Examining the Interconnections Among Anti-Consumption, Subjective Wellbeing and Time Orientation: An Extended Abstract

This research examines the link between anti-consumption and subjective wellbeing, and the mediating role of time orientation. Consumer culture exacerbates individuation and feelings of emptiness, time pressures that are detrimental to wellbeing, and materially intensive modes of living that are problematic from an environmental and social sustainability perspective. Thus, an enhanced understanding is needed of the effect of anti-consumption on wellbeing and how this effect occurs. Existing research shows that the way in which consumers construe and deploy their time can influence subjective wellbeing (Rudd et al. 2019). Therefore, we draw on the extensive literature on time to clarify the temporal conditions under which anti-consumption might affect subjective wellbeing. Despite the plethora of research showing that how consumers spend and think of time affects consumption behaviors, there is scant cross-fertilization between time and anti-consumption research. By using a quantitative, two-wave survey with 332 UK participants and employing structural equation modelling, this paper tests the interconnections among anti-consumption attitudes, subjective wellbeing, propensity to spend time meaningfully and long-term orientation. Results confirm our hypotheses, establishing that anti-consumption attitudes alone are insufficient to impact individual wellbeing. Further, results establish that this relationship is mediated by spending time meaningfully. Additionally, long-term orientation exerts a significant and negative moderating influence on the relationship between spending time meaningfully and subjective wellbeing. While prior research has signaled long-term orientation as a desirable trait to attain reduced levels of consumption, our results establish that it can be detrimental to more immediate subjective wellbeing. Theoretically, our research contributes to the literature on anti-consumption by clarifying the relationship between anti-consumption and wellbeing, and by determining the significance of time orientations in this relationship. Firms interested in tapping into the needs of anti-consumers must offer services or experiences that facilitate ways for them to spend time meaningfully. Additionally, non-profit organizations seeking to gain support for their environmental causes through reduced consumption will need to deploy campaigning communications that are future-oriented with a focus on people’s present wellbeing needs.