Together or alone on the prosocial path amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: the partitioning effect in experiential consumption

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoon-Na Cho ◽  
Ha Eun Kim ◽  
Nara Youn
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Social Safety Net ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Experiential Consumption ◽  
The Social ◽  
Self Construal ◽  
Interdependent Self ◽  
High Control

PurposeDuring these unprecedented times, acts of charity are deemed essential to help individuals in need and support the social safety net. Given the importance of prosocial behavior for survival through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, the authors investigate the effects of partitioning experiential consumption and self-construal on consumer responses.Design/methodology/approachBased on the literature on partitioning and self-construal, the findings across three experimental studies provide novel insights into the interplay between partitioning and self-construal, and offer psychological processes on prosocial and behavioral intention.FindingsIndividuals with predominantly independent (vs. interdependent) self-construals and those primed with independent (vs. interdependent) self-construals showed higher prosocial intention when the experiential product ad was in an aggregated (vs. partitioned) format. The fit between the type of format and self-construal leads to the high control coping mechanism, and ultimately prosocial intention.Originality/valuePartitioning experiential consumption has not been directly examined using self-construal, providing novel insights into consumer reactions during the pandemic. This paper provides practical implications to practitioners and researchers to better understand and adapt to shifting digital consumption patterns.

Through the lens of self-construal

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Haberstroh ◽  
Ulrich R. Orth ◽  
Tatiana Bouzdine-Chameeva ◽  
Justin Cohen ◽  
Armando Maria Corsi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Self ◽  
Consumer Evaluations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Behavior Understanding ◽  
Individual Difference Variable ◽  
The Social ◽  
Self Construal ◽  
Interdependent Self ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose Extending research on cultural differences in aesthetic appreciation, the purpose of this paper is to show how a more interdependent self-construal, a cultural and individual difference variable related to one’s social self, impacts the influence of visual harmony on consumer evaluations of marketing artifacts’ attractiveness. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained via three studies from a total of 1,498 consumers in Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, and Italy. Marketing visuals included the design of products, packages, typefaces, and logos. Self-construal was both measured and manipulated. Findings The results indicate that a person’s self-construal moderates the effect of visual harmony on attractiveness. Specifically, the positive effect of visual harmony on attractiveness – through self-congruity – is more pronounced with consumers possessing a more interdependent self-construal, and with products that are more hedonic than utilitarian. Practical implications Given the pivotal role attractiveness has in influencing consumer behavior, understanding what differences, at the individual and cultural levels, impact the harmony-attractiveness relationship helps marketers to better match the visual design of marketing stimuli to target audiences. Originality/value This study is among the first to show how the social-self impacts consumer response to marketing visuals. Further, value stems from adopting a holistic perspective on design, clarifying the process mechanism, and identifying boundary conditions.

Ambitious fiscal reform faces obstacles in Colombia

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Basic Income ◽  
Social Safety Net ◽  
Fiscal Reform ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tax Revenues ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
The Social ◽  
International Investors

Significance The plans, presented to Congress on April 15, aim to increase tax revenues by an unprecedented COP23.4tn (USD6.4bn) and make permanent a basic income programme started during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such moves would help fill the fiscal hole created during the pandemic and strengthen the social safety net. However, their advancement will be difficult. Impacts Failure to pass fiscal reform, or the passing of a watered-down bill, would damage Colombia’s credibility with international investors. Ongoing pandemic challenges and lockdowns will see firms and households require support well into 2021. A permanent basic income for poor households would be an important step towards a more progressive social policy.

What is the actual prevalence of medical bankruptcies?

