ABSTRACT

This article investigates the effect of reference group comparison on compensatory consumption for bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) consumers. While existing research reveals a relationship between upward social comparisons and compensatory consumption, there has been minimal focus on how BOP consumers react to such comparisons. By conducting multiple studies targeting low-income but educated employees of different organizations, this research demonstrates that BOP consumers engage in conspicuous consumption behavior; in particular, they prefer conspicuous material goods when undergoing reference group comparisons (both upward and downward), which is a marked contrast from their more affluent peers and the western population. Furthermore, while incidental envy explains the underlying mechanism of the relationship between upward reference group comparison and conspicuous material consumption, anxiety is the mediator between downward reference group comparison and conspicuous material consumption for BOP consumers. Overall, this research significantly contributes to the BOP and compensatory consumption literature and has managerial implications for marketers serving BOP markets.

摘要

本文研究了参考组比较对金字塔底层 (BOP) 消费者补偿性消费的影响。虽然现有研究揭示了向上的社会比较与补偿性消费之间的关系，但很少关注国际收支平衡消费者对这种比较的反应。通过针对不同组织的低收入但受过教育的员工进行多项研究，本研究表明，BOP 消费者存在炫耀性消费行为；特别是，在进行参照组比较（向上和向下）时，他们更喜欢引人注目的物质商品，这与较富裕的同龄人和西方人口形成鲜明对比。此外，附带嫉妒解释了向上参考群体比较与炫耀性物质消费之间关系的潜在机制，而焦虑则是BOP消费者向下参考群体比较与炫耀性物质消费之间的中介变量。总体而言，这项研究对国际收支和补偿性消费文献做出了重大贡献，并对服务于国际收支市场的营销人员具有管理意义。