Status consumption and charitable donations: The power of empowerment

Abstract

Status consumption, the act of consuming market offerings aimed at conferring status on the consumer, has often been portrayed as the opposite of charitable donation behavior. In a departure from prior works, this study examines the connection between these two seemingly contradictory behaviors. The results of seven studies (including one in the Supporting Information Appendix) demonstrate that status consumption, considered a self‐centered behavior, leads to increased charitable donations, a prosocial outcome. This effect is driven by a process of empowerment (i.e., increase in the sense of power that consumers derive from status consumption). The underlying mechanism of empowerment is examined using both mediation and moderation methods. Alternative explanations based on objective and perceived wealth, affect, guilt, static and objective power, and self‐presentation concerns are ruled out. Further investigation demonstrates that mere ownership of a status good is not sufficient; the consumption of the said product needs to take place for the effect to occur. Moreover, the predicted effect is attenuated for consumers who only desire but do not have status consumption and for those who believe in high power distance. Taken together, this study advances our understanding of status consumption by demonstrating how and when it empowers consumers to donate.

Don't put me on the spot: The role of perceived intrusiveness in public donation solicitations

“…Across all three studies, we used incentive‐compatible experimental designs by giving participants money that they could either donate or keep for themselves—an established proxy for assessing actual donation behavior (e.g., Jang & Irwin, 2021; Klucarova & He, 2022; Wang et al, 2022). We also mimicked public donation solicitations through the physical presence of others (Study 1) and through a video illustrating the checkout charity scenario (Studies 2 and 3).…”

“…Seventy‐three undergraduate students from a U.S. university participated in a controlled lab experiment that used an incentive‐compatible design as an established proxy for predicting donation behavior (e.g., Bruine de Bruin & Ulqinaku, 2021; Exley, 2020; Jang & Irwin, 2021; Klucarova & He, 2022; Wang et al, 2022). A modified dictator game (Berg et al, 1995) was conducted, where the participants were given real money and tasked with deciding whether or not to donate the money to an assigned charity.…”

Cross‐media synergies between TV news media and social media in charitable crowdfunding

“…While crowdfunding is often utilized for entrepreneurial purposes, both private individuals and non‐profit organizations seeking to raise money for charitable causes can do so via crowdfunding (i.e., Argo et al, 2020; Buskila & Perez, 2022; Choy & Schlagwein, 2016; Liu et al, 2018). In this vein, charitable crowdfunding offers consumers a way of engaging in prosocial behavior, or behavior intended to provide assistance to others in need (i.e., Klucarova & He, 2022; Morvinski, 2022; Winterich & Zhang, 2014). With the ever‐increasing pervasiveness of social media in consumers' lives, charitable causes and crowdfunding campaigns are frequently found on social media (Wallace et al, 2020).…”

Effect of perceived economic mobility and income on charitable behavior

“…. (2022);Han et al (2017);Klucarova and He (2022);Mathur (1996) The present paper investigates the effect of the possibility of elevating status (i.e., perceived economic mobility) on charitable behavior. Results suggest that higher (vs. low) perceived economic mobility increases charitable behavior for lower-income consumers.Other social factors, giftgiving, and charitable behavior This literature stream primarily examines the variations in individual gift-giving and charitable behaviors across different regions, cultural backgrounds, and social contexts.Conceptual/ qualitative/ experimental Lotz et al (2003); Park (1998); Paek et al (2011); Siemens et al (2020) This study provides valuable insights into the impact of perceived economic mobility on consumer charitable behavior in different social contexts.…”