No description available.

The current qualitative research was aimed at exploring and describing symbolic consumption and extension of self through possessions during liminality of full-time MBA students, moderated by financial constraint. The main purpose of the study was to gain deeper understanding of the liminal stage of full-time MBA students as consumers, and its effect on the symbolic consumption in the context of restricted financial resources. The main purpose of the research determined its exploratory and inductive nature within the interpretivist philosophy to qualitative inquiry. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants chosen according to the pre-set criteria. Raw data was analysed using constant comparative and content analyses. The main findings of the research showed that during MBA studies as a period of liminality, participants faced the necessity to re-adjust their consumption behaviour in order to fulfil the shifts to new social roles and therefore construct new identities. Being financially constrained, they had to make trade-offs defined by main priorities of this stage in life. As a result, participants re-evaluated their previous consumption behaviour, and adopted a new one appropriate for their new social roles and gained new decisionmaking skills. Through financial constraint as an important moderating variable of the experience, participants gained new understanding of power and value of money which formed their consumption going forward. The outcome of the research contributed to the existing body of knowledge on changes in consumption behaviour of individuals in life transitions, including symbolic consumption and self-extension through possessions. In addition to that, insights gained during research contributed to the understanding of the role financial constraint plays as a moderating variable for consumption in transition. Therefore, the results of the research are of practical value for marketers as they provide valuable insights that can be used for more efficient targeting of appropriate buyer groups. / Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

Demand for new methods of beef production is rising due to concern over potential impacts on human health, animal welfare, and the environment. Researchers at Utah State University have developed a method of beef production from cattle finished on tannin-containing legume forages in the Rocky Mountain Region in order to address those concerns. To ensure success of this product, the demand and marketability needed to be assessed. Food values addressed through new production standards and certifications are communicated through labeling by culinary professionals in the kitchen and behind service counters. This research study utilized qualitative methods to understand how culinary leaders construct meaning regarding non-conventional beef. A discursive analysis of labels, menus, and websites revealed that storytelling and branding are more important than third-party certifications. Thematic analysis of interviews with culinary professionals discovered participants are open to new products but environmental concern was tempered by concern for pleasing customers and hindered by planning a menu around consistency and quality. This research found that the success of beef from cattle finished on tannin-containing legume forages is dependent on the benefits being communicated in a way that emphasizes authenticity, tradition, and standards of quality necessary for culinary professionals.

Modern lifestyles in the developed regions of the world operate beyond our planet's resource capacity. Over-consumption has not only proven detrimental for the environment, but has also undermined our capacity to achieve deep life satisfaction and societal well-being. Embracing more sustainable ways of consuming and producing is key in order to foster the conditions for humanity to flourish. Strategies for disrupting the dominant consumption patterns lie within the next challenges, as adoption of sustainable innovation is still disappointingly low and needs to be accelerated. Design for Sustainability has contributed important technological advances to improve production and life cycle efficiency (i.e. eco design, cradle to cradle). However, it is increasingly recognised that sustainability is not just a technical matter, but ultimately a cultural issue. One of the problems is that people perceive sustainability as a loss, rather than a gain. Therefore, to drive demand, there is urgency to better understand users aspirations and expectations, i.e. the cultural and socio-symbolic aspects of consumption that influence decision-making. This thesis argues that the perceived value of sustainable innovations can be enhanced by paying more attention to the elaboration of meanings or symbolic value they bring to bear for the user, which can be achieved by strategically framing innovations using high-value contextual signifiers (cultural codes). Drawing on cognitive science, cultural studies and applied semiotics, this research contributes a theoretical framework and case studies of how these theories can support the design process in mapping sociocultural contexts, in order to elaborate sustainable innovations that are perceived as aspirational and relevant. The theory is applied to the case of sustainable Product-Service Systems (PPS bottom-up social innovations) due to the opportunities these pose for systemic disruption, and the cultural barriers for adoption. Through a series of Participatory Action Research interventions, the investigation developed three case studies of how of the framework may benefit sustainable PSS value proposition framing and design, with one application in the context of design education to support the development of designers critical and sociocultural deconstruction capacity and skills. Finally, in exploring the potential that cultural codes offer to improve the design and value proposition of sustainable innovations, this thesis contributes and advances a new perspective for understanding symbolic aspects of consumption, and highlights opportunities for sustainable design to have greater influence in societal transformation.

