Family life cycle and the life course paradigm: A four-country comparative study of consumer expenditures

Randall Shannon,George Moschis,Thorsten Teichert,Betul Balikcioglu 한국마케팅과학회 2020 마케팅과학연구 Vol.30 No.1

Marketers and academics have long been trying to develop effective segmentation models such as several versions of the family life cycle (FLC), which predicts behavior based on stages people are expected to sequentially experience during their lives. However, stage-based factors have been found poor predictors of consumer behavior, and assumptions held by the FLC model fall short of reality. Despite limitations inherent in family life cycle models and recent developments in other disciplines that have resulted in the replacement of the term “life cycle” with the more continuous concept of the “life course,” marketers are yet to capitalize on such recent developments for improving FLC models. This study shows how the traditional FLC model can be improved by incorporating variables from the life course paradigm (LCP). Although the databases employed do not permit the development of refined FLC stages for testing various assumptions derived from the LCP, the paper provides a “sensitizing” framework for thinking how to improve efforts to study consumers at different FLC stages.

The Effects of Family Strucure and Socialization Influences on Compulsive Buying: A Life Course Study in Thailand

Nguyen Hung Vu,George P. Moschis,Randall Shannon,Kristian Gotthelf 한국마케팅과학회 2009 마케팅과학연구 Vol.19 No.2

Compulsive consumption is regarded as a global phenomenon that can adversely affect consumer well‐being. Although the topic has been studied in different cultural settings, we have seen relatively little theory development and explanations of compulsive behavior Nearly all previous empirical studies attempt to explain this behavior by correlating measures of compulsive behavior with independent variables taken within the same time frame. However, recent developments in social sciences suggest that such a phenomenon may best understood in the context of the person’s earlier‐in‐life experiences. Using the life course paradigm as an overarching framework, the present research extends previous work on this topic. Following hypotheses were drawn from literature review: H 1: The earlier in childhood and adolescence a person experiences family dislocation, the greater his or her likelihood of exhibiting compulsive behaviors in adulthood.  H 2: The earlier in life the young person experienced family dislocation, the greater the number of family disruption events the young person experienced prior entering adulthood years. H 3: Family dislocation leads to (a) increased frequency of socio‐oriented family communications and (b) decreased frequency of concept‐oriented family communication. H 4: Young adults who were raised in families characterized by a strong socio‐oriented communication structure are more likely to exhibit compulsive consumption tendencies than those who were raised in families characterized by a weak socio‐oriented family communication structure. H 5: Young adults who were raised in families characterized by a strong concept‐oriented communication structure are less likely to exhibit compulsive consumption tendencies than those who were raised in families characterized by a week concept‐oriented family communication structure. H 6: The relationship between family disruption events experienced during adolescence and perceived stressfulness of these events is moderated by (a) global family support, (b) emotional family support, and (c) material family support. Those reporting higher levels of family support as teenagers are less likely to report experiencing stress due to family disruption events. H 7: Perceived stressfulness of family disruption events experienced during adolescent years are associated with compulsive consumption tendencies in early adulthood. H 8: The greater the number of family disruption events young adults experienced during their adolescent years the more frequent was their communication about consumption with their peers. H 9: The more frequent was the young persons’ communication with their peers about consumption during their adolescent years, the more likely they are to report compulsive buying tendencies as young adults. We use a sample of 120 Thai undergraduate students attending classes taught in English as part of a four‐year international program. Product‐moment correlations, hierarchical regression analysis and partial correlation were used to analyze data. Results of testing hypotheses showed that hypothesis 2, 4, 7 and 9 were supported and hypothesis 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8 were not supported. Our study did