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (12) ◽  
pp. 1284-1299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald D. Hackney ◽  
Daniel Friesner ◽  
Erica H. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Social Safety Net ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health Event ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Medical Bills ◽  
Actual Prevalence

Purpose Medical bankruptcies occur when an individual experiences an acute or chronic health event, and the costs of care exceed the individual’s ability to pay. In such cases, the individual typically files for bankruptcy. There is an extensive literature that estimates the prevalence of medical bankruptcy, but studies either select a population whose medical care is extremely expensive or chooses ad hoc thresholds for medical bankruptcy categorizations. In both cases, the prevalence of medical bankruptcy is biased. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the actual prevalence of medical bankruptcies in a manner that avoids these limitations. Design/methodology/approach Data are randomly drawn from a single US Bankruptcy Court district. Following the literature, an ad hoc threshold of medical debts which places the bankruptcy filer “at risk” for a medical bankruptcy is postulated. Misclassification analyses are used to estimate the likelihood of a medical bankruptcy filing while adjusting for the use of ad hoc thresholds. Findings The naive prevalence of medical bankruptcy is 23.1 percent, but exceeds 50 percent when accounting for misclassification. Many individuals are “ostensibly” medically bankrupt. They are already seriously indebted, and any outside financial shock, including but not limited to medical bills, can push these debtors into insolvency. Originality/value Bankruptcy is an important social safety net. An improved understanding of the types and magnitudes of medical debts which precipitate a bankruptcy filing can lead to policies that improve outcomes for bankruptcy filers and reduce the social costs of bankruptcy.

Persuasiveness of anti-smoking messages: self-construal and message focus

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 398-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Yang ◽  
Xiaoli Nan ◽  
Xinyan Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Smoking Prevention ◽  
General Belief ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Prevention Messages ◽  
Self Construal ◽  
Interdependent Self ◽  
Personal Consequences ◽  
Construal Priming

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of independent vs interdependent self-construal in non-smokers’ responses to an anti-smoking message that focuses on either personal or relational consequences of smoking. Design/methodology/approach Two web-based experimental studies were conducted among US college non-smokers. In the first study, participants’ self-construal was measured. Then participants were randomly assigned to view an anti-smoking message emphasizing either relational or personal consequences of smoking. Message evaluation, smoking attitudes, and behavioral intentions were assessed after message exposure. The second study followed the same procedure except that participants’ self-construal was manipulated by randomly assigning participants to an independent or interdependent self-construal priming task prior to message exposure. Findings Both studies showed a noticeable pattern of interaction between message focus and self-construal: non-smokers with a salient interdependent self-construal responded more favorably to an anti-smoking message emphasizing personal (vs relational) consequences of smoking whereas non-smokers with a salient independent self-construal responded more favorably to an anti-smoking message emphasizing relational (vs personal) consequences of smoking. However, the interaction effect was small in the first study. Originality/value Findings from this study are original in that they run counter to the general belief that messages matching people’s self-perceptions will be more persuasive. On the other hand, matching health risk messages with people’s dominant self-construal may reduce the messages effectiveness due to defensive processing. As a result, communication practitioners should take a great caution of tailoring threatening smoking prevention messages to target audiences’ self-perceptions.

Caught in the Net: The Impact of Changes to Canadian Employment Insurance Legislation on Part-time Workers

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norene Pupo ◽  
Ann Duffy
Keyword(s):  
Labour Force ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Social Safety Net ◽  
Employment Insurance ◽  
The Social ◽  
Canadian Context ◽  
Insurance Programme ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Industrialised Countries ◽  
The Impact

Throughout Western highly industrialised countries, there has been a marked shift toward more conservative social policies signalling a dismantling of the welfare state as part of the process of globalisation. This paper examines the aetiology of the (un)employment insurance programme in the Canadian context. Recently, legislators have tightened eligibility rules, lowered earnings replacement rates and altered coverage requirements. While these changes signal a shredding of the social safety net, they differentially impact on certain segments of the population. Despite official pronouncements of fairness, employment insurance changes intensify the subordination women experience in the paid labour force.