This dissertation focuses on the digital presentation of athletification, a process through which non-athletes incorporate an athletic identity into their self-concept. Although many studies have explored consumer behavior driven by team identification and how athletes manage impressions on social media, extant literature has devoted little attention to the symbolic meaning of virtual athletic identity and its impact on consumption from a non-athlete’s perspective. Using a multimethod approach, this dissertation is divided into three standalone essays and examines the following in the context of influencer marketing: 1) the use and role of digital athletic identity in building a digital self-brand; 2) the motivation and consequences of constructing a digital identity; and 3) the impact of a digital athletic identity on consumers. This dissertation contributes to the literature by constructing a theoretical foundation for athletification as a self-branding tool on social media and uncovering its influence on consumers’ attitudes and behaviors. These studies offer insights for social media influencers and marketers attempting to leverage their impacts on consumers. Findings also provide actionable strategies that could improve the promotional messages presented online. / Tourism and Sport

The Advertising role on the consumption society promotion has been seen as central and decisive. On the other hand is necessary to question the human consumption behavior that reflect their social, cultural and place motivation as a way to demonstrate their identities (CAMPBELL, 2006). In this way, is up to us relating this identity demonstration process trough the consumption behavior with the advertising practice. To this end we worked with the assumptions of Charaudeau (2006) about his concept of the Communication Contract that allowed us to create analysis categories to make a critic and reflexive observation of advertising commercials from broadcast television signed by companies know worldwide. So, and from theoretical and comparative cases analysis, we could understand the reasons by which the consumption gets this institutionalization degree in our society and how the advertising strategy is influenced by the consumption logics, which pre-define its strategy, orient their shape and restrict their content. / O papel da Comunicação Publicitária no fomento da sociedade de consumo é visto como central e decisivo. Por outro lado, é necessário questionar os hábitos de consumo do ser humano que repercutem suas motivações sociais, culturais e de pertencimento como uma forma de externalizar identidades (CAMPBELL, 2006). Cabe-nos aqui relacionar esse processo de demonstração identitária, através do consumo, com a prática da Comunicação Publicitária. Para tal empreendimento valemo-nos dos pressupostos de Charaudeau (2006), acerca do contrato de comunicação, que nos possibilitou a formatação de categorias de análise para a observação reflexiva e crítica de vídeos publicitários veiculados em televisão aberta e assinados por empresas conhecidas internacionalmente. Desta forma, e a partir de análises teóricas e comparativas de casos, pudemos compreender os motivos pelos quais o consumo ganhou este grau de institucionalização na nossa sociedade e como a estratégia publicitária é influenciada pelas lógicas de consumo, as quais pré-definem suas estratégias, orientam seus formatos e restringem seus conteúdos.

