The Tao of consumption: private self in a collective culture

Abstract

PurposeCollectivism in service research is so bound with Asian cultures as to risk being overly deterministic. Contesting this stereotype, this paper surfaces the individualistic consumption facets of consumers within a collectivist cultural setting, describing the compensating role servicescapes may play and the service marketing opportunities they present.Design/methodology/approachWithin a Chinese cultural research frame, a qualitative grounded approach is adopted that surfaces subconscious metaphors of private consumption through photo elicitation, deep psychological metaphor elicitation and triangulated with field observation.FindingsIndividuals within a collectivist culture do actively seek private psychic space to regenerate the self and prepare for social obligations heavily influenced by Confucian norms. Servicescapes play an important role in private consumption as they provide both a physical and mental oasis of privacy not easily obtainable in regular life and work.Practical implicationsService providers could offer East Asian consumers a package that includes the individual aspect of their value system, whenever and however they see suitable. More specifically, servicescapes can be designed to provide services that facilitate consumer restoration by implementing the mental metaphors consumers of have this process.Social implicationsA stereotype of a consumption has grown around Chinese consumers that while not totally false, misses a vital aspect of human values and risks missing profitable market niches. Consideration of the whole person's collective-individualistic cycle benefits both the consumer and the business.Originality/valueMoving beyond a one-dimensional description of East Asian consumer behavior, focused on collective values, we show the key role servicescapes play in private consumption. A psychological renewal of the self, in preparation to re-enter the collective, show the multiple aspects of Asian consumers.

A consumer cultural paradox: exploring the tensions between traditional and international education

“…Marketing communication styles could encompass the different poles in a tension (De Mooij, 2004), such that visuals in promotional materials could signal contemporary values while the text content focuses on traditional norms, or vice versa. The careful balance between them might rely on multiple cues and symbols (Warden et al. , 2021).…”

“…Recognizing how the opposing tensions interact could inform service design. For example, the servicescape for providing the service might feature a traditional appearance but provide novel experiences (Warden et al. , 2021), by incorporating service design elements that consumers value across seemingly conflicting cultural perspectives (Venkatraman and Nelson, 2008).…”

“…Marketing communication styles could encompass the different poles in a tension (De Mooij, 2004), such that visuals in promotional materials could signal contemporary values while the text content focuses on traditional norms, or vice versa. The careful balance between them might rely on multiple cues and symbols (Warden et al, 2021). Because local and global cultural identities become more or less salient, according to situational factors (Ng et al, 2021), we also suggest tailoring marketing communications in accordance with the salience of paradoxical tensions, which may make it easier for consumers to process and reconcile seemingly conflicting messages.…”

“…The tension between complexity versus simplicity also suggests that educational service providers could incorporate traditional elements such as cultural visits and social service hours in ways that encourage students to apply their new knowledge to performing these activities. Finally, the servicescape might feature a traditional appearance but provide novel experiences (Warden et al, 2021), by incorporating service design-specific elements that consumers value across seemingly conflicting cultural perspectives (Venkatraman and Nelson, 2008). Individual versus group.…”

“…Recognizing how the opposing tensions interact could inform service design. For example, the servicescape for providing the service might feature a traditional appearance but provide novel experiences (Warden et al, 2021), by incorporating service design elements that consumers value across seemingly conflicting cultural perspectives (Venkatraman and Nelson, 2008). Marketing communication styles could encompass the different poles in a tension (De Mooij, 2004), such that visuals in promotional materials could signal contemporary values while the text content focuses on traditional norms, or vice versa.…”