소비활동이 행복에 기여할 수 있을까? - 소비유형별 소비활동, 소비행복, 삶의 행복의 관계에 관한 연구

초록

This study dealt with an issue of whether a variety of consumption activities may improve people's happiness levels. In particular, we investigated the effect of ‘a consumption activity’ on ‘happiness in life (or subjective well-being)’ with and without mediation of ‘consumption happiness’. Consumption activities were decomposed into 9 types of routine consumption, entertainment/leisure, financial investment, collection activity, other-directed consumption, ritual/formality, personal grooming, environment-friendly consumption and ethical consumption. We analyzed the relationships among 3 variables, i.e., consumption activity, consumption happiness and happiness in life not only during overall consumption activities and but also during each type of consumption activities. A survey was conducted using a sample of 500 people from demographically diverse groups. The data were analyzed in order to identify the effects of variables adopted in this study. For overall consumption activities, consumption activities improved happiness in life with mediation of consumption happiness, but did not show the direct positive effect on happiness in life. 3 elements of happiness in life showed different impacts. The direct effects of consumption activities on life satisfaction and on positive affect were positive but, unexpectedly, the direct effect on negative affect was also positive. The result indicates that consumers may become more satisfied and may have more positive feelings but may simultaneously have more negative feelings when they implement consumption activities. These mixed outcomes led to the upshot that consumption activities, in general, could not improve happiness in life directly. In addition, we performed statistical analysis for individual 9 types of consumption activities and, as results, obtained different relationships for each type of consumption activities. On the whole, experiential consumption activities such as entertainment/leisure, and personal grooming contributed to happiness in life more strongly than material consumption activities such as routine consumption and personal investment. Entertainment/leisure activities led to happiness in life both directly, and, through mediation of consumption happiness. Similarly, personal grooming obviously improved consumption happiness which, in turn, brought about happiness in life, but did not show the direct effect on happiness in life. The respondents reported that when they conducted routine consumption, they experienced the enhancement of consumption happiness which subsequently boosted happiness in life. However, routine consumption activities brought about the direct deteriorating effect on happiness in life. This implies that, unless people feel consumption happiness during routine consumption, this type of consumption activity may make them become less happy with their lives. While people were involved in ethical consumption, they were not happier with their lives. Nevertheless, ethical consumption activities directly led to happiness in life. This suggested that consumers assigned a high value to ethical consumption in itself. Consumption activities did not directly heightened happiness in life but resulted only in higher consumption happiness, in the process of ritual/formality, other-directed consumption, or environment-friendly consumption. Moreover, consumption happiness of these types of consumption activities did not upgrade happiness in life. Lastly, although analysis showed a negative impact of happiness from collection activities, this was likely to happen due to a sign effect from a multicollinearity problem We discussed the contributions and managerial implications of this study and suggested future research directions. In managerial implications, we emphasized the importance of macro perspectives and thus covered not only a standpoint of marketing managers and but also that of policy makers.consumers assigned a high value to ethical consumption in itself. Consumption activities did not directly heightened happiness in life but resulted only in higher consumption happiness, in the process of ritual/formality, other-directed consumption, or environment-friendly consumption. Moreover, consumption happiness of these types of consumption activities did not upgrade happiness in life. Lastly, although analysis showed a negative impact of happiness from collection activities, this was likely to happen due to a sign effect from a multicollinearity problem We discussed the contributions and managerial implications of this study and suggested future research directions. In managerial implications, we emphasized the importance of macro perspectives and thus covered not only a standpoint of marketing managers and but also that of policy makers.

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