Submitted by Fabricia Fialho Reginato (fabriciar) on 2015-08-27T00:12:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 CamilaWinkler.pdf: 3824416 bytes, checksum: 26025fe88071164a6cb893a26d65e04c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-27T00:12:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CamilaWinkler.pdf: 3824416 bytes, checksum: 26025fe88071164a6cb893a26d65e04c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Nenhuma / Atualmente as discussões sobre os significados do consumo tem se tornado mais constante, juntamente com estas discussões abre-se espaço para investigar quais os papeis dos objetos em uma sociedade. Mediante estes argumentos, os objetos são vistos como bens simbólicos, e como estes passam a agregar elementos tangíveis e intangíveis. Outro fator que contribui para esta discussão é o peso deste valor simbólico como forma diferenciadora de valores entre os objetos. Identifica-se na experiência de consumo uma forma de aliar valores simbólicos, inovando o sentido dos objetos perante seus consumidores. Este estudo fundamenta-se na busca de novos argumentos que visem conquistar estas necessidades de mercados que se apresentam, estimulando as funções estéticas e sensoriais na busca de respostas emocionais de consumo positivas. Investigando as experiências de consumo do mercado joalheiro, para compreender os seus significados e respostas emocionais, esta pesquisa realizou tal investigação, tendo como referências os conhecimentos do Design para Experiência e Design Emocional. O propósito desta investigação foi atribuir estes conhecimentos a um processo de projeto guiado pela visão do Design Estratégico. A motivação deste projeto está baseada nas novas necessidades do mercado, em unir os estímulos emocionais em projetos de Design, buscando, desta maneira, inovações no consumo. / The current discussions about the meanings of consumption have become more constant, within this discussions, an space to explore the roles of objects in the society is perceived. By these arguments, objetcts are idealized as simbolic goods, and begin to add tangible and intangible elementos. Another factor that contributes to this discussion is the weight of this symbolic value as a way to evaluate values between objects. It’s possible to identify, the consumption experience as a way of combining symbolic values, resulting as a innovation of meaning before it’s consumers. This study is based on the search for new arguments which aim to conquer this markets needs that arise, stimulating aesthetic and sensory functions in the search for positive emotional responses within the consumption. Investigating the consumer experience in the jewelry market, willing to comprehend it’s meanings and emotional answers, this research conducted such investigation, having as references the knowledges of Experience Design and Emocional Design. The purpose of this investigation was to attribute these findings to a design process, guided by the visiono f Strategic Design. The motivation os this Project is based on the new needs os the market, uniting emocional stimulation in Design projects, seeking in this way innovations towards consumption theories.

L'introduction des formats de distribution alimentaire modernes dans le paysage commercial des pays émergents suscite des interrogations sur l'impact que cela produit sur les comportements de consommation et de magasinage des acheteurs locaux. La persistance du commerce traditionnel, ancré dans la culture locale, couplée à l'implantation d'enseignes de distribution modernes, renvoyant à l'image « idéalisée » de l'Occident, exerce une tension sur les goûts et les habitudes de consommation autochtones. Cette recherche doctorale explore les significations culturelles données aux pratiques de consommation et de magasinage dans ces pays en s'appuyant sur une importante étude qualitative de type ethnographique réalisée au Maroc. Les résultats montrent que l'introduction des formats modernes de vente sur ce marché émergent qui porte des valeurs socio-culturelles différentes de celles des pays d'importation est à l'origine de l'apparition de comportements hybrides ou de pratiques d'adoption sélective à travers lesquels les consommateurs cherchent à articuler des codes et des dimensions symboliques contrastés en vue de donner sens à leur consommation. En outre, la dualité du système de distribution accentue la logique du jeu des classes en amplifiant les tendances au marquage social du statut via la mise en scène (au sens de Goffman) de la consommation et de l'appropriation des espaces de vente. Par ailleurs, si l'introduction des nouveaux formats de vente constitue une vraie menace pour le commerce traditionnel, elle favorise par la même occasion la réorganisation du secteur, la diversification de l'activité de ses acteurs et l'amélioration de leurs pratiques de gestion. / The introduction of modern food retail formats in the emerging countries' commercial landscape raises questions on the impact it causes on the local buyers' consumption and shopping behavior. Anchored in the local culture, the persistence of traditional business coupled with the implementation of modern retail chains that put forth an ‘idealistic' image of the Western societies causes tensions on consumers' native tastes and habits. This doctoral research explores the cultural meanings given by consumers to shopping and consumption practices in these countries based on a large ethnographic qualitative study performed in Morocco. Results show that the introduction of modern sales formats in emerging markets where socio-cultural values differ from those of the importing countries causes hybrid behaviors or selective adoption practices to emerge through which consumers try to articulate contrasted codes and symbolic dimensions in an effort to give meaning to their consumption. In addition, the dual distribution system accentuates the social class game amplifying trends in social status tagging through the staging of consumption (as per Goffman) and the appropriation of the retail spaces. Furthermore, if the introduction of new retail formats is a real threat to traditional retailers, it favors by the same token the reorganization of this sector, the diversification of the activities by its actors as well as the enhancement of their management practices.

