Theorizing materialism through the Institutional Analysis and Development framework

Abstract

Materialism in Western societies has been examined at both individual and cultural levels. However, the underlying institutions that engender and perpetuate materialism as an orientation toward consumption are left unexamined. Therefore, the overall purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between institutions constituting the dominant social paradigm (DSP) (deep-rooted belief structures and practices) of societies and materialism. The model proposed to carry this out is the Institutional Analysis and Development framework. This article contributes to marketing theory by developing a conceptual model that explains and offers transformative implications pertaining to the relationship between materialism and the institutional elements of the DSP of Western industrial societies.