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Maintenance and legitimization of illegal consumption practices: Understanding the role of artefacts in consumer's institutional work

Author

Listed:
  • Alix Poels

    (IRG - Institut de Recherche en Gestion - UPEM - Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée - UPEC UP12 - Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12)

  • Hélène Peton

    (IRG - Institut de Recherche en Gestion - UPEM - Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée - UPEC UP12 - Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12)

Abstract

How are some illegal practices of consumption maintained? Prior studies have depicted how illegal practices could be regulated by institutional actors and / or integrated by the market. However, their maintenance is understudied in consumer research. Drawing on a theoretical framework based on institutional theory, our main purpose in this paper is to understand how consumers maintain an illegal practice. By examining the case of illegal downloading in France from 2008 to 2013, and using a qualitative method, based on in-depth interviews and secondary data, we show how artefacts are enabling an illegal practice to exist and participate to its legitimization. Results expose how consumers seize artefacts to circumvent a law. Our main contribution is to bring an understanding on how artefacts are maintaining institutional struggles and participate to the legitimization of an illegal practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Alix Poels & Hélène Peton, 2017. "Maintenance and legitimization of illegal consumption practices: Understanding the role of artefacts in consumer's institutional work," Post-Print hal-01764573, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01764573
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