization and findings contribute to the literature on the dynamics of individuals' status-related behavior in social psychology and related fields, and provide important practical applications for luxury businesses.     

Drivers of eWOM engagement on social media for luxury consumers: Analysis,implications, and future research directions

The rapid industrialization and growth across the world have fostered the consumption of luxury fashion brands. Electronic word-of- mouth on social media (eWOM) is fast becoming an effective and germane strategy to engage luxury consumers through posting pictures, sharing reviews, and communicating information on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Extant research has not examined the antecedents and drivers that lead to eWOM behavior. We leverage self-congruity theory and through its focal lens, our study addresses this research gap through a survey conducted with 453 consumers in Mexico, Latin America's fastest growing market. Our results indicate that need for status, susceptibility to normative influence, and luxury brand involvement, moderated by authentic pride and social media influencers lead to eWOM behavior on social media. We also demonstrate that luxury brand involvement and susceptibility to normative influence mediate the relationship between need for status and eWOM behavior on social media. The study provides important implications to managers and researchers by suggesting long-term actionable strategies for growth that can help luxury firms develop a sustainable competitive advantage over rivals and competitors.     

To pursue personality or conformity: A study on the impact of face view on consumers’ need for uniqueness

Chinese people are very focused on “face,” the desire to pursue face, and the fear of losing face. Face has a broad and profound impact on the behavior of Chinese consumers. By adopting Zhang's face dimension method, this study divides consumers’ face view into “the desire to gain face” and “the fear of losing face,” and develops a model to investigate their impacts on consumers’ need for uniqueness. Data from 360 college students and graduate students were used to validate the proposed model through structural equation modeling. Results show that the desire to gain face and the fear of losing face have indirect effects on consumers’ need for uniqueness, with the mediation of independent self‐construal and consumer's susceptibility to normative influence. The study provides both theoretical and managerial contributions, and a new perspective to better understand Chinese consumers’ face view and consumers’ need for uniqueness. Managerially, the study offers suggestions for consumers about how to properly obtain face, for enterprises about how to formulate targeted marketing strategies using consumers’ face view, and for the government on how to guide consumption trends through consumers’ face mentality.     

Electronic Word-of-Mouth in Social Networking Sites: A Cross-Cultural Study of the United States and China

ABSTRACT

Understanding electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites (SNSs) is crucial as consumers have potential to reach global audiences quickly and easily. This article presents the first cross-cultural study on eWOM in SNSs by examining social relationship variables between the United States and China. Specifically, social capital, tie strength, trust, and interpersonal influence were examined as potential predictors of eWOM communication in the emerging online social channels. The results suggest that national culture plays a significant factor that affects consumers’ engagement in eWOM in SNSs in the two countries. Theoretical and managerial implications for global Internet marketers were presented and discussed.     

The role of interdependent self-construal in consumers’ susceptibility to retail salespersons’ influence: A hierarchical approach

Based on a sample of 300 consumers, this paper develops and tests a hierarchical model that examines the effect of interdependent self-construal on consumers’ susceptibility to salespersons’ influence. Structural equation modeling shows that the relationship between the two constructs is mediated by several situational factors via two prediction paths. Along one path, interdependent self-construal positively affects consumers’ susceptibility to interpersonal influence, which is positively connected to consumers’ susceptibility to salespersons’ influence through the mediation of consumers’ susceptibility to store atmosphere influence. Along the other path, interdependent self-construal is positively correlated with public self-consciousness, which is then positively associated with consumers’ susceptibility to salespersons’ influence. Discussions on theoretical, practical and future research implications are provided.     

Antecedents and outcomes of interpersonal influences and the role of acculturation: The case of young British-Muslims

Prior research considers antecedents and outcomes of interpersonal influence without consideration of acculturation. Data collected from 222 young British-Muslims using focus groups, in-depth interviews and questionnaires identifies significant antecedents and outcomes concluding that self-congruity, clothing conformity, need for uniqueness and modesty are major contributors to susceptibility to interpersonal influence. Acculturation moderates the effects of self congruity and susceptibility to interpersonal influence. The paper discusses implications for clothing retailers suggesting that self-congruity, conformity and modesty require closer attention to develop effective promotion and product strategies. The study is first of its kind within the UK ethnic minorities market.     

Modeling consumer engagement on social networking sites: Roles of attitudinal and motivational factors

This paper reports on a study that seeks to assess an extended typology of consumer social networking engagement behaviors. Drawing on uses and gratifications theory, this study assesses consumer engagement with social media, where consumer engagement incorporates consumer responses to marketing communications. The paper argues that certain motivations for social media use serve as antecedents to general attitudes toward social networking sites, which subsequently affects attitudes toward marketers' social networking sites. These attitudes then influence subsequent consumer engagement behaviors. The results show that social facilitation motivation, participating and socializing motivation, and information motivation positively influence consumers' general attitudes toward social networking sites, which had a strong effect on their attitude toward marketers' social networking sites. The relationship between attitudes toward social networking sites and engagement with social networking sites was mediated by attitudes toward marketers’ social networking sites also mediated. The current study brings together the online advertising perspective and the consumer motivation/gratifications perspective of using social media in branding and marketing into a conceptual model that holds up to empirical testing. The paper ends with a discussion of some limitations of the study and proposes avenues for future research.     