not find a significant relationship between the age when a person experienced family dislocation and their compulsive behavior tendencies expressed as young adults. We did not find a significant relationship between family dislocation and family communication structures. But we found a significant positive relationship between socio‐oriented communication structure and compulsive buying and a significant relationship between our peer communication and compulsive buying measures. Also we found perceived stressfulness due to the disruptive events to have a significant positive relationship between the perceived stressfulness and compulsive buying. Implications from these findings, limitations of this research and future research suggestions wer... Compulsive consumption is regarded as a global phenomenon that can adversely affect consumer well‐being. Although the topic has been studied in different cultural settings, we have seen relatively little theory development and explanations of compulsive behavior Nearly all previous empirical studies attempt to explain this behavior by correlating measures of compulsive behavior with independent variables taken within the same time frame. However, recent developments in social sciences suggest that such a phenomenon may best understood in the context of the person’s earlier‐in‐life experiences. Using the life course paradigm as an overarching framework, the present research extends previous work on this topic. Following hypotheses were drawn from literature review: H 1: The earlier in childhood and adolescence a person experiences family dislocation, the greater his or her likelihood of exhibiting compulsive behaviors in adulthood.  H 2: The earlier in life the young person experienced family dislocation, the greater the number of family disruption events the young person experienced prior entering adulthood years. H 3: Family dislocation leads to (a) increased frequency of socio‐oriented family communications and (b) decreased frequency of concept‐oriented family communication. H 4: Young adults who were raised in families characterized by a strong socio‐oriented communication structure are more likely to exhibit compulsive consumption tendencies than those who were raised in families characterized by a weak socio‐oriented family communication structure. H 5: Young adults who were raised in families characterized by a strong concept‐oriented communication structure are less likely to exhibit compulsive consumption tendencies than those who were raised in families characterized by a week concept‐oriented family communication structure. H 6: The relationship between family disruption events experienced during adolescence and perceived stressfulness of these events is moderated by (a) global family support, (b) emotional family support, and (c) material family support. Those reporting higher levels of family support as teenagers are less likely to report experiencing stress due to family disruption events. H 7: Perceived stressfulness of family disruption events experienced during adolescent years are associated with compulsive consumption tendencies in early adulthood. H 8: The greater the number of family disruption events young adults experienced during their adolescent years the more frequent was their communication about consumption with their peers. H 9: The more frequent was the young persons’ communication with their peers about consumption during their adolescent years, the more likely they are to report compulsive buying tendencies as young adults. We use a sample of 120 Thai undergraduate students attending classes taught in English as part of a four‐year international program. Product‐moment correlations, hierarchical regression analysis and partial correlation were used to analyze data. Results of testing hypotheses showed that hypothesis 2, 4, 7 and 9 were supported and hypothesis 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8 were not supported. Our study did not find a significant relationship between the age when a person experienced family dislocation and their compulsive behavior tendencies expressed as young adults. We did not find a significant relationship between family dislocation and family communication structures. But we found a significant positive relationship between socio‐oriented communication structure and compulsive buying and a significant relationship between our peer communication and compulsive buying measures. Also we found perceived stressfulness due to the disruptive events to have a significant positive relationship between the perceived stressfulness and compulsive buying. Implications from these findings, limitations of this research and future research suggestions were discussed.

