A Comparative Analysis of Consumption: Evidence from a Cultural Goods Market

Daniel Kaimann and Joe Cox
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Daniel Kaimann: Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Postbus 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Joe Cox: Faculty of Business and Law, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2UP, UK

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-21

Abstract: This study uniquely employs a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) technique to account for complex relationships in consumption. The fsQCA technique assumes that relationships are based on a set–subset relationship. This assumption is fundamental when decision-makers are affected by information asymmetry and are, thus, required to jointly evaluate the credibility and reliability of a range of external signals. This issue also affects consumers in markets for cultural goods, where the quality of products is not known with certainty in advance of the purchase decision. Our study uses fsQCA to establish the effect of different quality signals on consumption in the US market for video game software. Our results show that reviews from professional critics alongside brand extension and multi-platform release strategies act as signals of product quality and, therefore, lead to high sales performance.

Keywords: fuzzy sets; qualitative comparative analysis; cultural goods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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