IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/mktlet/v35y2024i3d10.1007_s11002-024-09722-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Handmade vs. machine-made: the effects of handmade gifts on social relationships

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaoming Fan

    (Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics
    Fudan University)

  • Anqi Lai

    (Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics)

  • Hean Tat Keh

    (Monash University)

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of handmade (vs. machine-made) gifts on social relationships. Across three studies, we find that handmade gifts promote social relationships. This effect can be explained by the perceived uniqueness of such gifts. Furthermore, these effects are moderated by social class (upper vs. lower). Specifically, membership in the upper class enhances the recipient’s perceived uniqueness of handmade gifts, which in turn enhances the recipient’s evaluation of social relationships. However, for members of the lower class, their perception of the uniqueness of handmade gifts becomes weaker, to the detriment of social relationships. These novel findings have both theoretical and practical significance for establishing harmonious interpersonal relationships and the consumption of handmade gifts.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaoming Fan & Anqi Lai & Hean Tat Keh, 2024. "Handmade vs. machine-made: the effects of handmade gifts on social relationships," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 1-14, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:mktlet:v:35:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s11002-024-09722-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11002-024-09722-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11002-024-09722-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11002-024-09722-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jiamin Yin & Yansu Wang & Jun Pang & Kanliang Wang, 2020. "Customizing products for self versus close others: the effect of intended recipient on creator perceptions of product uniqueness," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 73-87, March.
    2. Stephanie M. Tully & Hal E. Hershfield & Tom Meyvis, 2015. "Seeking Lasting Enjoyment with Limited Money: Financial Constraints Increase Preference for Material Goods over Experiences," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 42(1), pages 59-75.
    3. Mary Steffel & Robyn A. LeBoeuf, 2014. "Overindividuation in Gift Giving: Shopping for Multiple Recipients Leads Givers to Choose Unique but Less Preferred Gifts," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 40(6), pages 1167-1180.
    4. Minji Suh & Hyewon Cho, 2023. "Cultural differences in giving experiential (vs. material) gifts," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 223-236, June.
    5. Philip M. Fernbach & Christina Kan & John G. Lynch Jr., 2015. "Squeezed: Coping with Constraint through Efficiency and Prioritization," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 41(5), pages 1204-1227.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Xiaoming Fan, 2024. "The coldness of machines vs. the warmth of humans: social exclusion and compensatory consumption of handmade products," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2024(3), pages 267-285, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jin Sun & Chen Chen & Junmei Lan, 2022. "Direct Expression or Indirect Transmission? An Empirical Research on the Impacts of Explicit and Implicit Appeals in Green Advertising," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-19, December.
    2. Wendy De La Rosa & Stephanie M Tully, 2022. "The Impact of Payment Frequency on Consumer Spending and Subjective Wealth Perceptions [Pursuing the Value-Conscious Consumer: Store Brands versus National Brand Promotions]," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 48(6), pages 991-1009.
    3. Malika Malika & Durairaj Maheswaran & Shailendra Pratap Jain, 2022. "Perceived financial constraints and normative influence: discretionary purchase decisions across cultures," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 252-271, March.
    4. Eesha Sharma & Stephanie Tully & Xiang Wang, 2022. "Scarcity and Intertemporal Choice," Working Papers 22-27, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    5. Zhao, Taiyang & Lu, Yan & Lynette Wang, Valerie & Wu, Banggang & Chen, Zhi & Song, Wei & Zhou, Liying, 2023. "Shared but unhappy? Detrimental effects of using shared products on psychological ownership and consumer happiness," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    6. Jacob C. Lee & Sara Kim & Phyllis Xue Wang, 2022. "Anthropomorphizing makes material goods as happiness-inducing as experiences," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 61-73, March.
    7. Ma, Qingguo & He, Yijin & Tan, Yulin & Cheng, Lu & Wang, Manlin, 2024. "Unveiling the Impact of Payment Methods on Consumer Behavior: Insights and Future Directions," OSF Preprints 3fphk, Center for Open Science.
    8. Bogner, Anna, 2023. "Memory asymmetries in experiential and material purchases: The role of self-expression," Junior Management Science (JUMS), Junior Management Science e. V., vol. 8(1), pages 163-187.
    9. Jingyi Lu & Zhengyan Liu & Zhe Fang, 2016. "Hedonic products for you, utilitarian products for me," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 11(4), pages 332-341, July.
    10. Bastos, Wilson, 2020. "“Speaking of Purchases”: How Conversational Potential Determines Consumers' Willingness to Exert Effort for Experiential Versus Material Purchases," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1-16.
    11. Cozac, Marina & Mende, Martin & Scott, Maura L., 2023. "Consumer preferences for fuel snacks at the intersection of caregiving stress and gender," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    12. Julia Bayuk & Hyunjung Crystal Lee & Jooyoung Park & Serkan Saka & Debabrata Talukdar & Jayati Sinha, 2022. "Mindfully aware and open: Mitigating subjective and objective financial vulnerability via mindfulness practices," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(3), pages 1284-1311, September.
    13. Tang, Honghong & Li, Lin & Su, Song, 2022. "Experiencing less leads to the use of more: The effect of a scarcity mindset on product usage," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 139-148.
    14. Zhiyi Wang & Lusi Yang & Jungpil Hahn, 2023. "Winner Takes All? The Blockbuster Effect on Crowdfunding Platforms," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 34(3), pages 935-960, September.
    15. Cheng, Andong & Meloy, Margaret G. & Polman, Evan, 2021. "Picking Gifts for Picky People," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 191-206.
    16. Kappes, Heather Barry & Campbell, Rebecca & Ivchenko, Andriy, 2023. "Scarcity and predictability of income over time: experimental games as a way to study consumption smoothing," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 119423, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    17. Barton, Belinda & Zlatevska, Natalina & Oppewal, Harmen, 2022. "Scarcity tactics in marketing: A meta-analysis of product scarcity effects on consumer purchase intentions," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 98(4), pages 741-758.
    18. Rebecca Hamilton & Debora Thompson & Sterling Bone & Lan Nguyen Chaplin & Vladas Griskevicius & Kelly Goldsmith & Ronald Hill & Deborah Roedder John & Chiraag Mittal & Thomas O’Guinn & Paul Piff & Car, 2019. "The effects of scarcity on consumer decision journeys," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 532-550, May.
    19. Christopher K. Hsee & Ying Zeng & Xilin Li & Alex Imas, 2021. "Bounded Rationality in Strategic Decisions: Undershooting in a Resource Pool-Choice Dilemma," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(10), pages 6553-6567, October.
    20. Wu, Laurie & Lee, Christopher, 2016. "Limited Edition for Me and Best Seller for You: The Impact of Scarcity versus Popularity Cues on Self versus Other-Purchase Behavior," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 92(4), pages 486-499.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:mktlet:v:35:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s11002-024-09722-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.