Marketing Faculty Publications and Presentations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-13-2023
Abstract
Purpose—This study examines how consumers’ self-construal moderates their buying behavior in situations requiring consumers to buy larger-than-expected clothing sizes. We explore the potential effectiveness of two distinct communication strategies - emotional versus informational ad appeals - to mitigate the negative effects of sizing discrepancies.
Design/methodology/approach—A total of three experiments were conducted to examine the proposed framework. Studies 1 and 2 investigate whether self-construal moderates the relationship between sizing discrepancy and purchasing intentions. Study 3 examines the effectiveness of communication strategies in reducing the detrimental effects of sizing discrepancy.
Findings—When encountering sizing discrepancies, we find that consumers with an interdependent self-construal have lower purchase intentions than those with an independent self-construal. We demonstrate that an emotional communication strategy is more effective for consumers with an interdependent self-construal, whereas an informational communication strategy is more effective for consumers with an independent self-construal.
Originality—With the lack of a universal sizing system, consumers often struggle to find clothes that fit as expected. However, extant research has not explored cross-cultural differences in how consumers respond to sizing discrepancies and how managers can reduce any potential negative effects.
Recommended Citation
Jung, H., Magnusson, P. and Peng, Y., 2023. The influence of self-construal on consumer responses to sizing discrepancy. International Marketing Review, 40(6), pp.1325-1343. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-08-2022-0179
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Publication Title
International Marketing Review
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-08-2022-0179
Comments
Original published version available at https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-08-2022-0179
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