Status and sustainability

Abstract

Purpose Conspicuous consumption and sustainable consumption are commonly understood as being in contradiction with each other. Yet, scholars have recently become increasingly interested in examining positive relationships between these forms of consumption. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the synergies and contradictions between sustainable and luxury consumption and proposing whether and how conspicuous motives can foster a shift towards sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries in general and Egypt in particular. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a conceptual note, intended as a starting point and acting as an eye-opener regarding the values inherent in both conspicuous and sustainable consumption and the potential influence that conspicuous motivations could have on the latter. Findings The paper discusses the possibilities for and limitations of conspicuous motives to foster sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries in the Middle East. The adoption of westernized lifestyles, spreading in Middle Eastern countries, can represent a venue for motivating sustainable consumption behaviours as a means of status distinction. On the other hand, the trickle-down effect and the preconditions of visibility and exclusiveness pose risks on promoting sustainable consumption by addressing conspicuous motives. Practical implications The paper suggests that the synergistic interplay between conspicuous and sustainable consumption, as well as barriers and motivations underpinning both constructs, needs to be empirically researched, while factoring in the cultural specifics of the countries under study, as cultural nuances can influence the dynamics of interaction between conspicuous and sustainable behaviours. Originality/value Given the salience of the relationship between luxury and sustainable consumption and the focus of most studies on early-industrialized countries, insights regarding the possible influences of conspicuous motives on sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries are warranted. With the scarcity of research examining the ambiguous relationship between conspicuous and sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries, this paper contributes by providing insights about the conditions that can help conspicuous motives promote sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries.

Sustainable clothing: Why conspicuous consumption and greenwashing matter

“…Only when consumers perceive that sustainable clothing will make an actual environmental impact, they will be motivated to display their environmental engagement by purchasing these products. This finding makes a significant contribution to the literature on conspicuous consumption (e.g., Ali et al, 2019;Amatulli et al, 2018;Griskevicius et al, 2010;Hammad et al, 2019;Johnson et al, 2018) because this moderation mechanism has not been proposed previously.…”

“…The consumption of sustainable clothing allows consumers to signal to others their contribution to the improvement of the common good environment. By showing that sustainable clothing plays a significant role as conspicuous displays, our study contributes to the stream of literature on conspicuous consumption motives as a driver of sustainable consumption (Ali et al, 2019;Amatulli et al, 2018;Griskevicius et al, 2010;Hammad et al, 2019;Johnson et al, 2018;Policarpo & Aguiar, 2020).…”

Social cynicism, greenwashing, and trust in green clothing brands

“…Because greenwashing perceptions mediate the relationship between social cynicism and brand trust, these individuals' trust in sustainable fashion brands will be less affected by their degree of social cynicism. Prior literature on conspicuous consumption has studied its antecedents (Bronner & de Hoog, 2019; Han et al, 2010; Johnson et al, 2018; Sun et al, 2020) and its effects on proenvironmental consumption (Griskevicius et al, 2010; Hammad et al, 2019; Podoshen & Andrzejewski, 2012). Our findings contribute to this theory because we show that conspicuous consumption can affect consumers' trust in sustainable brands by modulating the effect of consumers' cynicism on brand trust, through its moderating effect on the greenwashing‐trust link, which mediates the influence of cynicism on trust.…”

“…Conspicuous consumption has been identified as a motive for proenvironmental consumer behavior (Hammad et al, 2019; Sun et al, 2022). The use or acquisition of green products can enhance social status by increasing prosocial reputation or as a sign of wealth (Kohlová & Urban, 2020).…”

“…Finally, while the positive effect of conspicuous consumption—the need to signal status through possessions as a means of self‐expression (O'Cass & McEwen, 2004)—on clothing choices and consumption (Cronje et al, 2016; Piacentini & Mailer, 2004) has been discussed in the literature, research on the link between conspicuous and sustainable consumption has been scarce (Hammad et al, 2019). Our framework studies the moderating effect of conspicuous motive on the indirect influence of social cynicism as a personality trait on brand trust regarding green garments.…”