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Bridging consumption and work: The effects of thoughts about different types of purchases on job-related motivations

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  • Gu, Yu
  • Chen, Rong

Abstract

Consumption and work are two integral aspects of individuals’ lives. This research suggests that merely thinking about different types of purchases (i.e., experiential and material) can influence individuals’ job-related motivations, including preference for big-picture (vs. detail) orientation jobs, the tendency to maximize collective (vs. individual) outcomes, and follower motivations. Through four experiments using various manipulations of purchase-related thoughts, this research demonstrates that thinking about experiential (vs. material) purchases activates a higher level of mental construal, which consequently strengthens individuals’ preference for big-picture (vs. detail) orientation jobs, increases their tendency to maximize collective (vs. individual) outcomes, and enhances their follower motivations when they receive communication messages from a leader who is hierarchically distant. Furthermore, the temporal distance of the purchase-related thoughts moderates the proposed effects, further supporting individuals’ mental construal as the underlying mechanism.

Suggested Citation

  • Gu, Yu & Chen, Rong, 2024. "Bridging consumption and work: The effects of thoughts about different types of purchases on job-related motivations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:183:y:2024:i:c:s0148296324003394
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114835
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    References listed on IDEAS

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