Transformative Consumer Research Research Articles

Transitioning to New Paradigms for Societally Impactful Research: Recommendations from the TCR Impact Task Force and an Agenda

Marketing scholars increasingly aim to research social and policy problems to create and implement solutions with relevant stakeholders that drive societal impact. In 2022, Transformative Consumer Research and the American Marketing Association sponsored the first TCR-AMA Impact Festival, celebrating societally impactful research in marketing. Results and reflections from the conference point to successes and significant challenges facing scholars who seek to do research with societal impact. A TCR Impact Task Force of leading marketing and consumer scholars was surveyed in a two-stage Delphi study to understand these opportunities and obstacles more deeply and prioritize next steps for the academic community. The results provide an agenda for transformative consumer and marketing research. This agenda provokes fresh thinking for paradigm-level changes by advocating new research validities, methods of stakeholder engagement, initiatives for developing researchers’ capacities, and more substantial institutional support to accelerate the success of impactful academic research.

Financial Well-Being and Financial Stress: Examining the Moderating Effect of Gender

Abstract The study aims to investigate the relationship between financial well-being and financial stress while examining the moderating role of gender. The study uses a survey method, and data were collected in Kashmir Province of Jammu and Kashmir, northern India, from 168 respondents selected on a convenience sampling basis. The results strongly supported the hypothesised model and have put forth evidence that financial well-being has a negative impact on financial stress and that this relationship is moderated by gender. The study has important implications for academia, future researchers, governments, and policymakers aiming at improving their citizens’ quality of life, health, and well-being, a key sustainable development goal, and the ultimate goal of the Transformative Consumer Research Agenda.

Consumers’ awareness of the ethical issues associated with textile materials in the context of the ecological transition

The ecological transition requires the transformation of consumers’ practices. However, for this transformation to occur, consumers must first be aware of the impacts of their practices. This article aims to understand how such awareness is achieved, through the study of textile materials in clothing. The analysis of 21 interviews conducted twice reveals the stages of the awareness process of textile materials. Reflection (moving from lived experience to representations) and then disadaptation (events creating a discrepancy between reality and representations) lead to conceptualization, from which the ethical issues involved gradually emerge. The first level of awareness concerns the impacts of textile materials on the durability of clothing. The second level concerns their impacts on the living world. These results, which fall within the scope of Transformative Consumer Research, provide guidelines to support changes in consumers’ practices toward a more ethical consumption.

Improving societal benefit through transformative consumer research: A descriptive review

This paper assesses the societal benefit of transformative consumer research (TCR) through a descriptive review of articles published in the special issues associated with the TCR conferences, held every two years from 2009 to 2021. Frequency analysis and directed content analysis reveal (1) various societal benefits (knowledge, enhanced awareness, capacity building, and recommendations for improvement or redirection), (2) facilitators and barriers for solution implementation (e.g., definition of a problem-solving orientation to research problems, collaboration with practitioners, and testing and refining of solutions), and (3) well-being issues over time (e.g., climate change and sustainability education, food wastage reduction, healthy food consumption and production, and vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic). This research contributes to the literature in four ways by (1) synthesizing the types and natures of societal benefits of TCR, (2) identifying the most discussed consumer well-being issues over time, (3) assessing the barriers and facilitators for the implementation of solutions that influence societal benefits, and (4) providing a research agenda for improving consumer well-being and enhancing societal benefit.

Materialism, life satisfaction and Compulsive Buying Behavior: An empirical investigation on Egyptian consumers amid Covid‑19 pandemic

As part of transformative consumer research, which attempts to achieve effective ways to improve people lives, this research focuses are on comprehending the issue of materialism, especially during the Covid-19 crisis. Few studies deal with materialism within the setting of developing nations, especially in a large populated consumer society like Egypt in the Arab region. For this purpose, this research adds to the prevailing literature on materialism through proposing and testing this research’s conceptual model to investigate whether or not compulsive buying behavior (CBB) has a mediating impact in the link between materialism values and consumers’ life satisfaction. The researcher adopted a quantitative research design and used a single-stage cluster sampling technique and mono method for data gathering through distributing a large-scale questionnaire instrument. The structural equation modelling (SEM) methodology was implemented. The findings confirmed that the model is specified and yields a fit. Results uncovered that amid Covid-19 pandemic, materialism and individual’s life satisfaction are insignificantly associated except for the happiness sub-component of materialism. Furthermore, the association between materialistic values and CBB is insignificant except for the happiness sub-component. There is an insignificant effect of CBB on individual’s life satisfaction. To add, CBB doesn’t mediate the relationship between materialism and individual’s life satisfaction. This entails that Egyptian consumers consider having possessions a source for happiness but not the core of success. They are engaged in compulsive consumption for happiness and this may not lead to life satisfaction. This implies that Covid-19 may have produced pressures on Egyptian consumers to seek happiness through buying behaviors. Consequently, marketers should have several interventions to the feelings of happiness and consumers’ general life satisfaction in their messages and social marketing campaigns.