Contextual influences on financial preparedness of middle-aged workers: A four-country comparative life course study

Hans Kasper,Anil Mathur,Fon Sim Ong,Randall Shannon,Preecha Yingwattanakul 한국마케팅과학회 2019 마케팅과학연구 Vol.29 No.4

In countries where pensions are not the main responsibility of employers or governments, workers need to plan for their own postretirement financial well-being. This study investigates the financial preparedness of middle-aged workers in the United States, the Netherlands, Thailand, and Malaysia. Within- and between-country differences of three variables – financial satisfaction, financial knowledge, and saving proneness – are examined as indicators of financial preparation and financial well-being. The life course paradigm provides the basis for the conceptual framework. In addition to structural factors unique to each of the four countries, the study considers the effects of contextual variables, including individual attributes, early-in-life socialization experiences, and variables that locate the person in social structures. The results of this exploratory study show how the impact of these variables on the three indicators of financial preparedness of middle- aged workers differs across the four countries. Socioeconomic status is the only variable that positively affects financial satisfaction in all four countries. The results also shed light on the value of the life course approach for understanding individual- and country- based differences in the levels of preparation for financial wellbeing in later life.

The Effects of Family Structure and Socialization Influences on Compulsive Buying

Hung Vu Nguyen,George P,Moschis,Randall Shannon,Kristian Gotthelf 한국마케팅과학회 2009 마케팅과학연구 Vol.19 No.2

冲动购买已经成为一种全球范围內的普遍現像, 它会影響消費者权益。 以往硏究在同一时间框架下解释冲动行为和自變量的关系, 但社會科學的最新进展显示, 这一現象可以通过人的早年生活經历以解釋, 本硏究採用人生因果的硏究范式, 硏究了泰國的靑年人, 爲相关理论发展和未来硏究方向提出了建议。 通过文献硏究, 我们提出下例假說: H1: 個人在童年和靑春期越早經历家庭破裂, 在成年时越有可能发生冲动行为。 H2: 靑年人在他人生中越早經历家庭破裂, 在他进人成年生活的早期發生家庭破碎的事件越多。 H3: 家庭破裂导致(a)社會取向的家庭沟通频率的增加(b)观念向的家庭沟通頻率的減少。 H4: 在具有很强的社會取向的家庭里成長起來的靑年人比在具有较弱的社會取向的家庭里成長起來的靑年人更會産生衝動消費。 H5: 在具有较弱的觀念取向的家庭里成長起來的靑年人比在具有很强的觀念取向的家庭里成長起來的靑年人更有发生衝動消費的趨勢。 H6: (a)全面化家庭支持 (b)和睦家庭支持 (c)物质条件好的家庭支持能调节在靑年期經历的家庭破裂的事件和因为这些事件所受的压力之间的關係。 受到这些家庭支持的靑少年比較不容易經受由于家庭破裂的事件而导致的压力。 H7: 由于靑春期經歷的家庭破碎事件所导致的壓力大和成年初期的衝動消費有關。 H8: 靑年人在他们靑春期經歷的家庭破碎的事件越多, 他们和同龄人之间有關消費的沟通越频繁。 H9: 靑年人在靑春期和同龄人之間有關消費的沟通越频繁, 在靑年时期越有可能有衝動购物症的趋勢。 我们用120名泰國本科學生作为样本。 这些學生參加了作爲四年制國际項目一部分的英語課程。 使用量表之间的相關, 多层归分析和部分相關來分析數據。 假設检验的結果显示假設2, 4, 7和9被支持, 假設1, 3, 5, 6和8不被支持。 亞門的硏究没有发現在個人經歷家庭破裂的年齡和他們成年以后的衝動行为趨勢之間存在显著關係。 没有发現家庭破裂和家庭沟通結构之間存在显著關係。但, 是衙門發現在社會取向的通結构和衝動性购實行行動之間存在显著關係, 与同齡人的沟通和衝動购买之間有显著關係。而且我問發現由于家庭破碎事件所帶來的压力在所受的壓力和衝動購買之間有正的顯著關係。 本文探討了这些發現的启示, 硏究的不足以及對未來硏究的建议。 Compulsive consumption is regarded as a global phenomenon that can adversely affect consumer well-being. Although the topic has been studied in different cultural settings, we have seen relatively little theory development and explanations of compulsive behavior Nearly all previous empirical studies attempt to explain this behavior by correlating measures of compulsive behavior with independent variables taken within the same time frame. However, recent developments in social sciences suggest that such a phenomenon may best understood in the context of the person's earlier-in-life experiences. Using the life course paradigm as an overarching framework, the present research extends previous work on this topic. Following hypotheses were drawn from literature review: H1: The earlier in childhood and adolescence a person experiences family dislocation, the greater his or her likelihood of exhibiting compulsive behaviors in adulthood. H2: The earlier in life the young person experienced family dislocation, the greater the number of family disruption events the young person experienced prior entering adulthood years. H3: Family dislocation leads to (a) increased frequency of socio-oriented family communications and (b) decreased frequency of concept-oriented family communication. H4: Young adults who were raised in families characterized by a strong socio-oriented communication structure are more likely to exhibit compulsive consumption tendencies than those who were raised in families characterized by a weak socio-oriented family communication structure. H5: Young adults who were raised in families characterized by a strong concept-oriented communication structure are less likely to exhibit compulsive consumption tendencies than those who were raised in families characterized by a week concept-oriented family communication structure. H6: The relationship between family disruption events experienced during adolescence and perceived stressfulness of these events is moderated by (a) global family support, (b) emotional family support, and (c) material family support. Those reporting higher levels of family support as teenagers are less likely to report experiencing stress due to family disruption events. H7: perceived stressfulness of family disruption events experienced during adolescent years are associated with compulsive consumption tendencies in early adulthood. H8: The greater the number of family disruption events young adults experienced during their adolescent years the more frequent was their communication about consumption with their peers. H9: The more frequent was the young persons' communication with their peers about consumption during their adolescent years, the more likely they are to report compulsive buying tendencies as young adults. We use a sample of 120 Thai undergraduate students attending classes taught in English as part of a four-year international program. Product-moment correlations, hierarchical regression analysis and partial correlation were used to analyze data. Results of testing hypotheses showed that hypothesis 2, 4, 7 and 9 were supported and hypothesis 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8 were not supported. Our study did not find a significant relationship between the age when a person experienced family dislocation and their compulsive behavior tendencies expressed as young adults. We did not find a significant relationship between family dislocation and family communication structures. But we found a significant positive relationship between socio-oriented communication structure and compulsive buying and a significant relationship between our peer communication and compulsive buying measures. Also we found perceived stressfulness due to the disruptive events to have a significant positive relationship between the perceived stressfulness and compulsive buying. Implications from these findings, limitations of this research and future research suggestions were discussed.