Black urban consumers’ status consumption of clothing brands in the emerging South African market

Status concerns are noteworthy within a modern society as it is a key feature of individuals’ social reputation. Engaging in this form of thinking results in particular patterns of consumption within consumer groups. In South Africa, Black urban consumers have newfound spending power and social mobility. This study investigated motivators of Black urban consumers’ status consumption across different demographic variables (age, income and profession) in the South African (SA) emerging market. A survey research design was used to provide insights into the relationship of normative receptiveness (value expressive and utilitarian influences) and high self‐monitoring as status consumption motivators of clothing brand consumption. The sample consisted of 246 Black urban consumers between the ages of 24 and 36, residing in Gauteng, South Africa and currently working in professional positions. The results of the study indicated that when purchasing clothing Black urban consumers are motivated by factors related to status consumption. This study found no significant differences between age and gender variables in terms of status consumption. In terms of profession, all three motivational factors were significant. They proved to be very aware of the image that they communicate and how they are seen by others indicating that they are motivated especially by value expressiveness, utilitarian influences and high self‐monitoring aspects across various professions.     

The effectiveness of advertising alcohol products in sports sponsorship

Studies have shown that exposure to sponsorship can influence behavior. However, evidence of the effectiveness of sports advertising and its influence on alcohol consumption is inconclusive. The goal of this research is to examine whether sponsorship by alcohol products receives the same attention as sponsorship by nonalcohol products depending on their congruence and the way they influence the intention to consume. Using sports posters, an experiment was performed to measure attention through eye-tracking. The results show that attention paid to alcohol brands is no greater than the attention paid to incongruent brands and is no different from the attention paid to congruent brands, regardless of gender and sporting discipline. Attention paid to sponsors has no influence on the intention to consume. These results show the need for further research on the effectiveness of sponsorship and its relationship with alcohol consumption.     

Social capital,user motivation,and collaborative consumption of online platform services

Collaborative consumption is broadly defined as sharing, obtaining, and giving access to products and services through peer networks online. As it is expected to resolve the societal and environmental problems, quite a few studies investigated consumers’ motivations that lead to positive attitudes and intention for collaborative consumption. This paper aims to study the determinants that motivate participants to perceive a positive attitude towards collaborative consumption focusing on three salient traits of social capital (shared goal, social interaction tie, and norms of reciprocity). The study found that social capital exerts a more substantial influence on intrinsic motivation (enjoyment and sustainability) than extrinsic motivation (economic benefit). The study also found that different social capital traits display different effects on motivation. In particular, the shared goal was a key determinant of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. And all three motivations positively affect collaborative consumption attitudes.     

消费者独特性需求对独特产品/品牌偏好影响的研究

本文采用实证研究方法，对有关消费者独特性需求的相关研究作出了比较完整的理论综述，在此基础上就该需求对消费者独特产品／品牌偏好之间的作用关系进行了分析。通过分析了解到本土消费者在对独特性需求的理解上具有一定的特殊性，这种特殊性的产生与中国文化的集体导向特点和当前社会发展处于转型阶段具有一定的联系，这种特殊性的存在一定程度上影响了消费者对独特产品／品牌的偏好。     

How Employees’ Perceptions of CSR Increase Employee Creativity: Mediating Mechanisms of Compassion at Work and Intrinsic Motivation

This study aims to examine how service employees’ perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) affect their creativity at work and its mediated link through compassion at work and their intrinsic motivation. Working with a sample of 250 hotel employees in South Korea, structural equation modeling is employed to test research hypotheses. The results of this research suggest that employees’ perceptions of CSR are positively related to employee creativity. Second, compassion at work mediated the positive relationship between employees’ perceptions of CSR and creativity. Third, employees’ intrinsic motivation also mediated the positive relationship between employees’ perceptions of CSR and employee creativity. Finally, the relationship between employees’ perceptions of CSR and employee creativity is sequentially and fully mediated by compassion at work and their intrinsic motivation. The theoretical and managerial implications of the results and limitations of the study are discussed, and future research directions are suggested.     

Nicknames as identity badges: How self-reflective nicknames can facilitate users’ online social interactions

An Internet nickname is essential in facilitating online interpersonal interactions. It is a pivotal element of interaction that provides other users with an initial impression and affects the decisions and behaviors of users during their online interactions. Although the existing literature has found that nicknames are relevant to users’ psychology and behavior, direct research on the motivation for and the effect of choosing a particular Internet nickname has been very limited. Borrowing from relevant theories on avatars, this paper summarizes the motivations behind Internet nickname choices in terms of three aspects: virtual exploration, social navigation and contextual adaptation. Moreover, from the perspective of collective self-esteem (CSE) and group identification, this research explores the influence mechanism between the motivations underlying Internet nickname choices and users’ online social interactions. A total of 394 samples were obtained from online communities in China to test our research model. We found that virtual exploration, social navigation and contextual adaptation are three motivations for creating Internet nicknames, and they have direct effects on the online social interactions of users. CSE has a full mediating effect between virtual exploration and online social interaction and acts as a mediated variable between social navigation and online social interaction. Group identification fully mediates the relationship between social navigation and online social interaction as well as that between contextual adaptation and online social interaction. The conclusion of this paper provides not only a new perspective for the study of Internet nicknames but also a potentially feasible way to stimulate users’ online social interactions.