An investigation into conspicuous consumption in a transitional economy: A study of emerging urban Vietnamese consumers

Conspicuous consumption is an interesting facet of consumersa?? desire for worldly goods, and has both theoretical and managerial import for marketers and consumer researchers. This study investigates conspicuous consumption in the context of Vietnam, a transitional economy where the behavior is considered an emergent phenomenon and was not socially accepted in the past. The study addresses the key research issues pertaining to the antecedents and consequences of conspicuous consumption. In this study, a main survey (n = 534) is supplemented by a preliminary qualitative study. The key findings are that status orientations (modern status orientation and traditional status orientation), materialism, self-perception, and consumer ethnocentrism are significant predictors of conspicuous consumption among the emerging consumers in Vietnam. Further, conspicuous consumption is positively related to satisfaction with the conspicuous consumption experience, and in turn consumption satisfaction positively and significantly contributes to satisfaction with life in general.

Author dc:creator

• NGUYEN THI TUYET MAI

• Conspicuous Consumption, Status Orientation, Materialism, Transitional Economy, Vietnam, Structural Equation Modeling