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When feeling good counts! Impact of consumer gratitude and life satisfaction in access-based services

Chou, Cindy Yunhsin, Leo, Wei Wei Cheryl, Tsarenko, Yelena, Chen, Tom (2023) When feeling good counts! Impact of consumer gratitude and life satisfaction in access-based services. European Journal of Marketing, 57 (2). pp. 626-652. ISSN 0309-0566. (doi:10.1108/EJM-08-2021-0655) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:107083)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided. (Contact us about this Publication)
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-08-2021-0655

Abstract

Purpose

Informed by the broaden-and-build theory of emotions, this study aims to investigate the relationships between consumers’ motives and personal and social outcomes in access-based services (ABS). Further, drawing on territorial behaviour literature, the second goal of this research is to test the moderating effects of psychological ownership on the relationships between personal outcomes and consumer territorial behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

This research comprises a quantitative online survey complemented by a qualitative interview study. The quantitative study employed an online consumer panel survey of 317 samples. Later, the qualitative study sought additional insights into the economic benefit motives and manifestation of territorial behaviour of bicycle-sharing users to enrich the results of quantitative study. The quantitative data were analysed using structural equation modelling, and the interviews were transcribed and analysed using an inductive and deductive thematic analysis.

Findings

The results indicated that specific motives significantly affected certain personal outcomes. Namely, economic benefit, enjoyment and reputation motives drove life satisfaction, while enjoyment, sustainability and social relationships promoted feelings of gratitude. Furthermore, life satisfaction positively affected consumer cooperation, helping other consumers and territorial behaviour. In contrast, feelings of gratitude had a positive relationship with cooperation and helping other consumers, but a negative one with territorial behaviour. Additional examination revealed that consumers’ psychological ownership of the shared bicycle in an ABS model moderated the effect of gratitude on consumer territorial behaviour.

Research limitations/implications

This study offers and tests a model on ABS in the context of bicycle-sharing services. Thus, it presents avenues to test the model on other ABS, e.g. clothing or home sharing.

Practical implications

Managers in ABS can foster positive emotional states of gratitude and life satisfaction that will inevitably promote consumer cooperation and helping behaviour.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to propose and examine a model that tests the relationships between consumers’ motives and personal and social outcomes in ABS.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1108/EJM-08-2021-0655
Subjects: H Social Sciences
Divisions: Divisions > Kent Business School - Division > Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship and International Business
Depositing User: Professor Tom Chen
Date Deposited: 24 Sep 2024 11:35 UTC
Last Modified: 25 Sep 2024 13:14 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/107083 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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