Consumer Decision-Making and Psycho-Social Well-Being: Two Complementary Perspectives? a Narrative Review
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ISSN 0378-5254 Journal of Consumer Sciences, Vol 45, 2017 CONSUMER DECISION-MAKING AND PSYCHO-SOCIAL WELL-BEING: TWO COMPLEMENTARY PERSPECTIVES? A NARRATIVE REVIEW. Neoline Le Roux*, Daleen van der Merwe, Cilas Wilders & Marié Wissing ABSTRACT South Africa Tel: +27 (0)18 299 2476 Globalisation contributes to an abundance of Fax: +27 (0)18 299 2470 marketing, which stimulates unneeded and Email: [email protected] unplanned purchases. Research indicates that although consumers differ in terms of their — Prof C Wilders purchasing styles and their consideration of 1 University of Namibia immediate and future consequences of Nambia purchases, they are also strongly influenced by 2 Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health their social environment. This is even more Research applicable to consumers who reside in urban North-West University environments, since they are to a greater extent Potchefstroom exposed to products, social and work South Africa pressures. Hence, in order to minimise Tel: +26 461 206 4750 pressures, consumers often purchase socially Email: [email protected] motivated products such as idealistic household [email protected] equipment. Household equipment comprises products that strongly communicate social — Prof MP Wissing standing and status in a symbolic manner. Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Literature in different fields has been examined Research in order to compile a connection-focused North-West University informative literature review, which provides a Potchefstroom unique argument of interpretation from these South Africa various texts and settings. This review therefore Tel: +27 (0)18 299 2603 highlights the implications regarding decision- Fax: +27(0)86 614 9042 making and a consideration of future Email: [email protected] consequences of decisions on consumers’ psycho-social well-being. To this end, the links between these fields of study are explored. To ARTICLE INFO conclude, the importance of empirical research in the field is highlighted in order to empower Article history consumers towards improved decision-making Received 19 September 2016 which could aid in their psycho-social well- Revision 06 March 2017 being. Keywords consumer decision-making, decision-making — Mrs N Le Roux* styles, immediate and future consequences, Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health psycho-social well-being, debt, household Research equipment, urban environment, consumption North-West University Potchefstroom South Africa INTRODUCTION Tel: +27 (0)18 299 2083 Fax: +27 (0)18 299 2470 Consumers experience various physical and Email: [email protected] emotional needs and desires on a daily basis *Corresponding author (Solomon, 2013). Ascribed to globalisation, consumers are confronted with an abundance of — Prof D van der Merwe marketing information and product choices Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health aimed at stimulating purchases, regardless of Research whether it represents actual needs (Sinkovics et North-West University al., 2010; Lysonski & Durvasula, 2013). Potchefstroom Consequently, consumers often make decisions Consumer decision-making and psycho-social well-being: two complementary perspectives? A narrative review. 12 ISSN 0378-5254 Journal of Consumer Sciences, Vol 45, 2017 without much thought (Potgieter et al., 2013; and to belong to desirable social groups can Schiffman & Kanuk, 2014), which contributes to lead to unmanageable debt (Billieux et al., 2008) the complexity and styles involved during and subsequent high levels of stress (Hodson et consumer decision-making. Consumers al., 2014; Drentea & Reynolds, 2015). High therefore differ in terms of decision-making levels of stress that continue over long periods, styles and their consideration of the immediate may jeopardise consumers’ overall well-being and future consequences of their decisions (Hiu (Clayton et al., 2015; Drentea & Reynolds, 2015; et al., 2001; Potgieter et al., 2013; Schiffman & Yilmazer et al., 2015). Given the negative effects Kanuk, 2014). Research indicates that of stress, purchases that are generally regarded consumers’ decisions are strongly influenced by to give consumers satisfaction, may become their social groups (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2014) – unmanageable if it is not addressed effectively this is especially the case with consumers (Billieux et al., 2008). residing in urban environments (Erasmus et al., 2011). These influences place consumers under Although there is an abundance of research social and emotional pressure in response to available on consumer decision-making (Starcke their need to conform and their desire to & Brand, 2012) as well as on