The Variances of Consumers’ Materialistic Personality Traits and Reduced Consumption Behavior Among Demographics in Egypt

Throughout the consumer behavior’s field, comprehending materialism across different countries has been of critical importance to transformative consumer research authors, marketers and policy makers. Materialism was discussed with its pros and cons in previous studies. However, present conflicting results exist across various contexts about its effects on socially responsible behavior. Nevertheless, the past studies included vast research on materialistic values, they embraced a limited research scope regarding the materialistic personality traits (MPT) and their influence on consumers’ sustainable behavior. This study tests the validity and reliability of Belk’s materialistic personality traits scale in Egypt, as one of the influential and mass consumer societies in the Arab region. It contributes towards understanding the influence of materialism as a personality trait on reduced consumption behavior and whether these dimensions vary among age, gender and place of residence. Large scale survey instrument was distributed across Egypt using quota non-random sampling which yielded 540 respondents. Plausible findings revealed significant effects of the materialistic personality traits on the reduced consumption behavior and indicated variances across the denoted demographics. This will help marketers and policy makers better describe and target the consumers’ materialistic personalities through designing effective communication that develops a pro-sustainable consumption behavior to bring about a change for a sustainable future. Keywords: Materialism; Belk materialism Scale; materialistic personality traits; pro-sustainable behavior; possessiveness; envy; non-generosity; reduced consumption behavior; demographics DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/88-02 Publication date: January 31 st 2023

The Social Representation of the mexican consumer on their transforming consumption. Guadalajara and Querétaro cases

We are all consumers. Life is only possible because of consuming. The act of consuming can be defined as the breaking down of natural or artificial structures to satisfy biological or cultural needs; is among the farthest reaching of human activities (Csikszentmihalyi 2012). Today, the act of consuming could empower consumers to adopt conscious, ethical and responsible criteria in the daily routine to improve the consumption and get a personal and collective life, more based in freedom, fair, loyal and happiness (Martínez 2005). In this way the Transformative Consumer Research (TCR) is an initiative among researches committed to studying the role that consumption plays in the major social problems of daily consumption, among them obesity, addictions, materialism, hunger, homeless, and  poverty (Ozanne, et al 2011). Inspired on TCR and the ethnoconsumer (Venkatesh 2013), the focus of this paper is an exploratory qualitative research with the main objective of showing how the Social Representation of Mexican responsible consumer is focused on shopping at small groups of local producers. The attitudes, interests and opinions will be identified in this first step through point-of-sale open interviews with responsible consumers, with local products offered in Guadalajara and Queretaro urban cities. The information gathered will be analyzed using an inductive method for defining preliminary categories, while using the analysis software Atlas Ti for mapping conceptual networks. This study aims to provide assumptions and variables for further study on transforming consumption.

Transformative Luxury Research (TLR): An Agenda to Advance Luxury for Well-Being

This article lays the foundations for an emerging research stream introducing a new framework: transformative luxury research (TLR). The framework conceptualizes the relationship between the luxury ecosystem and people's well-being, which is affected by the interaction between luxury production and consumption entities as well as macroenvironment elements. The TLR framework lies at the intersection of luxury research, macromarketing literature, and transformative consumer research. The framework focuses on the well-being of individuals and communities involved in the luxury field. TLR provides a holistic view of how interactions between the luxury consumption sphere, including different profiles of consumers, and the entities of the luxury production sphere (e.g., employees, suppliers, organizations, and communities), are shaped by macro-level luxury stakeholders. Among them are institutions, public policymakers, academics, and technology firms. How do they all affect the individual and collective well-being at the economic, cognitive, emotional, and social levels? This framework helps scholars embrace a transformative luxury research mindset to advance the literature examining the impact luxury has on people's well-being.

Addressing the Cause-Related Marketing Paradox for Luxury Brands to Increase Prosocial Behavior and Well-Being

Although luxury firms have come under increasing pressure to engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, they have traditionally been hesitant to engage because of the CSR–luxury paradox: the values and motivations underlying luxury consumption (self-enhancement) may conflict with the values and motivations underlying prosocial behavior (self-transcendence), and thus their CSR initiatives may not only be ineffective, they may actually harm the brand. In this commentary, we discuss research on the strategies and tactics luxury brands can use to nudge luxury consumers to engage in their cause-related marketing (CRM) initiatives by aligning the values of their luxury customers with the symbolic values of their CRM offerings and thus increase the impact of the prosocial causes on societal well-being. This research supports the objectives of transformative luxury research (TLR) in integrating luxury consumption into the mission and vision of transformative consumer research (TCR).

