Luxury Consumer Identity Projects - A Study of Moral Sensitivity in Luxury Consumption Practices

Abstract

Consumer behavior in the luxury goods market is often characterized by status-seeking and conspicuous buying motivations. These attitudes can plausibly be explained by hedonistic selfcenteredness, which constitutes the base of the post-modern consumerism. Yet, decadent consumption practices repeatedly evoke public criticism about personal irresponsibility, carelessness and disregard for the collective good. While exploring buyers' attitudes in the United Arab Emirates, the current study investigates, how luxury consumers respond to the strong societal drivers for a more responsible consumption. In the environment of a decreasing influence of long-established social categories, luxury consumers are growing concerned about the transformation of the sense of their identity. By investigating two research questions, the study seeks to address the latest socio-cultural transformations: firstly, it inquires whether in the social setting of affluent consumers, a moralism about consumption exists. Secondly, it explores the character of non-market-mediated consumer identity projects underlying luxury consumers' marketplace morality. The study is an empirical inquiry focusing on consumer behavior in luxury furniture segment. Based on semi-structured in-depth consumer interviews, the research analyzes moral attitudes of luxury buyers. While providing a deeper understanding of motivational antecedents in the luxury market, the analysis yields new insights into luxury consumers' marketplace behavior. Furthermore, the study discloses prevalence of moralistic identity work among luxury consumers. From a managerial standpoint, the results call for a greater consideration of the role of ethics in the communication between the production and consumption.