The satisfaction and stress of being a market maven: A social network perspective

Abstract

AbstractCompared with the average consumer, market mavens possess a unique set of characteristics including a greater depth of knowledge of the marketplace and its products, as well as a strong social network. Based on a field study of an emerging social network of Canadian undergraduate students (N = 71), we examine the level of satisfaction and stress that market mavens experience as a result of their network participation. First, market mavens (versus non‐mavens) are more satisfied with their network if they occupy central network positions. Simultaneously, however, mavens incur more stress if they occupy these central positions. Further, market mavens have a lower rate of network growth and build a more a selective network of like‐minded others over time. This suggests that market mavens seek to interact with other market mavens more so than with non‐mavens about product‐related and market‐related information. Together, we provide new insights into the personal outcomes of market mavens' network positions and their networking behavior. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.