Index of Paper Presentations for the Parallel Sessions - Academy of ...

Figure 1: Dimensions that differentiate Luxury and Non-luxury BrandsLuxury BrandsHIGHAll these dimensions were incorporated in a scale known as Brand Luxury Index (BLI) which measuresconsumers‘ opinions about luxury brands. Consumers may substitute one dimension for another that theyperceive to be of greater importance (Vigneron Hedonismand Johnson, 2004).2.2. Country differencesConsumers in different countries perceivePerceivedluxury differently.QualityCountry differences in perceptions of luxuryarise on the basis of cultural concepts and values. These cultural concepts are closely linked with thedimensions of luxury brands (see Figure 2). Researchers have found these differences on the basis of thefollowing parameters:Interdependent/independent self – linked with hedonism:The concept of independent self states that individuals perceive each other to be unique. Individualpreferences, tastes and needs are predominant in determining one‘s behavior. Such independence ofindividuals is widely prevalent among consumers in Western countries. Conversely, the interdependentself-concept emphasizes familial and social influences on tastes and preferences, which are present amongconsumers in Southeastern Asian countries (Wong and Ahuvia, 1998).The independent and interdependent concepts determine the extent of hedonism among the consumers.Hedonism is linked to experience of sensory pleasures that are highly individualistic in nature. Therefore,hedonism is given more significance in Western countries than in the Asian countries. Even within Asia,there are differences in the perceptions pertaining to luxury. In India, there is a blend of interdependenceand independence (Kulkarni, et. al., 2010). Due to this, Indians give importance on hedonic consumptionof luxury products. In the case of China, there is predominance of interdependent culture, thus there maybe less emphasis on the hedonic component.Proposition 1: The Hedonic component within a Luxury brand changes its perception in the mind of theconsumer.Social Roles – linked with Conspicuousness:DimensionPerceivedConspicuousnessPerceivedUniquenessPerceivedExtended SelfPerceivedNon-luxuryBrandsLThe independent and interdependent concepts of self, determine the kind of social roles played by theconsumers. In the case of independent self-concept, the roles are not much influenced by publicperceptions. Therefore, emphasis is laid on the quality of the luxury product, as it is an inherent attribute(Truong, 2010). However, in case of interdependence, the emphasis is on the public perceptions of selfand this leads to ‗face consumption‘ (Ram, 1989). This is directly related to public consumption of luxurygoods that highlights the noticeable and visible consumption. It is perceived to be important as itinfluences the social status and reputation of people in the society. Consumers in Asian nations, thereforehave greater levels of conspicuous consumption than in Western nations (Wong and Ahuvia, 1998).OW