Abstract
The purpose of the current research is to design the pattern of compulsive purchase of consumers in the TV shopping industry using the data-based theory. To answer this question, a mixed research method (qualitative and quantitative) was used; the data-based theory was used in the qualitative part, and the descriptive-correlative research method was used in the quantitative part. For data analysis; MaxQDA2020 software was used in the qualitative part, and Lisrel software was used in the quantitative part. The sampling method in the qualitative part is of a targeted type, which was saturated by conducting 10 interviews with professors and experts in the fields of marketing and sales, management, sociology and psychology; and in the quantitative part, data was collected using a questionnaire from the statistical population of television buyers in Mashhad. 384 questionnaires were collected based on Morgan's table and based on random sampling. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed using face and content validity, and reliability using Cronbach's alpha. The results and findings of the research showed that the central phenomenon of compulsive buying from television has two main categories, including quick and thoughtless buying and irrational and emotional buying, and we have identified the factors that directly and indirectly cause this behavior. Some of the most important factors included appropriate marketing mix design for television sales, marketing capabilities of television sales companies, individual demographic characteristics, personality causes, psychological causes, lifestyle, family, and the role of cultural and social structures.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Compulsive shopping occurs when there is a constant worry about shopping or an irresistible urge to buy unnecessary items and products, especially when the purchases are more than a person can afford. This creates serious negative consequences for the individual and the people around him (Otero-López et al, 2021; Brito et al, 2021; Müller et al, 2019). But until now, only compulsive buying has not been given much attention in terms of marketing (Horvath & Joosten, 2021). Due to this context and the scarcity of studies that examine compulsive buying behavior (Brito et al, 2021); therefore, there is a need to conduct research to identify possible causes that cause, maintain or promote this purchase behavior (Otero-López et al, 2021). Of course, it should be kept in mind that the knowledge of any phenomenon can be understood with a detailed knowledge of that phenomenon in its context. For this reason, it is necessary to know the causes of the phenomenon of compulsive buying from television, this phenomenon itself should also be correctly identified, along with the background conditions (the platform that creates it). Based on this, the use of data-based theory as a suitable qualitative method has been used in this research to provide appropriate solutions for the use of marketing managers and manufacturers by understanding the causes, background, interfering conditions and the phenomenon of compulsive buying. Ultimately, by applying appropriate and ethical strategies that are explained based on Iranian and Islamic culture and the native environment of Iran, the consequences of this pattern should be identified. This research intends to use its findings to solve the problem of compulsive buying and to provide suitable solutions for the purposeful and ethical use of this phenomenon by Iranian marketing and producers. Therefore, the main question in this research is: what is the compulsive buying pattern among TV buyers?
Theoretical Framework
Compulsive buying is defined as an unconventional and unusual type of shopping that is characterized by a strong, uncontrollable and frequent desire to buy without considering its consequences (Ong et al., 2021). Compulsive buying behavior represents "...a response to an uncontrollable urge or desire to obtain, use, or experience a sensation, substance, or activity that repeatedly leads a person to engage in behavior that ultimately results in and/or harm others." Note that in the consumer research literature; this phenomenon is also defined as compulsive consumption or compulsive buying (Tarka & Babaev, 2020). Compulsive buying behavior is a modern disorder that has received increasing attention from scientists. This dysfunctional shopping behavior has grown rapidly in recent decades, especially among young people, and has resulted in harmful psychological and financial consequences (Ong et al, 2021).
Research Methodology
In terms of the fundamental goal and from the perspective of the result, the upcoming research is one of the exploratory researches carried out using a mixed (qualitative-quantitative) approach. The sampling method in the qualitative part was purposeful and judgmental. The method of collecting information in the qualitative section was to conduct an in-depth interview. In the quantitative part of the research, the model extracted from the qualitative part was tested. Based on this and based on the open codes identified in the qualitative section, a questionnaire was designed. The statistical population of the quantitative part was television buyers in Mashhad, who were selected as a sample by using available sampling method and based on the method of determining the sample in structural equation modeling (384 people as sample).
Research Findings
After conducting the interviews and transcribing them, the text of the interviews was entered into the qualitative data analysis software MaxquQDA2020 for analysis and open coding. The following components were the output of the qualitative section and codings of the research with the foundation's data theory method.
