The Jones Effect: Quantifying the Effect of Social Norms on Satisfaction

Practicing marketers have long known that the consumption patterns of one person can influence the consumption patterns of his neighbors. This behavior is so well established in the popular culture it even has an idiom, “Keeping up with the Joneses.” However, little research has been conducted to determine the impact of other’s behavior on one’s satisfaction. In an empirical study of citizen satisfaction with the Missouri Department of Transportation, the “Jones Effect” was shown to explain 15.2% of citizen satisfaction. Other elements of satisfaction were also identified in this research. This research sheds new light on elements of satisfaction and provides general recommendations for managing satisfaction.