Mediation analysis approach to highlight a new consumer behavior concept: the akratic

spending behavior

Authors and affiliations: Meriam Belkhir , Assistant professor of marketing at the university of sfax, Tunisia

Joel Jallais, Emeritus Professor, university of Rennes I. France. Fathi Akrout, Professor at the university of Sfax. Tunisia.

Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January, Ghent

Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Presentation Outline

1) Introduction

2) Research question

3) Research aim

4) Conceptual model

5) Methodology

6) Results

Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Introduction (1/2)

A look into consumer society and writings from critical researchers reveal :

• Prevalence of ambivalent consumption experiences (Van Wessel 2004)

• Spread of permissive attitude toward some consumer behavior (Roberts 2000)

• The rise of new forms of conflicts between : consumer & objects, consumer & society , consumer & himself

(Lipovtsky 2006)

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Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Introduction (2/2)

Displaying buying and spending behaviors not in accordance with the consumer own standards are considered as departures from rationality and are approached as:

Attributed to

Errors , Impulsion , Irresistible desires or even compulsion,

ignorance (judgment errors) Lack of control (impulse) Lack of freedom (in case of compulsion prevalence)

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Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Research question

• Would it be possible to consider cases where the consumer deviates knowingly and freely from what he considers to be the best option?

Aristotle’s answer : Yes Behaviors like this are termed akrasia (sometimes

translated as weakness of will)

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Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Preliminary exploration

Extensive qualitative approach and a first field study (n= 816) allowed as to :

• Define « the akratic spending behavior » as «behavior during which the consumer knowingly deviates from his activated personal standards”

• Reveal a hierarchical structure of this concept with three reflective factors : – Priority subversion

– Product constellation deviation

– Transgression of one’s own principles of appropriate funding.

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Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Research aim

• To establish the theoretical relevance of the developed concept by testing its ability to integrate a theoretical network of established concepts.

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Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Conceptual model

Financial self efficacy

Financial problems

Stress materialism

Conspicuous motivations

Positive Financial practice

Akratic spending Consideration Futur Conseq.

Guilt

Priority subvertion

Constellation deviation

Principle transgression

+

+

+

+

+

_

_

_

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Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Methodology

Applied mediation approach : 2 steps

Sample : convenience sample of 713 consumers. Data collected via a tested questionnaire CFA : test reliability, convergent and discriminant validity.

First : compare two nested models full mediation

versus partial mediation

Results : superiority of the partial mediation model (significant Δχ 2, better fit indexes

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Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Zaho and al.’s approach (2010)

Departure aspects from Baron and Kenny’s (1986) approach:

• The only condition to establish mediation is the significance of the indirect effect (a*b) : no need for the presence of « the effect to be mediated »

• The mediation strength is measured by the size of the indirect effect and not by the absence of a direct effect.

• The authors propose a decision tree to establish mediation and distinguish between 3 cases of mediation and 2 cases of non mediation

Second : examine the mediation role played by akratic spending by following Zaho and al.’s approach (2010)

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Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Mediation approach applied : Zaho and al.’s (2010)

Mediation case Effects signifiance Effects signs

Med

iati

on

ca

ses Complementary

mediation Direct and indirect effects are both significant

Same signs

Competitive mediation

Direct and indirect effects are both significant

Opposite signs

Indirect-only mediation

Indirect effect is significant, direct effect not significant. -

No

n m

edia

tio

n

case

s

Direct only nonmediation

Direct effect is significant, indirect effect is not significant -

No effect nonmediation

Neither direct nor indirect effects is significant. -

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Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Results

Significance of indirect effects were tested by Sobel test. Akratic spending behavior play a role of :

• Complementary mediation (4 cases) • Competitive mediation (2cases) • Indirect only mediation (6 cases)

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Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Indirect only mediation (6 links) (complete or full mediation)

• Indirect only mediation • The prevalence of indirect only mediation, is a proof of

conceptual framework consistency as suggested by Zaho and al. (2010, p.201).

Financial self efficacy

Financial problems

Stress Possessions centrality

Conspicuous motivations

Financial practice

Akratic spending

+

+

+

+

+

+

_

_

_

Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Complementary mediation (4 links) significant direct and indirect effects, in the same direction.

• Complementary mediation :

• However, the magnitude of these significant indirect effects is relatively low compared to direct ones. This result may points to the presence of other possible mediators not incorporated in the model as suggested by Zaho et al. (2010, p.201).

CFC

Financial practices

Financial self efficacy

Financial problems

Stress

Akratic spending +

+

_ _ _

_

Direct effects

_

+

+ _

Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Competitive mediation (2 cases) Direct and indirect effects are both significant but in opposite directions

• Competitive mediation

• Thus, centrality possession generates financial problems only if it involves akratic spending.

Possessions centrality

Financial practices

Financial problems

Stress

Akratic spending

(-)

(+)

+ +

+ -

Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Conclusion

• The use of Zaho and al. (2010) approach allowed us to scrutinize the mediating role played by the new concept of “akratic spending behavior”

• May point to the presence of other mediators not yet studied.

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Meriam Belkhir Assistant professor of marketing, Symposium on mediation analysis 28-29 January 2013, Ghent

Thank you for your attention