Gettingrealabout consumer poverty: Deep processes for transformative action

AbstractTo uncover pathways for understanding and alleviating poverty, this paper offers an alternative approach for examining the real and unseen processes ofdestitutionandin‐work povertywhich shape the lives of consumers. We apply a critical realist paradigm structured around three core tenets—stratified realities,complex causationsandgenerative structures—to surface the nuanced complexities of these issues. A critical realist lens encourages impact by focusing on the deep causes of enduring social problems and provides transformative consumer research scholars with an integrative way to work toward transformative policy action.

Editorial: Special issue of the Journal of Consumer Affairs from the 2021 conference on transformative consumer research

Editorial: Special issue of the <i>Journal of Consumer Affairs</i> from the 2021 conference on transformative consumer research

Taming complex problems using the problem‐solution‐impact research process model

AbstractThe transformative consumer research (TCR) and transformative service research (TSR) movements seek to encourage, support, and publicize research benefiting consumer welfare. In this article, we introduce design thinking (DT) as a rigorous, effective, and creative problem‐solving process well‐suited to tackle the multi‐dimensional problems TCR/TSR researchers address. A scoping review of TCR/TSR and DT literatures examining complex issues, such as health and well‐being, inequality, and sustainability, reveals each orientation's theoretical and methodological strengths as well as its opportunities to more effectively catalyze positive change. Specifically, DT would benefit from the rigorous theoretical perspective brought by TCR/TSR researchers. In turn, transformative consumer and service researchers can find inspiration in the participatory ideation and prototyping techniques central to DT. The problem‐solution‐impact (PSI) research process model for transformative change draws from the strengths of the two traditions to creates a rigorous and relevant approach to addressing the world's most complex and dynamic problems.

The role of wisdom in navigating social media paradoxes: Implications for consumers, firms, and public policy

AbstractSocial media has transformed the nature of communication and simultaneously given rise to paradoxes—irresolvable situations where contradictory elements co‐exist. These paradoxes are pervasive, and they can jeopardize consumer welfare because they are difficult to navigate. In this conceptual article, we argue that the principles of wisdom provide a unique and constructive lens through which to view the social media landscape with the aim of maximizing well‐being. We illustrate three social media paradoxes at individual, interpersonal, and societal levels of analysis. We also translate wisdom theory into practical recommendations for consumers, marketers, and public policy makers to facilitate wiser use of social media. Finally, we propose avenues for future transformative consumer research on how wisdom can help consumers to fruitfully approach paradoxes in the context of social media and beyond.

Transformative Consumer Research: How has the fat body been approached from this perspective in Brazilian research?

Objective: Completing 15 years of Transformative Consumer Research in 2020, this article aims to present an overview of the Brazilian scientific production about how the fat body was approached from this research perspective in this period between 2005 and 2019.Method: To analyze the national scientific production of the fat body in TCR studies from 2005 to 2019, an integrative literature review was carried out according the review steps indicated by Cooper (1984). Thus, a search for the terms "Transformative Research", "Transformative Consumer Research" and "TCR" was carried out in the annals of the main administration events; national journals registered in the SPELL database with Qualis/CAPES 2013-2016 ratings in the strata from B5 to A2 in the area of Administration; and the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD).Findings: The results point to a significant growth of publications in TCR in the years 2018 and 2019 but indicate the need to study other groups of vulnerable consumers, in addition to those with some disability, such as consumers of the fat body archetype.Originality: The present study has merit since the results are important to broaden the discussion about the fat body within the theme of consumption, allowing to give visibility to this debate and bringing the theme to the knowledge of managers and market professionals who can contribute to expanding access to consumption by this public; in addition to, specifically, contributing to the propagation of studies from the perspective of transformative research and social marketing, encouraging new researchers and new studies within the aforementioned scopes.

The new world of philanthropy: How changing financial behavior, public policies, and COVID-19 affect nonprofit fundraising and marketing.

Evolving financial behavior, an unpredictable public policy atmosphere, and an unparalleled global pandemic have collaborated to disrupt nonprofit fundraising. The COVID‐19 pandemic alone exacerbated consumer demands for nonprofit services while curtailing nonprofit organizations' ability to fundraise. Without fundraising, nonprofit organizations cannot achieve their mission or support their causes, leading to a precarious situation for societal well‐being. Meanwhile, consumers are changing their financial behaviors, with younger generations often going cashless. At the same time, governments continue to change policies that affect nonprofit organizations. In keeping with the transformative consumer research movement, the present study provides a conceptual framework for the state of nonprofit fundraising amid the challenges associated with changes in financial behavior and public policy, coupled with the effects of the global pandemic. Marketing strategies for fundraising success are presented to aid nonprofits going forward and serve societal interests.

