Consumer Life Satisfaction Research Articles

Luxury brand cultural symbolism: signaling effect on customer well-being

ABSTRACT Although previous studies of consumer behavior have examined the relationships between consumption and well-being, little is known about the impact of luxury brands on consumer life satisfaction. This study uses signaling theory to develop a model examining the impact of cultural symbolism, as measured by brand authenticity, on customer well-being. Self-administered online survey data is collected in the United States due to the growth and size of the luxury industry in the United States. Partial least squares structural equation modeling using SmartPLS showed that cultural symbolism has a positive signaling impact on customers’ perceptions of the authenticity of a luxury brand, prompting both hedonic and eudaimonic senses of well-being. Multigroup analyses supported the impact of the types of perceived benefits (hedonic and utilitarian) on the relationship between luxury consumption and consumer well-being. The present study offers useful insights for luxury brand managers by highlighting the roles of brand culture creation and brand authenticity on life satisfaction.

Consumer empowerment and self-assessment of empowerment.

This study examined the influence of consumer empowerment and its self-assessment on consumers’ information search behavior and consumer life satisfaction; it also examined whether the results were consistent with the Dunning−Kruger effect. A total of 977 consumers who participated in a national consumer survey were divided into four groups, based on their level of empowerment and self-assessment. The Dunning−Kruger effect was observed in the consumer empowerment results, with 35.9% of respondents showing imbalanced empowerment and self-assessment levels. A general linear model was used to examine the survey results, which indicated that the main effect of empowerment had no significant effect on information searching or consumer life satisfaction. However, there was a significant main effect of self-assessment on both dependent variables. In addition, the interaction of empowerment and self-assessment had a significant effect only on information search behavior. Consequently, it can be concluded that self-assessed empowerment, rather than actual consumer empowerment, affects information search and consumer life satisfaction.

Are consumption patterns linked to life satisfaction? An exploratory study in Brazil

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to propose an integrated approach to diverse and convoluted types of consumption. The new theoretical framework represents composite types of tangible and intangible consumption contributing to consumer life satisfaction (LS) in EMs.Design/methodology/approachA field study conducted in Brazil surveyed real-world consumers belonging to various social and income groups. Data reflecting LS derived from consumption were analyzed using PLS methodology.FindingsEmpirical tests indicated that experiential-utilitarian, experiential-hedonic and material-utilitarian consumption types positively affect EM consumer LS. An interesting and somewhat surprising outcome is an insignificant effect of material-hedonic consumption. The strength of LS correlation with each type of consumption differs and partial effects also depend on household income of EM consumers.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough reasons exist to expect the general validity of the suggested theoretical framework across many markets, its scope of empirical testing needs to be expanded beyond a single emerging market, even so large as Brazil.Practical implicationsThe new taxonomy can help marketing practitioners better understand the main sources of LS stemming from each type of consumption to customize marketing mix and more effectively communicate to EM consumers.Social implicationsIn spite of the scope limited to Brazil, this study shall help policy-makers and NGOs design public goods and services, thereby significantly increasing consumer LS and improve living conditions in EMs.Originality/valueA systemic approach contributes to the body of marketing theory by replacing the dichotomic classifications of consumer LS with a clear conceptualization of all types of consumption that are integrated into a holistic framework.

Sustainable Financial Education and Consumer Life Satisfaction

Sustainable financial education is defined as the continuous input of money and time on financial knowledge education after formal schooling. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of sustainable financial education on consumer life satisfaction. Utilizing the dataset of Household Consumer Finance of Chinese Urban Residents in 2012 by the China Financial Research Center of Tsinghua University, the variable of sustainable financial education is constructed through the variables of the necessity of financial education, the money spent on financial education, and the time spent on financial education. To improve the estimation results, order probit regression is utilized. The results indicate that financial education is significantly positive to consumer life satisfaction only for a consumer with higher education. Consumers who regard financial education to be of high necessity will feel more satisfied. The results also show that consumers who spend more money and time on financial education after formal schooling will be more satisfied. Moreover, the sustainable impacts of financial education on consumer life satisfaction are verified. In addition, this study provides empirical evidence that suggests that sustainable financial education positively contributes to consumer life satisfaction. The results have implications for policymakers to take measures in enhancing sustainable financial education to improve consumer life satisfaction.

The Effects of Shopping Well-Being and Shopping Ill-Being on Consumer Life Satisfaction

Individuals hold two distinct sets of beliefs about shopping activities: Positive beliefs regarding the degree to which shopping contributes to quality of life (shopping well-being), and negative beliefs related to the degree to which shopping activities result in overspending time, effort, and money (shopping ill-being). Shopping well-being and shopping ill-being are conceptualized as independent constructs in that shopping ill-being is not treated as negative polar of a single dimension. That is, one can experience both shopping well-being as well as shopping ill-being, simultaneously. We hypothesized that (1) shopping well-being is a positive predictor of life satisfaction, (2) shopping ill-being is a negative predictor of life satisfaction, and (3) shopping well-being does contribute to life satisfaction under conditions of low than high shopping ill-being. The study surveyed 1035 respondents in the UK. The study results supported hypotheses 1 and 3, not Hypothesis 2. The paper discusses the implications of these findings for retailers, macro-marketers, and policy makers.