Causal conditions: the causal conditions of the research that cause the occurrence of the phenomenon of compulsive purchase from television by television audiences and television buyers, were placed in eight categories of appropriate marketing mix design for television sales; Marketing capabilities of television sales companies; demographic characteristics of the person; personality causes; psychological causes; life style; the family, and the role of cultural and social structures.
The phenomenon orientation: In this research, the phenomenon orientation is compulsive buying from television, which is divided into two main categories, including quick and thoughtless buying, and irrational and emotional buying.
Background conditions: In the current research, ten main categories were identified as existing categories in the background conditions. These categories include the level of awareness in society; knowledge of people in the field of TV products and shopping; attitudes and trends of society; cultural civilization of society; economic conditions; society's view of national media and television; maturity of the television ecosystem; the growth and development of technology in society; maturity of the marketing and sales ecosystem, especially in television; maturity of the complements of the television sales company.
Intervention conditions: In this research, intervention conditions have eight main categories, including the attractiveness of television in the eyes of the audience; broadcasting policies; policies of television sales companies; belief and trust in national television; awareness and knowledge of the person in the field of buying products; community culture in the field of shopping; the individual's situational components; and the conditions governing the society and the individual's life.
Strategies: In the current research, strategies were divided into two main categories: human strategies, and structural and organizational strategies.
Consequences: Consequences of implementing strategies to reduce the negative effects of compulsive TV shopping were placed in three main categories including consumer consequences; Consequences for families; and consequences for society.
In the quantitative part, correlation test and then structural equations were used to evaluate the extractive model. The results of the correlation test showed that the correlation value between the causal conditions and the compulsive buying phenomenon is equal to (0.686); correlation value between compulsive buying phenomenon and strategies is equal to (0.561); the correlation value between intervention components based on strategies is equal to (0.937); The correlation value between contextual components and strategies is equal to (0.71); and finally the correlation value between strategy variables and outcomes is equal to (0.55). This amount of correlations is significant (0.000) and it should be considered that this value is lower than the standard value of 0.05. Structural equation modeling was also used to evaluate the model. The results showed that the effect of causal conditions and compulsive buying phenomenon was equal to 0.44. The effect of compulsive purchase on strategies was equal to 0.48. The influence of contextual components on strategies was equal to 0.27. The effect of strategies on outcomes was equal to 0.46.
Conclusion
The development process of urbanization and industrialization has brought major changes in the lifestyle and shopping of Iranian society. These changes are not necessarily positive; a negative one created in Iranian and Islamic culture is the creation of immediate, compulsive, addictive, and hedonistic shopping styles that are derived from the culture of Western society. This has intensified under the influence of intense media activities and has been institutionalized as a part of people's lives. In recent years in the country, television sales companies have sold their products directly from television channels. The nature and type of this style of sales includes immediate, quick, unplanned purchases, based on fleeting emotions and based on emotional advertisements, which causes television viewers to quickly buy the advertised products when this style of television commercials is aired. This style of shopping is a type of compulsive shopping style that has many negative consequences for customers and society. TV products are increasing rapidly, which indicates a good sales situation for TV direct selling companies. However, due to the extent of the compulsive purchase phenomenon in the country, as well as among the buyers from TV channels, no research has been done in this field in the country. For this reason, this research aims to design the pattern of compulsive buying by consumers in the television shopping industry using data base theory in order to properly understand this phenomenon, provide strategies to reduce its negative consequences, identify the background and interfering components affecting the strategies, and also identify the consequences resulted from the implementation of these strategies in the society. Therefore, the opinion of 10 experts in this field and the interview process were used to design a model based on data-based theory. The experts were selected based on purposeful sampling. The model was designed in the qualitative part and tested in the quantitative part.
This research had limitations such as the small number of experts in this field, access to experts, and the impossibility of face-to-face interviews with experts due to the Corona situation. Finally, it is recommended for future research to develop practical knowledge in this field for the country by quantitatively testing the research model as well as increasing more research in the field of instant shopping, shopping addiction, and shopping frenzy from the television sales industry.