Power and Action Orientation: Power as a Catalyst for Consumer Switching Behavior

Abstract

Building on an action-orientation perspective of power, original hypotheses regarding power and consumer switching behavior are presented. Because high power is associated with a readiness to act, and switching behavior often requires taking action in some form, inducing consumers to feel powerful is hypothesized to increase consumer switching. Multiple experiments provide support for this perspective along with evidence for the process via both moderation and mediation. This works contributes to the consumer switching literature by demonstrating power as a new psychological catalyst for switching behavior. This work also adds to the power literature by distinguishing between goal priming and semantic priming accounts of the action orientation of high power. Specifically, consistent with a goal priming account, engaging in action is found to sate consumers' subsequent need for action as opposed to maintain or increase consumers' desire to act, as might be predicted from a semantic priming account.