In search of status: Unpacking the relationship of status with individualism-collectivism, counterconformity motivations and life satisfaction

Abstract Our desire for status drives many of our decisions about what we own and consume. In picking up on the importance of individuals' desire for status, we shed light on status consumption by focusing on consumers’ perceived individualism-collectivism, counterconformity motivations, and life satisfaction. Data were collected from the USA and Bangladesh. The results show that both individualism and collectivism are positively related to status consumption which, in turn, leads to a satisfying life across both countries. Also, creative choice counterconformity motivation moderates the relationships between collectivism and status consumption in the USA, whereas unpopular choice counterconformity motivation moderates the relationships between individualism and status consumption in Bangladesh. Furthermore, the results show that avoidance of similarity does not moderate the relationship between individualism and status consumption across countries. The findings enrich the existing literature on status consumption and provide insights for brand managers on how to position status-oriented products in different markets.