
doi: 10.21467/thesis.182
This monograph presents a comprehensive investigation into consumer product disposition within Indian households, addressing a long-neglected yet increasingly crucial facet of the consumer behavior cycle. Recognizing the global shift toward sustainable consumption and circular economic models, the study aims to unravel the complex behavioral, psychological, and situational factors that drive consumers to part with products. The key objectives include developing an empirically grounded disposition tendency model, identifying consumer typologies based on disposition tendencies, and examining how these tendencies influence actual and impulse disposition behaviors. Additionally, the research evaluates the moderating roles of demographic and situational variables such as gender, age, income, job transferability, family structure, and work status. The methodology adopts a mixed-methods approach. The qualitative phase involves semi-structured interviews with 30 experienced disposers to explore nuanced disposal practices, analyzed using content analysis to refine the theoretical model. The quantitative phase includes a large-scale online survey, leveraging convenience sampling through social platforms to gather data from Indian consumers aged 25 and above. Measurement items were structured using a 7-point Likert scale, and data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to validate the constructs and hypotheses. The research culminates in a validated model encompassing constructs like value seeking, innovation seeking, de-cluttering tendency, lifestyle and storage factors, product condition, and disposition channels, and it links these to disposition and impulse behavior. Key findings reveal that disposition behavior is significantly shaped by the interplay of psychological motivations and situational realities. Typological analysis identifies various consumer segments; those inclined toward value, innovation, or minimalism; each demonstrating distinct behavioral patterns in product disposal. Notably, innovation-seeking emerged as a novel and significant factor influencing disposition tendencies. The study also reveals the moderating influence of socio-demographic variables on disposition behavior, with specific findings suggesting that age, gender, income, and work-related mobility affect how consumers perceive and act upon their disposition motivations. This is the first study in the Indian context to provide empirical support for a multifactorial disposition tendency model while simultaneously offering a robust typology of disposers. The research has profound theoretical and practical implications: it bridges a notable gap in consumer behavior literature by focusing on post-consumption behavior, offers a validated model for future academic inquiry, and delivers actionable insights for marketers and policymakers. For businesses, it offers strategic guidance to leverage second-hand markets and tailor product design and communication for sustainability-conscious consumers. For policymakers, it contributes evidence-based insights to support initiatives tackling e-waste, landfill management, and sustainable consumption. However, limitations include reliance on convenience sampling and English-only online surveys, restricting generalizability. The study concludes by proposing directions for future research, such as cross-cultural comparative studies and deeper exploration of the emotional and identity-related aspects of disposition. In essence, this work shifts the discourse in consumer research from acquisition to responsible relinquishment, establishing product disposition as a vital arena for sustainable development.
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