The existing literature in marketing and consumer behavior tends to adopt a somewhat static view of membership and belonging, focusing on the status uncertainty that surrounds new group aspirants. In the literature, the portrayal of becoming a member is one of a logical step-by-step process as members move toward the top of the social hierarchy and secure status. An underlying assumption of this process is that once an individual secures membership through status, that individual is no longer uncertain about their membership or belonging. This thesis presents an alternative to this static step-by-step view and introduces the idea of the belonging paradox. A belonging paradox is a recursive cycle of an unsolvable duality of simultaneous inclusion and exclusion that can result from idiosyncratic factors such as gender, race, disability or self-doubt. This thesis also develops a new conceptual framework or perspective on the concept of belonging by integrating Uncertainty-Identity Theory, Self-Verification Theory and Symbolic Self-Completion Theory into a more dynamic and fluid understanding about the nature of belonging. Through the introduction of the belonging paradox and the new conceptual framework of belonging, a more comprehensive understanding of belonging emerges. Specifically, the belonging paradox suggests that beyond the initial stages of striving for group membership, uncertainty of belonging can continue to be a pervasive, continuous struggle even for committed hardcore group members. Through an analysis of the skateboarding subculture, this thesis illustrates how members continuously construct and shape their own belonging experience within groups. It also demonstrates the different ways members use consumption to try to cope with the duality and constant tension of the belonging paradox as well as explores the link between uncertainty and the ability to play with identities. This leads to a number of theoretical and managerial contributions. / Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2011-11-27 17:42:26.54

本研究以統一超商公仔代言人OPEN家族成員為觀察對象，分析其商品符號之迷群樣態，並將這樣的迷群現象與源自日本的贈品及可愛文化相連結，說明其消費意涵。 本研究的理論根據為Baudrillard的符號消費理論以及John Fiske關於迷現象的論述。研究發現，OPEN將從最初的贈品形式演變為超商集點活動的贈品主角，並進一步走上獨立品牌的道路。迷群透過不斷地消費OPEN家族這個可愛符號，達至閃躲社會規範的愉悅感以及對美好童年的懷舊想望。她們對於「可愛商品」的喜愛，其重要關鍵便是OPEN家族成員的形貌之為符號，背後所指涉的「嬰兒貌」（infancy）特質。本研究的受訪者之為迷群，展現了典型「迷」的特質，他們藉由在網路上大量貼出自己的蒐藏與OPEN家族成員的合照，作為一種文化資本的累積，為其顯著的迷群樣態。另外，這些迷群也會在網路上積極的貼文、串聯，無論是線上或線下的迷群活動均十分積極。 / The present study takes mascots of the 7-Eleven convenience stores in Taiwan　as the research objects. Through the analysis of the fans characteristics who love the symbols (i.e. the mascots), this research hopes to link the fandom to the “kawaii” and free gift cultures originated from Japan. This study adopts Baudrillard’s symbolic consumption and John Fiske’s fans theories to interpret this fandom culture prominent in Taiwan. It reveals that products of the “OPEN-jiang Family,” created by 7-Eleven convenience store, emerged originally as free gifts but gradually transform themselves to paid and even collected items as they garner more support from the zealous consumers. Through continuous consuming behaviors on these merchandises with “kawaii”characters, fans are able to escape social norms that discourage adults to act like mascot-loving children. Fans interviewed said that their love for OPEN-jiang, resulted from their consuming behaviors, help them to regain fabulous childhood memories and pleasure. The key concept behind these “kawaii” symbolic consumptions is “child-like infancy. “In addition, through the sharing of a large quantity of photos on their collections, fans treat the behavior of such capital accumulation as their main goal in fans’ life. They also actively communicate and interact with each other, both online and offline, sharing a feeling of camaraderie in the fan community.