stress and psycho- improve their self-esteem by consuming status- social well-being (Wood & Hayes, 2012; Sweet related products (Bookwalter & Dalenberg, et al., 2013), to the knowledge of the authors, 2010). little research has addressed the correlation between the ways in which consumers make Social pressure, along with targeted marketing decisions and the psycho-social well-being of approaches, guides consumers towards directed consumers. This correlation is regarded as purchases such as branded household important since literature on consumer decision- appliances and furniture (hereafter referred to as making indicates that psycho-social aspects household equipment1), which gives the illusion play a role during decision-making. The that the desired lifestyle can be achieved and psychosocial field is for instance indicated to be that it would make consumers equal to or better integrated into the process of decision-making, than their desired social group (Wänke, 2009; but the correlation between consumer decision- Jansson-Boyd, 2010). Consequently, household making and psycho-social aspects does not equipment plays an important role in the seems to be explicitly indicated. Therefore, this everyday functioning of a household, but also review investigates how consumer decision- has an impact on the comfort, stylishness and making literature can emphasise psycho-social social acceptability of a home (Donoghue et al., well-being in addressing the correlation between 2008; Nakazato et al., 2011; Wood & Hayes, the two constructs from both a consumer 2012). behaviour and psycho-social point of view. The aim of this article is to integrate the literature If consumers do not pay heed to the unspoken and contributions from various researchers in social expectations, they stand the risk to be the fields in an informative theoretical narrative socially rejected (Solomon, 2013). Many review. These fields include consumer consumers therefore find it important to act behaviour, consumer decision-making – with a quickly on desires by purchasing desirable items focus on consumer decision-making styles and with the intention to increase their social consideration of immediate and future standing (Erasmus et al., 2011). This impulsive consequences of decisions – and psycho-social behaviour is often unconsciously driven since well-being in order to address the identified gap the consumption of certain products serves in literature concerning the relation between consumers with social, psychological and consumer decision-making and consumers’ symbolic purposes by granting them the psycho-social well-being, as well as how these opportunity to express their identity and status two constructs contribute to the stress levels (Carlisle et al., 2008) and as a result to influence experienced by consumers. their psycho-social well-being. However, irresponsible and impulsive purchases to satisfy the need to portray a certain identity 1 Home appliances and furniture refer to household equipment used in different areas of the house to add to the lifestyle and living circumstances of the consumer. It includes products such as kitchen appliances (e.g. micro- waves, dishwashers, washing machines) and other types of products such as television sets, stereo systems and furniture. This product category was chosen for the medium to high risks connected with this type of pur- chases and since not all consumers are able to purchase larger items such as a car or a house. Hereafter the term household equipment will be used for these items. Consumer decision-making and psycho-social well-being: two complementary perspectives? A 13 narrative review. ISSN 0378-5254 Journal of Consumer Sciences, Vol 45, 2017 Methodology of the present study able to compile a unique argument of interpretation by following the CORE (critical The methodology was approached according to examination, organisation, reflection and the guidelines of Onwuegbuzie and Frels (2016) evaluation) process (Onwuegbuzie & Frels, for a comprehensive narrative review. Search 2016) to compile a comprehensive theoretical words that were used included “consumer narrative review. The collaborating authors decision-making”, “decision-making styles”, reduced possible individual bias by judiciously “immediate and future consequences”, “psycho- reviewing and discussing the applicability of the social well-being”, “debt”, “household included literature. This process contributed to equipment”, “urban environment” and the CORE process being connection-focused “consumption”. These search words were used and considering a culturally progressive and in various combinations and in different search ethical approach (Onwuegbuzie & Frels, 2016). engines, including Science Direct, JSTOR, EbscoHost and Google Scholar. Field-specific CONSUMPTION IN A SATURATED RETAIL books on these topics were also consulted in ENVIRONMENT order