The platformed money ecosystem: Digital financial platforms, datafication, and reimagining financial well‐being

AbstractDigital financial platforms have become an integral part of consumers' lives–resulting in the datafication of everyday life and potential for uniquely impacting financial well‐being. Extending previous transformative consumer research, we suggest financial well‐being must center the ways digital financial platforms and their resulting data are increasingly enmeshed with financial decision making and consumption. Drawing on a theoretical lens of platformization, we propose the Platformed Money Ecosystem, which accounts for increased embeddedness of digital financial platforms within consumers' lives and the subtlety of how everyday life is transformed into data: producing data at the micro‐level, monetizing data at the meso‐level, and regulating data at the macro‐level. In conceptualizing the Platformed Money Ecosystem, we identify three data‐informed considerations for scholars and policymakers to reimagine financial well‐being: protecting consumer data, limiting data biases, and supporting data literacy.

Effects of perceived scarcity on COVID-19 consumer stimulus spending: The roles of ontological insecurity and mutability in predicting prosocial outcomes.

In 2021, the United States government provided a third economic impact payment (EIP) for those designated as experiencing greater need due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. With a particular focus on scarcity and ontological insecurity, we collected time‐separated data prior to, and following, the third EIP to examine how these variables shape consumer allocation of stimulus funds. We find that scarcity is positively associated with feelings of ontological insecurity, which, interestingly, correlates to a greater allocation of stimulus funds toward charitable giving. We further find evidence that mutability moderates the relationship between ontological insecurity and allocations to charitable giving. In other words, it is those who feel most insecure, but perceive that their resource situation is within their control, who allocated more to charity giving. We discuss the implications of these findings for theory, policy‐makers, and the transformative consumer research (TCR) movement.

Stronger together: Developing research partnerships with social impact organizations

AbstractA growing number of Transformative Consumer Research (TCR) academic community members are establishing research partnerships with Social Impact Organizations (SIOs) such as nonprofits, public policy entities, and other societally focused organizations and initiatives. These relational engagement partnerships with SIOs are vital for TCR researchers because SIOs have deep connections to people and communities where transformative change takes place. We leverage insights from TCR researchers and SIOs engaged in relational engagement partnerships to outline a framework for such partnerships that supports and sustains these collaborations, furthers knowledge creation, and lays the groundwork for social impact. Our goal is to offer a framework for relational engagement partnerships that can propagate within the TCR community, encouraging fruitful collaborations between TCR researchers and SIOs that have the potential to create positive social impact.

Consumption of Visually Impaired Students Based on the Theory of Consumer Vulnerability and Resilience

This study analyzes the consumption of elementary-school educational service by visually impaired individuals based on the theory of consumer vulnerability and resilience of Baker and Mason (2012). To this end, an ethnographic investigation was performed on a non-governmental organization (NGO) involved in the education of visually impaired students and conducted in accordance with the procedure of Transformative Consumer Research described by Crockett, Downey, Firat et al. (2013). Data were collected through narrative interviews with 16 elementary-school students, six in-depth interviews with managers and teachers from the NGO Lar, and five in-depth interviews with the guardians of the students, in addition to seven months of participant observations. The data were analyzed using the data analysis spiral technique. The results indicate that pressures from the individual, family, school community, and macro forces caused the state of vulnerability. Impotence in the face of practices by school managers and teachers as well as dependence on friendly schools appeared in the form of shock caused by two triggers events: the attempt to enroll students and the first days of school. The resilience of the consumers, the school community, and the NGO contributed to reduce the vulnerability.

Music and well-being: a transformative consumer research perspective

ABSTRACT While much is known about the therapeutic qualities of music, less is understood about its impact on well-being from a holistic perspective. To address this limitation, this study examines how music is used as a resource to manage all aspects of well-being: physical, mental, intellectual and social. Adopting a transformative consumer research perspective, the researchers partnered with community organisations and participants in the design of the research. This study explores experiences of older adults (60–81) and adolescent teenagers (15–17) in Ireland over a seven-month period, using interviews, participant observation of intergenerational music workshops, and participant music diaries to explore this phenomenon. Findings place emphasis on the role of intergenerational social well-being in addition to the role of music in pain management, structuring the everyday, providing purpose, confronting death/uncertainty, and the management of identity formation/loss. Suggestions for social policy and future research are also explored.