A dívida a partir de significados e padrões de consumo

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, Priscilla Bidin da
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da ESPM
• Texto Completo: http://tede2.espm.br/handle/tede/581
• topic: comportamento do consumidor; cultura de consumo; dívida; endividamento; finanças pessoais; padrões de consumo; consumer behavior; consumer culture; debt; indebtedness; personal finances; consumption patterns; CIENCIAS SOCIAIS APLICADAS::ADMINISTRACAO

Scholars and practitioners have encouraged research that explores different aspects related to the consumers’ financial well-being. This study addresses the call for exploring the sociocultural meanings of debt in emerging markets (Peñaloza & Barnhart, 2011) and aims to understand debt from the meanings and consumption patterns attributed by individuals. Three specific objectives are proposed: i) to identify the meanings that consumers ascribe to debt; ii) to explore the meaning of debt in the construction of individuals’ social roles and consumption patterns; and iii) to understand how debt affects the lives of individuals. The theoretical background draws on the studies by Bernthal et al. (2005), Cordeiro et al. (2019) and Peñaloza and Barnhart (2011), which discuss debt as a socio-cultural phenomenon. A qualitative research through semi-structured interviews was conducted with 29 people who have different types of debt in the city of São Paulo. Content analysis technique was used to analyze data, considering the thematic categories defined a priori – basis in the literature used - and the posteriori - with the identification of security, risk and hybrid behaviors, demonstrating different ways of dealing with the debt. The culture of buying and paying in installment was identified as a possible aggravating factor for the accumulation of debts in Brazil. The meaning of debt for the individual is beyond than just buying a good: debt can provide for you and your family an improvement in the standard of living, financial well-being and a better quality of life. The study contributes to the consumer behavior literature, filling the gap of understanding debt and financial decisions through a lens of socio-cultural aspects. Based on the research findings, practical and managerial contributions to improve the financial life of individuals were suggested, such as financial orientation services, investment advice and ways to stimulate longterm thinking about financial well-being. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research were pointed out.