Consumers' disposition of meaningful possessions through storage

30 years after Jacoby (1976) defined consumer behaviour to include disposition, researchers still comment on the lack of research in this area. Whilst disposition in general has received scant attention, especially storage as an alternative means of disposition has been efficiently ignored. This dis...

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Main Author: Smestad, Bente
Format: Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2006
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/20294/
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author Smestad, Bente
author_facet Smestad, Bente
author_sort Smestad, Bente
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description 30 years after Jacoby (1976) defined consumer behaviour to include disposition, researchers still comment on the lack of research in this area. Whilst disposition in general has received scant attention, especially storage as an alternative means of disposition has been efficiently ignored. This dissertation seeks to contribute to filling a part of the big void in this knowledge by exploring storage of meaningful possessions in particular. In doing this, the dissertation first offers a review of the related literature, namely on disposition, self-concept, and meaning. 12 middle-aged and elderly Norwegian consumers were interviewed, providing valuable insight into their relevant storing behaviour. The study illustrates that the consumers attached sacred-, social-, and hedonic meanings to their possessions, which together constituted the main determining factor for the decision to store. Reasons for the possession being stored instead of being used or displayed were detected to be its coming out of use and it being perceived as inappropriate. Further, a desire to keep it in the family, and the owner's conscience were found to affect the decision to store instead of using other means of disposition. There are provided evidence suggesting that storage can function both as an individual means of disposition and as a divestment ritual. This is due to the fact that the possessions' meanings were affected by the prolonged storage to different extents and in different directions. A framework and subsequent model are proposed, concerning the factors that influence a consumer's decision to store her/his meaningful possessions instead of using other means of disposition.
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spelling nottingham-202942018-05-22T15:50:12Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/20294/ Consumers' disposition of meaningful possessions through storage Smestad, Bente 30 years after Jacoby (1976) defined consumer behaviour to include disposition, researchers still comment on the lack of research in this area. Whilst disposition in general has received scant attention, especially storage as an alternative means of disposition has been efficiently ignored. This dissertation seeks to contribute to filling a part of the big void in this knowledge by exploring storage of meaningful possessions in particular. In doing this, the dissertation first offers a review of the related literature, namely on disposition, self-concept, and meaning. 12 middle-aged and elderly Norwegian consumers were interviewed, providing valuable insight into their relevant storing behaviour. The study illustrates that the consumers attached sacred-, social-, and hedonic meanings to their possessions, which together constituted the main determining factor for the decision to store. Reasons for the possession being stored instead of being used or displayed were detected to be its coming out of use and it being perceived as inappropriate. Further, a desire to keep it in the family, and the owner's conscience were found to affect the decision to store instead of using other means of disposition. There are provided evidence suggesting that storage can function both as an individual means of disposition and as a divestment ritual. This is due to the fact that the possessions' meanings were affected by the prolonged storage to different extents and in different directions. A framework and subsequent model are proposed, concerning the factors that influence a consumer's decision to store her/his meaningful possessions instead of using other means of disposition. 2006 Dissertation (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/20294/1/06MAlixbs5.pdf Smestad, Bente (2006) Consumers' disposition of meaningful possessions through storage. [Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)] (Unpublished) disposition dispossession dispose meaningful possessions meaningful possessions storage storing store self-concept self concept self identity self-image attachment meanings consumers divestment divestment ritual detachment sacred social hedonic nostalgia nostalgic past consumer behaviour consumer behavior
spellingShingle disposition
dispossession
dispose
meaningful
possessions
meaningful possessions
storage
storing
store
self-concept
self concept
self
identity
self-image
attachment
meanings
consumers
divestment
divestment ritual
detachment
sacred
social
hedonic
nostalgia
nostalgic
past
consumer behaviour
consumer behavior
Smestad, Bente
Consumers' disposition of meaningful possessions through storage
title Consumers' disposition of meaningful possessions through storage
title_full Consumers' disposition of meaningful possessions through storage
title_fullStr Consumers' disposition of meaningful possessions through storage
title_full_unstemmed Consumers' disposition of meaningful possessions through storage
title_short Consumers' disposition of meaningful possessions through storage
title_sort consumers' disposition of meaningful possessions through storage
topic disposition
dispossession
dispose
meaningful
possessions
meaningful possessions
storage
storing
store
self-concept
self concept
self
identity
self-image
attachment
meanings
consumers
divestment
divestment ritual
detachment
sacred
social
hedonic
nostalgia
nostalgic
past
consumer behaviour
consumer behavior
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/20294/