The Effects of Family Structure and Socialization Influences on Compulsive Buying: A Life Course Study in Thailand

Nguyen, Hung Vu,Moschis, George P.,Shannon, Randall,Gotthelf, Kristian Korean Academy of Marketing Science 2009 마케팅과학연구 Vol.19 No.2

Compulsive consumption is regarded as a global phenomenon that can adversely affect consumer well-being. Although the topic has been studied in different cultural settings, we have seen relatively little theory development and explanations of compulsive behavior Nearly all previous empirical studies attempt to explain this behavior by correlating measures of compulsive behavior with independent variables taken within the same time frame. However, recent developments in social sciences suggest that such a phenomenon may best understood in the context of the person's earlier-in-life experiences. Using the life course paradigm as an overarching framework, the present research extends previous work on this topic. Following hypotheses were drawn from literature review: H1: The earlier in childhood and adolescence a person experiences family dislocation, the greater his or her likelihood of exhibiting compulsive behaviors in adulthood. H2: The earlier in life the young person experienced family dislocation, the greater the number of family disruption events the young person experienced prior entering adulthood years. H3: Family dislocation leads to (a) increased frequency of socio.oriented family communications and (b) decreased frequency of concept-oriented family communication. H4: Young adults who were raised in families characterized by a strong socio-oriented communication structure are more likely to exhibit compulsive consumption tendencies than those who were raised in families characterized by a weak socio-oriented family communication structure. H5: Young adults who were raised in families characterized by a strong concept-oriented communication structure are less likely to exhibit compulsive consumption tendencies than those who were raised in families characterized by a week concept-oriented family communication structure. H6: The relationship between family disruption events experienced during adolescence and perceived stressfulness of these events is moderated by (a) global family support, (b) emotional family support, and (c) material family support. Those reporting higher levels of family support as teenagers are less likely to report experiencing stress due to family disruption events. H7: Perceived stressfulness of family disruption events experienced during adolescent years are associated with compulsive consumption tendencies in early adulthood. H8: The greater the number of family disruption events young adults experienced during their adolescent years the more frequent was their communication about consumption with their peers. H9: The more frequent was the young persons' communication with their peers about consumption during their adolescent years, the more likely they are to report compulsive buying tendencies as young adults. We use a sample of 120 Thai undergraduate students attending classes taught in English as part of a four-year international program. Product-moment correlations, hierarchical regression analysis and partial correlation were used to analyze data. Results of testing hypotheses showed that hypothesis 2, 4, 7 and 9 were supported and hypothesis 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8 were not supported. Our study did not find a significant relationship between the age when a person experienced family dislocation and their compulsive behavior tendencies expressed as young adults. We did not find a significant relationship between family dislocation and family communication structures. But we found a significant positive relationship between socio-oriented communication structure and compulsive buying and a significant relationship between our peer communication and compulsive buying measures. Also we found perceived stressfulness due to the disruptive events to have a significant positive relationship between the perceived stressfulness and compulsive buying. Implications from these findings, limitations of this research and future research suggestions were discussed.