RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UTILITARIAN AND HEDONIC CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION

Abstract

Consumption processes in modern societies are constantly gaining in importance. Noticing the growing significance of consumption, the idea of some consumer responsibility for the currently observed crises gains relevance. Despite the increasing number of publications on the subject of socially responsible consumption, however ethical side of socially responsible consumption is not receiving enough attention, the majority of publications are focused on environmental consumption. In addition, little attention is paid to analyze ethical side of socially responsible consumption from the individual side. Measurement of the relationship between the utilitarian and hedonic consumer behavior and socially responsible consumption may contribute to the knowledge of new characteristics, describing the socially responsible consumer. The paper suggest theoretical model, which helps to measure the relationship between utilitarian and hedonic consumer behavior and ethical side of socially responsible consumption. Utilitarian consumer behavior is measured with the constructs like monetary savings and convenience, as the hedonic behavior is described by using entertainment and exploration constructs. Performed literature analysis suggests, that hedonic consumer behavior has greater impact on socially responsible consumption than utilitarian consumer behavior.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.em.18.4.5580