Who Could Blame Me? I Got it on Sale! An Investigation of Purchase Price Disclosure as an Impression Management Tactic

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1998

Abstract

Research has shown that people are concerned with the ways in which they are perceived by others (i.e. Belk, 1988; Cooley, 1902; Mead, 1934; Sirgy, 1982). In addition, people have been shown to employ a variety of tactics in their attempts to influence how they are perceived by others (Schlenker, 1980; Tedeschi, 1981). People employ those tactics in an attempt to present to others information or images that are believed to be accurate. People may also engage in duplicity and misrepresent the image they convey to others (Goffman, 1959). An abundance of evidence exists to indicate that consumers sometimes use the products they purchase as one such impression management tactic (i.e. Holman, 1981; Levy, 1959; Mowen, 1995; Veblen, 1899). Such behaviours could have important pricing, advertising, and other strategic implications for marketers. Accordingly, this study examines several ways in which consumers might attempt to manage the impression they create with others by revealing information about the price of the products they purchase.

Department

Psychology

Publication Title

Management Research News

DOI

10.1108/01409179810781473

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