Climbing down the ladder makes you play it safe : The effect of the status of a rejecter on product evaluation

Purpose This study aims to examine how social exclusion and the social status of a rejecter affect consumers’ purchase intentions toward ordinary products. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses. Findings The status of a rejecter, whether high or low, had a significant influence on individuals’ evaluations of ordinary products. Results showed that individuals who were rejected by a low status source had higher purchase intentions toward the ordinary (vs unique) products compared to those who were rejected by a high status source due to threatened self-concept. Practical implications With the increased number of lonely consumers in the market today, firms should pay closer attention to the behavioral patterns of consumers who are socially excluded. In addition, firms should be aware that consumers’ purchase intentions vary depending on the sources of social exclusion. Originality/value This paper addresses the significant impact of sources of social exclusion on consumers’ evaluation of ordinary products. Moreover, this study focuses on a relatively neglected definition of social status, namely, the sociometric status, to fill the gap in the social status literature.