Compensatory Consumption and Consumer Compromises: a state-of-the-art review

Bernadett Koles, Victoria Wells, Mark Tadajewski

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Compensatory consumption has been an increasingly researched yet widely debated area of consumer behaviour over the last 20 years. Extant research formulates the term as overwhelmingly negative, largely due to the simplistic and fragmented conceptualisations assumed in prior work. The purpose of the current paper is to present a comprehensive review of the umbrella term of compensatory consumption, incorporating a continuum of behaviours and accounting for the pre- and post-consumption periods including both positive and negative viewpoints. In addition, expanding upon the theory of need satisfaction, the current paper introduces a novel conceptual distinction between compensation and compromise. Finally, a proposed theoretical framework is presented that differentiates between compensatory and compromisory consumption based on the extent of consumer consciousness, rationality and rationalisation. Future research directions are offered.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)96-133
Number of pages38
JournalJournal of Marketing Management
Volume34
Issue number1-2
Early online date21 Sept 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018

Bibliographical note

© 2017 Westburn Publishers Ltd. This is an author-produced version of a paper accepted for publication. Uploaded with permission of the publisher/copyright holder. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details

Keywords

  • Compensatory consumption
  • compensation
  • compromise
  • consumer consciousness
  • consumption continuum
  • rationalisation

Cite this