Decoding the sustainable consumer: what yoga psychology tells us about self-control and impulsive buying?
South Asian Journal of Business Studies
ISSN: 2398-628X
Article publication date: 4 March 2022
Issue publication date: 31 August 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The study approaches the social problem of overconsumption by examining how dispositional characteristics (Trigunas) affect self-control capacity and buying impulsiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of 181 Indian students was conducted to collect data on Trigunas, self-control and impulse buying tendency (IBT). Partial least squares-based structure equation modeling package ADANCO was used for data analysis.
Findings
The results indicate that two out of the three gunas were related to impulsive buying tendency. As hypothesized, self-control mediated these relationships. The findings prove that Trigunas carry differential influence on self-control capacity and impulsive buying behavior of individuals.
Practical implications
The results of this study offer new insights and ideas to practitioners and researchers pursuing the problem of overconsumption. This study delves into ancient Hindu knowledge of mindfulness and offers fresh psychological constructs that broaden scholarly understanding on personality-related drivers of overconsumption.
Originality/value
Most research on overconsumption and related issues has been conducted using western personality models. Additionally, many of these findings are inconsistent. This article broadens this discussion by applying indigenous Indian psychology constructs to the study of consumer behavior and provides empirical support for the same.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This papers forms a part of special section “Positive Organizational Scholarship in South Asia”, guest edited by Dharm P.S. Bhawuk and Ashish Pandey.
Citation
Kakkar, S., Dugar, A. and Gupta, R. (2022), "Decoding the sustainable consumer: what yoga psychology tells us about self-control and impulsive buying?", South Asian Journal of Business Studies, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 276-294. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAJBS-03-2020-0083
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited