Harsandaldeep Kaur and Sahiba Anand
The purpose of this paper is to identify personality clusters among consumers of Generation Y in India using the Big Five personality traits and profile these clusters on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify personality clusters among consumers of Generation Y in India using the Big Five personality traits and profile these clusters on the basis of their levels of fashion consciousness, inclination toward status consumption and materialistic tendencies.
Design/methodology/approach
A self-completion questionnaire was administered to 751 respondents from Generation Y (born between 1980 and 2000) using mall-intercept approach. The questionnaire included demographic items and measures of the Big Five personality traits, fashion consciousness, status consumption and materialism. A two-step cluster analysis, using hierarchical and nonhierarchical clustering, was conducted on each respondent’s factor scores on the five dimensions of the Big Five. Later, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was applied to identify differences in the levels of fashion consciousness, inclination toward status consumption and materialistic tendencies of the clusters.
Findings
Four personality clusters were identified, i.e. Conventionalists (N = 95, 12.64 per cent), Anxious Achievers (N = 207, 27.56 per cent), Introverts (N = 204, 27.16 per cent) and Positivists (N = 245, 33.82 per cent). MANOVA revealed significant differences among clusters pertaining to their levels of fashion consciousness, status consumption and materialistic tendencies.
Practical implications
Results suggest that the personality clusters are not homogeneous, and fashion marketers must bear in mind the differences within the cohort of Generation Y while planning their promotion and communication strategies.
Originality/value
The value of this study lies in integrating the widely researched constructs of the Big Five personality traits, fashion consciousness, status consumption and materialism into one holistic study, thereby offering useful insights into the fashion shopping behavior of young Indian adults.
Details
Keywords
Sahiba Anand and Harsandaldeep Kaur
The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate measurement properties of a scale measuring fashion self-congruity (FSC).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate measurement properties of a scale measuring fashion self-congruity (FSC).
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the existing literature of self-congruity, and four studies carried out as a part of this research, the FSC scale has been validated in a step-by-step process following the scale validation methodology suggested by Churchill (1979).
Findings
The final version of the scale incorporates nine items classified into three dimensions: actual fashion self-congruity, ideal fashion self-congruity, and ideal social fashion self-congruity. The scale reveals strong psychometric properties based on findings of different reliability and validity tests.
Practical implications
A valid and reliable FSC scale provides a foundation to broaden quantitative inquiry into the types of FSC that consumers seek under different situations. Knowledge of the dominant self-concept driving the consumption of fashion in various situations will enable marketers to position their brands along the desired dimension of FSC.
Originality/value
The value of this research paper lies in validating a scale to measure FSC for the first time in the self-concept/congruity literature.
Details
Keywords
The aim of this paper is to understand how, in tough economic times, British‐owned, English language newspapers such as The Pioneer received and filtered news, especially…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to understand how, in tough economic times, British‐owned, English language newspapers such as The Pioneer received and filtered news, especially gender‐related and nationalist‐related events and thinking.
Design/methodology/approach
Using qualitative and quantitative methods to assess communications by and about pro‐nationalist women, coverage of female activities was categorised into two groups: first, educational, social and peaceful campaigns and second, direct action such as strikes, burning of British cloth and business/land rent boycotts.
Findings
Direct action provided “bad news” coverage, but it simultaneously gave a small window for publicity. Less threatening peaceful campaigns provided a bigger window – enhanced by the novelty value of female activism.
Research limitations/implications
Historians need to look specifically at Indian newspapers during the struggle for independence for a counter‐hegemonic discourse that reached a wide public. When evidence of women's activism is paired with financial news, it becomes clear that women had a negative impact on British business. Furthermore, The Pioneer's own business dilemmas made the paper part of the economic and ideological maelstrom that it reported on.
Originality/value
This is the first time that the colonial press in India itself has been scrutinised in detail on the subject of the rising nationalist movement and women. Findings underline female influence on both economics and ideology – a neglected aspect of Indian gender scholarship and economic history.