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Pirates of the box : Resource plunderers and collaboration within the CrossFit tribe

This paper addresses the concept of consumer tribes, and how various resource exchanges and plundering is carried out within this context. The concept of plundering has been introduced in research, yet only from a theoretical point of view. Hence this study provides a first attempt at taking the concept of plundering from a theoretical representation to an embodied explanation. This was examined through an ethnographic method consisting of 70 hours participating observations, 237 observations online and seven interviews. The chosen context of this study was a CrossFit box. Three major findings have been revealed. First, plundering of resources only occur outside the tribe with external actors, while an in-group mentality prevail in exchanges occurring inside the tribe. The second finding reveals that plundering can be carried out despite present motives or inducements as love or passion towards specific products or brands. The third finding holds that the consumer tribe exhibit consumers engagement in an interplay of logics and modes of exchanges to enable plundering, heighten their endowment and benefit the community. Finally, marketing managers are advised to see plundering as a playful challenge that nonetheless could provide opportunities since consumers share their prey with other devoted and passionate members and mutual plundering exist within this context.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-298473
Date January 2016
CreatorsElina, Lindholm, Katrin, Bjälkenfalk
PublisherUppsala universitet, Företagsekonomiska institutionen, Uppsala universitet, Företagsekonomiska institutionen
Source SetsDiVA Archive at Upsalla University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeStudent thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text
Formatapplication/pdf
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

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