Impact of smartphones, self-determination and patience on subjective well-being of bottom of pyramid customers

Author Affiliation

Huma Amir is Assistant Professor Marketing at Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi

Faculty / School

School of Business Studies (SBS)

Department

Department of Marketing

Was this content written or created while at IBA?

Yes

Document Type

Article

Source Publication

Revista Brasileira de Marketing

ISSN

2177-5184

Disciplines

Accounting | Business | Business Administration, Management, and Operations

Abstract

Study objective: This paper analyzes the impact of non-essential purchases, particularly smartphones, and patience on self-determination and subjective well-being of bottom of pyramid customers. Method: 665 questionnaires were personally administered to respondents. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS SEM) was performed using SmartPLS software to test multiple dependency relationships between non-essential purchases, self-determination, subjective well-being and patience. Main results: Non-essential purchases, particularly smartphones, had a direct effect on self-determination and an indirect effect on subjective well-being of bottom of pyramid customers. Non-essential purchases fulfilled psychological need for self-determination, that led to subjective well-being. Moreover, patience was established as a significant predictor of self-determination and subjective well-being. Theoretical/ methodological contributions: This paper makes a theoretical contribution by connecting social identity theory, self-determination theory and patience with non-essential purchases and subjective well-being of bottom of pyramid customers. Relevance/ originality: Relatively fewer researches are available in Western marketing literature that connect patience with self-determination and subjective well-being of bottom of pyramid customers. The novel insight of this research showed that nonessential purchases can restore a sense of subjective well-being in such customers and when poverty related adverse situations tend to lower subjective well-being of these customers, patience positively impacts their self-determination and does not let them despair. Managerial and social implications: Marketers can use the insights from this research to develop products that satisfy bottom of pyramid customer’s psychological needs for self-determination that lead to subjective wellbeing in a consumer society.

Indexing Information

HJRS - Y Category, Web of Science - Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)

Publication Status

Published

Link to Full Text

Find in your library

Share

COinS