HOW BIG FIVE PERSONALITY TRAITS AFFECT CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION IN PAKISTAN: THE COMPLEMENTARY ROLE OF CULTURE (COLLECTIVISM, MASCULINITY, POWER DISTANCE AND UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE)

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study is to explore the role of personality characteristics, such as openness to experience, conscientiousness, and neuroticism in conspicuous consumption by Pakistani consumers. It also examines how cultural dimensions, namely, collectivism, masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance, mediate these relationships. The research tries to fill the knowledge gap in the literature by incorporating both the psychological and cultural facets into a developing market scenario.

Methodology: A structured questionnaire was used in a quantitative, cross-sectional research design. The data collection was done among 698 respondents in major urban centers of Pakistan using purposive, convenience and snowball sampling methods. The measures were taken in the constructs on pre-existing scales, and the model suggested was tested on the basis of the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to check the direct and moderating effects.

Result: The results indicate that openness to experience, as well as neuroticism, positively affects and significantly influence conspicuous consumption. Unfortunately, conscientiousness presents a positive relationship as well and the hypothesis of the negative correlation is rejected. In terms of moderation effects, collectivism has a significant moderating effect on the relationships involving neuroticism and openness whereas masculinity has a significant moderating effect on the relationships involving conscientiousness and openness. Uncertainty avoidance plays a major role in moderating neuroticism and openness relationship but has no effect on the conscientiousness relationship. These findings suggest that cultural dimensions are important determinants of the role of personality traits in consumption behavior.

Implications: The research is significant both theoretically and practically as it offers a combined framework of personality traits and cultural dimensions. To practitioners, the results indicate that culturally sensitive and personality-based marketing approaches must be adopted. It is also beneficial to policymakers in terms of encouraging responsible consumption and social impact of status-related purchasing activity in the new markets.