Why do consumers consume masstige products? A cross-cultural investigation through the lens of self-determination theory

Abstract

Shaping consumers' attitudes and influencing their consumption of masstige brands via intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is an unexplored research area. By applying self-determination theory, this study attempts to divulge how extrinsic and intrinsic motivations in a cross-cultural context affect masstige consumption behavior. Thus, a research framework and hypotheses are developed and validated using cross-sectional research. The data were collected from 437 Canadian and 412 Indian respondents using Amazon Mechanical Turk. Path analysis was performed using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) to test the hypothesized relationship. The path analysis established that attitudes and masstige consumption are influenced by both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations and further studies established that attitude partially mediates the effect of extrinsic and intrinsic motivations on masstige consumption. However, the moderation analysis failed to establish the role of Hofstede's cultural variable (i.e., power distance) in modifying the effect of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation on masstige consumption for Indian consumers, while it did in the Canadian context, albeit on select relationships. The findings of this study may be useful to masstige marketers in understanding cultural differences when designing promotional campaigns that resonate with consumers.