Intermediate Role of Rational Spending in The Effect of Responsibility Consciousness on Utility Consumption Style

Abstract

Within the scope of this research, it was revealed whether rational spending (with and without credit cards) has a mediating role in the effect of responsibility consciousness on utilitarian consumption style. In addition, it was determined whether the level of responsibility consciousness affects utilitarian consumption style and rational spending and whether rational spending affects utilitarian consumption. Research data were collected using the questionnaire technique. Data were collected from 479 students, 129 academics and 71 administrative staff. The collected data were analysed using SPSS 26 and PROCESS v4.2 plugin. In the research, first of all, the dimensions of responsibility consciousness, utilitarian consumption style and rational spending scales were determined with the help of explanatory factor analysis. As a consequence of the factor analysis, responsibility awareness and utilitarian consumption are one dimension; the rational spending scale was determined to have two dimensions: rational spending habit without credit cards and rational use of credit cards. As a consequence of the intermediation analysis, it was concluded that the consciousness of responsibility affects rational spending without credit cards, rational use of credit cards and utilitarian consumption. In addition, it was supposed that rational spending without credit cards and rational use of credit cards affect utilitarian consumption, and rational spending without credit cards affects rational use of credit cards. The serial mediation analysis using Model 6 determined that the consciousness of responsibility affects utilitarian consumption serially (one after the other) through rational spending (rational use of credit cards and rational spending habits without credit cards).