Journal article
Does reference-group comparison impact compensatory consumption for bottom of the pyramid (BOP) consumers?
JOURNAL OF MARKETING THEORY AND PRACTICE
07 Jun 2023
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
This article investigates the effect of reference group comparison on compensatory consumption for bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) consumers. While existing research reveals a relationship between upward social comparisons and compensatory consumption, there has been minimal focus on how BOP consumers react to such comparisons. By conducting multiple studies targeting low-income but educated employees of different organizations, this research demonstrates that BOP consumers engage in conspicuous consumption behavior; in particular, they prefer conspicuous material goods when undergoing reference group comparisons (both upward and downward), which is a marked contrast from their more affluent peers and the western population. Furthermore, while incidental envy explains the underlying mechanism of the relationship between upward reference group comparison and conspicuous material consumption, anxiety is the mediator between downward reference group comparison and conspicuous material consumption for BOP consumers. Overall, this research significantly contributes to the BOP and compensatory consumption literature and has managerial implications for marketers serving BOP markets.
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Details
- Title
- Does reference-group comparison impact compensatory consumption for bottom of the pyramid (BOP) consumers?
- Publication Details
- JOURNAL OF MARKETING THEORY AND PRACTICE
- Publisher
- ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD; ABINGDON
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Drexel University
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001006948000001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85161652500
- Other Identifier
- 991021861277404721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Business