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Research Article
Social Media Usage and Compulsive Buying Tendencies Among Consumers
Bogumiła Mucha*
,
Adriana Wysocka
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 3, September 2026
Pages:
72-78
Received:
11 June 2026
Accepted:
14 July 2026
Published:
26 August 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijebo.20261403.11
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Views:
Abstract: The rapid expansion of social media has transformed consumer decision-making processes and intensified exposure to social comparison and materialistic values, potentially increasing the risk of compulsive buying. This study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying compulsive buying among adult consumers in the digital environment, focusing on the relationships between social media use, demographic characteristics, and compulsive buying tendencies. The theoretical framework integrates self-determination theory, social comparison theory, and the concept of symbolic consumption to explain how digital interactions shape consumer behavior and reinforce purchasing as a form of psychological compensation. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 459 adult respondents using the Polish adaptation of the Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS ). The findings revealed a highly statistically significant positive relationship between time spent on social media and the intensity of compulsive buying behaviors. Among the analyzed platforms, Instagram users exhibited the highest levels of compulsive buying tendencies. The analysis further demonstrated significant gender differences, with women reporting higher compulsive buying scores than men. In contrast, neither declared income nor place of residence significantly predicted compulsive buying propensity. These findings indicate that compulsive buying is more strongly associated with psychological and socio-cultural factors than with objective economic conditions. The results support the view that contemporary consumption is increasingly mediatized and that shopping behaviors frequently serve compensatory psychological functions related to identity construction, emotional regulation, and social validation. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on digital consumer behavior by providing empirical evidence on the psychological determinants of compulsive buying in the context of social media use and offers implications for consumer education, prevention strategies, and future research.
Abstract: The rapid expansion of social media has transformed consumer decision-making processes and intensified exposure to social comparison and materialistic values, potentially increasing the risk of compulsive buying. This study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying compulsive buying among adult consumers in the digital environment, focusing ...
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Research Article
How TMT Power Adjustments and Stability Preferences Influence Firm Performance in the Chinese Corporate Context
Dapeng Liang,
Hengyi Shen*
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 3, September 2026
Pages:
79-90
Received:
18 July 2026
Accepted:
24 August 2026
Published:
4 September 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijebo.20261403.12
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Abstract: This study aims to systematically examine how Top Management Team (TMT) power structure influences firm performance within China's high-power-distance cultural context, and to critically reexamine the cultural contingency of Structural Adaptation Theory by investigating the dual effects of power centralization and the performance consequences of structural change. Drawing on institutional theory and Structural Adaptation Theory, we conduct a longitudinal analysis of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2019 to 2023. Our analysis reveals that power centralization exerts a dual effect on firm performance: it significantly enhances short-term operational efficiency, while simultaneously suppressing long-term market valuation. More importantly, we identify a pronounced stability preference effect—regardless of whether power structure adjusts toward centralization or decentralization, greater change magnitude consistently generates negative performance consequences. This finding challenges the assumption of Structural Adaptation Theory that decentralization represents a natural "entropy-increasing" process. In the Chinese context, maintaining the status quo becomes the organization's spontaneous "natural state," while any structural adjustment, irrespective of direction, becomes an "entropy-decreasing" process requiring substantial organizational energy. These effects are significantly moderated by regional culture, ownership type, and industry sector, with northern regions, state-owned enterprises, and non-high-tech industries exhibiting weaker negative effects of power structure change. This study provides a novel theoretical contribution by revealing that the directional definition of "entropy increase" versus "entropy decrease" is itself a cultural construction. It demonstrates how, within China's cultural context, the logic of Structural Adaptation Theory undergoes a critical reversal. By identifying "stability preference" as a key boundary condition, this research extends the theory's applicability and offers a more culturally inclusive analytical framework. The study also achieves cross-level theoretical integration, linking macro-level institutional factors, meso-level contextual factors, and micro-level governance mechanisms.
Abstract: This study aims to systematically examine how Top Management Team (TMT) power structure influences firm performance within China's high-power-distance cultural context, and to critically reexamine the cultural contingency of Structural Adaptation Theory by investigating the dual effects of power centralization and the performance consequences of st...
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Research Article
The ESG Paradox: A Behavioural Study of Consumer Response to Firms’ ESG Engagement
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 3, September 2026
Pages:
91-104
Received:
29 July 2026
Accepted:
27 August 2026
Published:
4 September 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijebo.20261403.13
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: This study explores the puzzle of why consumers are willing to purchase products from firms that engage in ESG activities, even when they are aware that companies may be strategically participating in “greenwashing.” We posit that consumers may perceive a firm’s costly ESG investments as a pledge of reputational capital, which we term the reputational collateral mechanism. Consumers rationally infer that the firm, in order to protect this valuable asset, has a strong incentive to maintain baseline product quality, thereby reducing perceived risk and increasing purchase intention. Based on survey data simulated using large language models (LLMs), we find that consumers indeed prefer products from ESG-engaging firms, even after controlling for altruistic attitudes. This suggests that prior empathy-based explanations cannot fully account for the observed effect, and that our proposed theory helps resolve this puzzle. Additional cross-sectional findings indicate that the positive relationship is more pronounced (1) for consumers with a higher level of analytical cognition, and (2) for products characterised by high information asymmetry (e.g., experience goods such as education). Collectively, this study sheds light on the enduring link between corporate ESG activities and consumer purchasing behaviour, offers a refined theoretical perspective, and highlights the strategic value of reputational investment for firms, even in skeptical markets.
Abstract: This study explores the puzzle of why consumers are willing to purchase products from firms that engage in ESG activities, even when they are aware that companies may be strategically participating in “greenwashing.” We posit that consumers may perceive a firm’s costly ESG investments as a pledge of reputational capital, which we term the reputatio...
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