Days of post-pandemic future: re-imagining corruption practices in a world that won’t stop changing

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendi Yogi Prabowo
Keyword(s):  
Practice Theory ◽  
Social Ontology ◽  
Social Reality ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Social Practices ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Agencies ◽  
The Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a new analytical framework in examining corruption from the social ontology perspective by using the Schatzkian practice theory to assess the interconnectedness among social practices constituting the social reality. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory paper is part of the author’s study to assess the complex corruption phenomenon in Indonesia from multiple perspectives to gain a better understanding of its nature and dynamics. By drawing from the existing literature on the Schatzkian practice theory, the COVID-19 pandemic and the corruption phenomenon, this study investigates the potential changes of the new constellation of practice-arrangement bundles within the social reality and how such changes may alter corruption practices in the future. Furthermore, this study also uses publicly available reports from several national and international agencies to explore possible future scenarios from the interconnectedness of corruption, anti-corruption and pandemic practices. This paper constructs a new analytical framework for assessing the corruption phenomenon and designing the most appropriate anti-corruption strategy from such an exploration. The framework also serves as a reference for future anti-corruption research. Findings The author establishes that all social phenomena are constructed by an interconnected, dynamic and ever-changing constellation of practice-arrangement bundles within the social reality. As a largely social phenomenon (at least in Indonesia), corruption is also constructed by webs of practice-arrangement bundles. For decades, corruption practices in Indonesia have always been interconnected with anti-corruption practices in ways that changes in one group of practices will drive changes in the others. With the adoption of the pandemic practices centered around social distancing, social restriction and social safety net, corruption practices appear to transform to adapt to the new environment. Therefore, future anti-corruption research should aim to examine the structure and dynamics of corruption, anti-corruption and pandemic practices to highlight changes or potential changes within the three groups of practices to determine the most appropriate intervention measures and anti-corruption strategy. Research limitations/implications This exploratory study is self-funded and relies primarily on documentary analysis to explore the corruption phenomenon in Indonesia. Future studies will benefit from in-depth interviews with former corruption offenders and corruption investigators. Practical implications This exploratory paper contributes to developing a sound corruption prevention strategy by proposing a new analytical framework for assessing various social practices, particularly those associated with corruption and the COVID-19 pandemic. Originality/value This paper highlights the importance of understanding the structure, interconnectedness and dynamics of social practices, particularly associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, to better understand the corruption phenomenon.

scholarly journals “The Might of My Own Hand Has Gotten Me This Wealth”: Reflections on Wealth and Poverty in the Hebrew Bible and Today

2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-17
Author(s):  
Joel S. Kaminsky
Keyword(s):  
Minimum Wage ◽  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Social Concern ◽  
Social Safety Net ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Social

The growing gap between the wealthiest and poorest members of society is a pressing social concern regularly invoked in discussions surrounding taxation, the minimum wage, and the social safety net. Advocates of particular positions at times reference various biblical passages. This essay examines several relevant themes and passages within the Hebrew Bible in order to explore ways the Bible might be brought into productive conversation with these contemporary issues.

scholarly journals An exploratory study of job insecurity in relation to household registration, employment contract, and job satisfaction in Chinese state-owned enterprises

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-165
Author(s):  
Bing Shi
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Social Safety Net ◽  
Household Registration ◽  
Employment Contract ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Chinese State

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the household registration and of employment contract on employee job insecurity in the Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The relationships between job satisfaction and the two components of job insecurity are also analysed. Design/methodology/approach The research uses original data collected through a questionnaire survey in six Chinese SOEs. In all, 309 samples are analysed mainly using hierarchical regression analysis. Findings The research finds household registration is a predictor of job insecurity while employment contract is not. Job satisfaction is found to be positively related to one of the components of job insecurity: the perceived severity of job loss. Social implications To improve job security of the employees who are in vulnerable positions, improving the equality of social safety net is significant. In China, household registration causes unequal access to social welfare and employment opportunities; improving the equality may be more significant than seeking for permanent employment. Originality/value The research suggests two levels of factors influencing job insecurity: the macro-level factors that include the institutional configurations of social safety net; and the micro-level factors that include employment contract. The macro-level factors have fundamental influence while the micro-level factors are more apparent. The micro-level factors may manifest their influence only when the macro-level factors equally cover all the employees. The macro-level factors may also intermediate the relationship between job insecurity and satisfaction.

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