An Empirical Study on Visibility of Conspicuous Consumption Motives of Consumers in Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Abstract—Jaffna, Sri Lanka is experiencing major shifts in her socio-cultural structure during the last ten years. Especially after post war, consumer behavior and patterns has rapidly changed in Jaffna. Thus, a society which has been traditionally known as “collective” in nature is showing increased evidence of individualism. With increased penetration of electronic media, affordable home entertainment systems, cinema, and the internet, consumers are opening up to the great outside world. The developed worlds are constantly creating reality for the consumers. This is not different in case of Jaffna. Having finished civil war, people in Jaffna are more enthusiastic to imitate others because of seeking social status and they Strive to show the impression that they are better off than before. Not only that they increase his chance of making relationship with high ability and middle and upper class people. The main objectives of the present study were to find out the significant determinants for conspicuous consumption and size of that between male and female and to what extend poor tend to display their conspicuous consumption in a society. For this study, OLS method and descriptive statistics have been used with the help of statistical software for social science (SPSS). The results bring the light the fact that income is main determinant of the amount to be allocated but sex and age have insignificant impact on the amount to be allocated for social status. Further, this finding clearly shows the fact that people in Jaffna are making significant allocation of their income to maintain social status than satisfaction and at the same time, poor people in Jaffna are also enthusiastic to have conspicuous consumption for expressing their position that they are better off than before. This study will be giving different insight to researchers and policy makers because the literature for conspicuous consumption pays little attention on poor and low middle income people yet, especially in Sri Lanka. Further, this study will help to marketing managers or firms in their decision about sales