SPECIAL ISSUES

Toward a broader understanding of boomerang effects: The negative unintended consequences of poverty alleviation programs

This special issue follows from the Transformative Consumer Research (TCR) conference that took place in June of 2023 at the Royal Holloway University of London, just over 15 years after the inaugural TCR conference in 2007 at Dartmouth College. TCR reached this milestone having re-invigorated and consolidated consumer research scholarship in the drive to foreground the study of how consumption intersects with complex and pressing social problems and well-being when framing our research questions and hoped-for contributions (Mick, 2006). In so doing, TCR advanced in lockstep with the rising consciousness within wider marketing discipline “to address questions of relevance to the field and [emphasis added] the world” (Coulter, 2016 p.136) As such, this shift is envisaged as the ‘new era’ of scholarship transcending epistemological and disciplinary boundaries to determine dimensions and determinants of societal impact as one of marketing outcomes (Chandy et al., 2021; MacInnis et al., 2020; Scott & Mende, 2022; Vargo, 2022).

Transformative consumer research (TCR) is the pre-eminent sub-field in Marketing addressing the key intersections between consumer theory, marketing practice and policy to explicitly promote solutions for improving societal well-being (Mick, 2008; Scott and Mende, 2022). Since its inception almost 20 years ago TCR has contributed seminal conceptual and empirical scholarship on some of the most pressing societal challenges (Anderson et al., 2013; Bahl et al., 2016; Block et al., 2011; Kipnis et al., 2021; Ozanne et al., 2017). Recent recommendations from the TCR Impact Task Force have highlighted the urgent and critical need to prioritise and reorient research goals around societal impact, to develop robust strategies for stakeholder engagement and to grow and foster a culture of collaboration and community-centric research (Ozanne et al., 2024). As impact-focused work grows in prominence across a range of business and management disciplines, we are also witnessing an escalating number of scholars around the globe undertaking TCR scholarship. To recognise and highlight their contributions, our vision for this special issue was to cultivate a space for scholars to share the nature of their diverse impact journeys and outcomes, as publishing avenues for such insights remain nascent in scope and number (Ozanne et al., 2024).

This paper aims to identify key insights from the social media needs and experiences of target audience of young Black women (YBW) and apply principles of mindfulness to those insights to develop resources and practices to empower YBW to have a healthier relationship with social media.

Global sustainability challenges necessitate a reevaluation of consumer well-being. We build on existing models to offer a sustainability-informed perspective uniting different stakeholders behind a new vision of success. Inspired by Félix Guattari’s philosophy of three ecologies, we propose sustainable consumer well-being (sCWB), defined as a dynamic equilibrium between individual, social, and environmental interactions in the marketplace, where individual thriving today does not compromise the ability of others, the planet, or future generations to thrive. We figuratively represent sCWB as a triple helix, drawing an analogy to the unique properties of helical design to illustrate the complex and dynamic relationship between the three ecologies. We also introduce the sCWB Matrix, a multidimensional space to identify and analyze damaging versus supportive marketplace activities within each ecology. Interconnected nodes link the triple helix structure, serving to store matrix information and identify ecological conflicts and synergies. In positioning consumer well-being as a sustainability issue, and sustainability as a well-being issue, sCWB offers an ambitious, transdisciplinary framework to balance individual prosperity with broader ecological stewardship. Pursuing sCWB requires coordinated action across the micro, meso, and macro levels of the marketplace. Guiding principles for consumers, organizations and public policy are identified. Future research should develop and refine the sCWB framework with the goal of driving widespread adoption.

Four primary factors affect public policy development related to philanthropy and the resulting social impact: (1) national economic environments, (2) type of government, (3) legal constraints, and (4) role government plays. Each of these affects the source of philanthropy, the destination of the funding, and the type of benefits received. These combined factors also affect the ability of nonprofit organizations to successfully raise and distribute funds needed for the population, particularly in response to an unexpected event, known as an exogenous shock. Tension already exists between a government’s role in philanthropy and nonprofit sector operations. When exogenous shock exerts pressure on this relationship, effects are far-reaching. What impacts that outcome, however, has not been explored. This research examines the factors involved in philanthropic policy to develop a conceptual framework that attempts to explain the impact of the general economic environment and public policy on philanthropy, and the ability of nonprofit organizations to operate successfully. In doing so, the framework adheres to the tenets of the Transformative Consumer Research movement by identifying opportunities for nonprofit organizations to make a positive impact on philanthropy, which has a direct effect on their mission delivery and, therefore, consumer and societal well-being. As a result, academics can empirically test relationships in the model to understand the implications of policy on philanthropy.

This study examines children’s digital well-being through a stakeholder-driven, transdisciplinary research initiative. Understanding the multidimensional risks affecting a child’s digital well-being requires examining how stakeholders perceive and define the problem. The purpose of this research is to provide a deeper analysis of how the focal problem, identifying factors that influence a child’s digital well-being, should be framed. The author synthesizes insights from local agencies, teens, and medical practitioners to identify gaps in current framings and inform more comprehensive intervention strategies. In addition, this research offers insight beyond the context of digital well-being for scholars seeking to achieve societal impact through the process of stakeholder collaboration.

This paper examines the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a catalyst for sustainable living, adopting a systemic approach that offers a holistic and integrated perspective on the transformative effects of AI. The body of research at the convergence of AI and sustainability is in its early stages and growing rapidly. Yet, there has been limited investigation into how these two areas intersect from the consumer’s perspective. We investigate the role of AI in shaping consumer behavior, empowering sustainable choices, and bridging the intention-behavior gap. Our contribution includes the development of an integrative framework that synthesizes models of technology acceptance and pro-environmental behavior, aimed at predicting and enhancing consumer engagement with AI technologies for long-term sustainability. By applying the concept of distributed cognition (human + AI), we further explore how AI tools can empower consumer decision-making toward sustainability by extending and enhancing cognitive processes. We provide insights into policy implications and delineate a path for future research to amplify the role of AI as an empowering tool for consumers in the sustainability context.