Do I Deserve to Spend? Online Social Support and Spending Pleasure

Despite evidence of people posting their consumption experiences to online social networks to fulfill the needs of social support, an understanding of how online social support affects post-consumption spending behaviors remains elusive. This research aims to examine how online social support from o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cornell hospitality quarterly 2022-05, Vol.63 (2), p.152-168
Main Authors: Kim, Kawon, Baker, Melissa A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Consumer spending
Hospitality industry
Social networks
Social support
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Summary:Despite evidence of people posting their consumption experiences to online social networks to fulfill the needs of social support, an understanding of how online social support affects post-consumption spending behaviors remains elusive. This research aims to examine how online social support from online social network friends and the firm influence perceptions of self-deservingness and spending pleasure. Across two studies, this research provides evidence that social support gained through online social networks influences consumers’ spending pleasure through perceptions of their own deservingness. Notably, this study reveals that people obtain social support in online social networks from two sources: social networks friends and firms through receiving “Likes” and “Comments” on their post. This study also explores boundary conditions for when online social support is more effective on spending pleasure. The findings not only broaden the social support literature but also address the benefit to the service industry by understanding how social support can enhance spending pleasure.
ISSN:1938-9655
1938-9663
DOI:10.1177/1938965520973576