@article{BalderjahnHoffmannHuettel2023, author = {Balderjahn, Ingo and Hoffmann, Stefan and H{\"u}ttel, Alexandra}, title = {How empowerment and materialism contribute to anti-consumers' well-being}, series = {European journal of marketing}, volume = {57}, journal = {European journal of marketing}, number = {4}, publisher = {Emerald}, address = {Bradford}, issn = {0309-0566}, doi = {10.1108/EJM-04-2020-0284}, pages = {1186 -- 1218}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Purpose Because steadily growing consumption is not beneficial for nature and climate and is not the same as increasing well-being, an anti-consumerism movement has formed worldwide. The renouncement of dispensable consumption will, however, only establish itself as a significant lifestyle if consumers do not perceive reduced consumption as a personal sacrifice. Since prior research has not yielded a consistent understanding of the relationship between anti-consumption and personal well-being, this paper aims to examine three factors about which theory implies that they may moderate this relationship: decision-control empowerment, market-control empowerment and the value of materialism. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is based on data from a large-scale, representative online survey (N = 1,398). Structural equation modelling with latent interaction effects is used to test how three moderators (decision-control empowerment, market-control empowerment and materialism) affect the relationship amongst four types of anti-consumption (e.g. voluntary simplicity) and three different well-being states (e.g. subjective well-being). Findings While both dimensions of empowerment almost always directly promote consumer well-being, significant moderation effects are present in only a few but meaningful cases. Although the materialism value tends to reduce consumers' well-being, it improves the well-being effect of two anti-consumption styles. Research limitations/implications Using only one sample from a wealthy country is a limitation of the study. Researchers should replicate the findings in different nations and cultures. Practical implications Consumer affairs practitioners and commercial marketing for sustainably produced, high-quality and long-lasting goods can benefit greatly from these findings. Social implications This paper shows that sustainable marketing campaigns can more easily motivate consumers to voluntarily reduce their consumption for the benefit of society and the environment if a high level of market-control empowerment can be communicated to them. Originality/value This study provides differentiated new insights into the roles of consumer empowerment, i.e. both decision-control empowerment and market-control empowerment, and the value of materialism to frame specific relationships between different anti-consumption types and various well-being states.}, language = {en} } @article{BalderjahnSeegebarthLee2021, author = {Balderjahn, Ingo and Seegebarth, Barbara and Lee, Michael S. W.}, title = {Less is more!}, series = {Journal of cleaner production}, volume = {284}, journal = {Journal of cleaner production}, publisher = {Elsevier Science}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0959-6526}, doi = {10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124802}, pages = {12}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Enhancing consumer satisfaction and well-being is an important objective of companies, retailers and public policy makers. In the current debate on climate change, a consistent theme is that consumers in developed countries must learn to consume less. The present study (based on representative data sets from the US, N = 1,017, and Germany, N = 1030) addresses these issues by using a scenario-based experiment to analyze how satisfied voluntary simplifiers (people who voluntarily abstain from consumption) are with their purchase decisions in the case of a muesli brand. The research question is whether people who follow a sustainable, simple lifestyle are more satisfied with their daily consumption choices than people who have a more consumerist lifestyle. If so, it would be easier for many people to change their lifestyles and consume less. In addition, this scenario experiment manipulates consumer empowerment and decision complexity since both factors are supposed to influence purchase satisfaction. The results are consistent across both countries and indicate that voluntary simplifiers experience a higher level of purchasing satisfaction than non-simplifiers, whereby empowerment and decision complexity play different roles.}, language = {en} } @article{HuettelBalderjahn2022, author = {H{\"u}ttel, Alexandra and Balderjahn, Ingo}, title = {The coronavirus pandemic}, series = {The Journal of consumer affairs}, volume = {56}, journal = {The Journal of consumer affairs}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1745-6606}, doi = {10.1111/joca.12419}, pages = {68 -- 96}, year = {2022}, abstract = {As a means to preserve present and future generations' living conditions, sustainable consumption presents a route to the enhanced well-being of individuals. However, the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic raises the question of whether society is going to continue down a path of increased awareness of sustainable consumption or whether the pandemic will move people to focus more on themselves. Based on data gathered before and near the end of the first pandemic lockdown in Germany in spring 2020, this research demonstrates that ecological, social, and voluntary simplicity consciousness deteriorated in the minds of sustainability-conscious consumers, with notable impacts on their willingness to spend sustainably and their shopping affinity. Furthermore, we identify segments that show particular vulnerability to the lockdown by reacting with a decrease in their ecological consumption consciousness. This study concludes with a discussion of the pandemic's implications for the spread of sustainable consumption styles and human well-being.}, language = {en} }