Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Working Knowledge
Business Research for Business Leaders
  • Browse All Articles
  • Popular Articles
  • Cold Call Podcast
  • Managing the Future of Work Podcast
  • About Us
  • Book
  • Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Entrepreneurship
  • All Topics...
  • Topics
    • COVID-19
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Finance
    • Gender
    • Globalization
    • Leadership
    • Management
    • Negotiation
    • Social Enterprise
    • Strategy
  • Sections
    • Book
    • Podcasts
    • HBS Case
    • In Practice
    • Lessons from the Classroom
    • Op-Ed
    • Research & Ideas
    • Research Event
    • Sharpening Your Skills
    • What Do You Think?
  • Browse All
    'Be Careless with That!' Availability of Product Upgrades Increases Cavalier Behavior Toward Possessions
    25 Oct 2016Working Paper Summaries

    'Be Careless with That!' Availability of Product Upgrades Increases Cavalier Behavior Toward Possessions

    by Silvia Bellezza, Joshua M. Ackerman, and Francesca Gino
    Contrary to the notion that consumers highly value and care for their possessions, this research demonstrates that consumers may become careless toward owned products when they know there are appealing upgrades coming. Such carelessness is driven by consumers’ strong desire to justify decisions. The findings suggest opportunities for marketers and designers because planned obsolescence might benefit upgrade-minded consumers by making it easier for them to damage or detect functional flaws in owned products.
    LinkedIn
    Email

    Author Abstract

    Consumers are often faced with the opportunity to purchase a new, enhanced product, such as a new phone, even though the product they currently own is still fully functional. We propose that consumers act more recklessly with their current products when in the presence of appealing, though not yet attained, product upgrades (not just mere replacements). Carelessness and neglect toward currently owned products stem from a desire to justify the attainment of upgrades without appearing wasteful. A series of studies with actual owners of a wide range of different goods (e.g., durable, consumable, functional, and hedonic products) and evidence from a real-word dataset of lost Apple iPhones demonstrate how the availability of product upgrades increases cavalier behavior toward possessions. Moreover, we show that product neglect in the presence of attractive upgrades can occur without deliberate intentions. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of these findings.

    Paper Information

    • Full Working Paper Text
    • Working Paper Publication Date: October 2016
    • HBS Working Paper Number:
    • Faculty Unit(s): Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
      Trending
        • 23 May 2023
        • Research & Ideas

        Face Value: Do Certain Physical Features Help People Get Ahead?

        • 30 May 2023
        • Research & Ideas

        Can AI Predict Whether Shoppers Would Pick Crest or Colgate?

        • 02 May 2023
        • What Do You Think?

        How Should Artificial Intelligence Be Regulated—if at All?

        • 31 May 2023
        • HBS Case

        From Prison Cell to Nike’s C-Suite: The Journey of Larry Miller

        • 25 Jan 2022
        • Research & Ideas

        More Proof That Money Can Buy Happiness (or a Life with Less Stress)

    Francesca Gino
    Francesca Gino
    Tandon Family Professor of Business Administration
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    Find Related Articles
    • Consumer Behavior
    • Telecommunications

    Sign up for our weekly newsletter

    Interested in improving your business? Learn about fresh research and ideas from Harvard Business School faculty.
    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    ǁ
    Campus Map
    Harvard Business School Working Knowledge
    Baker Library | Bloomberg Center
    Soldiers Field
    Boston, MA 02163
    Email: Editor-in-Chief
    →Map & Directions
    →More Contact Information
    • Make a Gift
    • Site Map
    • Jobs
    • Harvard University
    • Trademarks
    • Policies
    • Accessibility
    • Digital Accessibility
    Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College