Consideration of Financial Satisfaction: What Consumers Know, Feel and Do from a Financial Perspective

Financial satisfaction has long been considered an important component to consumer life satisfaction and well-being. Using data from the 2012 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), financial satisfaction is explored in the context of personal characteristics related to financial knowledge (both objective and subjective) as well as self-reported financial behaviors. Ordinary Least Squares Regression is applied to a predictive model of financial satisfaction, and results indicate that measures associated with what people do (behaviors related to recommended practice) and how they feel (subjective knowledge) may be more salient factors to consider with regard to satisfaction than measures related to what individuals know (objective knowledge). Implications are considered for consumers in light of a general policy approach promoting financial literacy and education as a means of improving financial outcomes and well-being.

Linking retailing experiences with life satisfaction

Purpose – A common assumption holds that retailers generally contribute to customer life satisfaction – retailers offer products and services that solve consumer problems – large and small. However, some retail experiences have been found to generate dissatisfaction, stress and unhappiness for some customers but not for others. Research is needed to not only demonstrate how retail experiences impact customer life satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to address the question: why does satisfaction with various store types impact customer life satisfaction differently? Design/methodology/approach – The research context of this study is grocery retailers (neighbourhood convenience stores, super markets, and grocery discounters) in Austria. Using stratified random sampling across store types, a total of 379 personal interviews with grocery store customers were conducted. OLS regression analysis was conducted to test the research model. Findings – The study results suggest that satisfaction with a store type impacts customer life satisfaction depending on store-type congruity with shoppers’ identity. That is, satisfaction with a store type (e.g. neighbourhood convenience stores, super markets, and grocery discounters) is found to influence life satisfaction if the store type is congruent with the shoppers’ self-image and lifestyle. Practical implications – An emphasis on store-type congruity with shopper’s identity allows retailers to shift their attention towards creating more meaningful shopping experiences. Such a shift in focus may not only benefit retailers due to increase in customer loyalty for that store format. It also benefits shoppers themselves – the shopping experience contributes to shoppers’ life satisfaction. Originality/value – This research introduces store-type congruity with shopper’s identity as a key concept that connects shopping experiences to customer life satisfaction. This contributes towards building the hierarchical theory of shopping motivation. It demonstrates under what conditions shopping experiences impact consumer life satisfaction – a research topic that has received little attention in the retailing literature to date.

Factors influencing life satisfaction among college students

Recently, there has been an increase in wellbeing marketing, which focuses on increasing consumer life satisfaction or consumers' sense of subjective wellbeing. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify which aspects contribute to consumer life satisfaction. In order to provide additional insights into consumer life satisfaction, this study aimed to identify the relationships among social psychological variables (consciousness of social face, social interaction anxiety, and career anxiety), shopping confidence, and life satisfaction. Shopping confidence in this study relates to confidence for clothing/accessories. It was hypothesized that social psychological variables influence life satisfaction not only directly but also indirectly through shopping confidence. Data were gathered by surveying university students in Seoul, using convenience sampling. Two hundred eighty six questionnaires were used in the statistical analysis. Factor analysis of consciousness of social face revealed two factors, 'desire to gain face' and 'fear of losing face'. Factor analysis of social interaction anxiety, shopping confidence, and life satisfaction revealed that these variables were uni-dimensional. Test of the hypothesized path showed that all social psychological variables influenced life satisfaction indirectly through shopping confidence, whereas 'fear of losing face' of consciousness of social face and career anxiety influenced life satisfaction directly. The results give marketers some understanding of their consumers' life satisfaction in relation to consciousness of social face, social interaction anxiety, career anxiety, and shopping confidence.

Factors influencing life satisfaction among college students - Social psychological variables and shopping confidence for clothing and accessories -

Recently, there has been an increase in wellbeing marketing, which focuses on increasing consumer life satisfaction or consumers' sense of subjective wellbeing. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify which aspects contribute to consumer life satisfaction. In order to provide additional insights into consumer life satisfaction, this study aimed to identify the relationships among social psychological variables (consciousness of social face, social interaction anxiety, and career anxiety), shopping confidence, and life satisfaction. Shopping confidence in this study relates to confidence for clothing/accessories. It was hypothesized that social psychological variables influence life satisfaction not only directly but also indirectly through shopping confidence. Data were gathered by surveying university students in Seoul, using convenience sampling. Two hundred eighty six questionnaires were used in the statistical analysis. Factor analysis of consciousness of social face revealed two factors, 'desire to gain face' and 'fear of losing face'. Factor analysis of social interaction anxiety, shopping confidence, and life satisfaction revealed that these variables were uni-dimensional. Test of the hypothesized path showed that all social psychological variables influenced life satisfaction indirectly through shopping confidence, whereas 'fear of losing face' of consciousness of social face and career anxiety influenced life satisfaction directly. The results give marketers some understanding of their consumers' life satisfaction in relation to consciousness of social face, social interaction anxiety, career anxiety, and shopping confidence.

Examining the Effects of Fashion Activities on Life Satisfaction of Older Females: Activity Theory Revisited

This study applied activity theory to older female consumers' apparel shopping behavior and explored relationships among these consumers' characteristics, social activity, fashion‐apparel shopping orientation, apparel shopping activity, and life satisfaction. A self‐administered questionnaire was mailed to 1,000 females older than age 55 living in a midwestern state. A total of 386 (38.6%) questionnaires were used in the study. Hierarchical regression analysis was employed to determine the effect of older female consumers' characteristics, social activity, fashion‐apparel shopping orientation, and apparel shopping activity on life satisfaction. The regression results indicate that the following variables significantly contributed to the older female consumer's life satisfaction: age, education, income, self‐assessed health, fashion involvement, and frequency of participation in leisure and informal social activities. Participation in apparel shopping activity did not contribute to life satisfaction when controlling for the other variables in the regression analysis.