Purpose – The purpose of this study is to clarify the findings and criticisms in the extant literature concerning
the theory of consumption values (TCV) by conducting a meta-analysis to (1) examine the extent to which
consumption values influence consumer behavior and (2) to explore contextual and methodological factors that
may account for between-study variance in the focal relationship.
Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a random-effects model and psychometric metaanalysis
approach to examine 82 studies with 297 effect sizes in 34 countries between 1991 and 2022, inclusive.
Findings – Results reveal that consumption values have a positive significant and moderate effect on
consumer behavior. Moreover, emotional value is the most influential predictor of consumer behavior, while
social value is the weakest. Furthermore, the study’s findings show that some contextual and methodological
factors moderate the relationship between consumption values and consumer behavior.
Practical implications – The findings highlight that managers can work on consumption values to prompt
positive consumer responses like attitude, intention, satisfaction and overall value perception. However,
managers must consider that the relevance of the consumption values depends significantly on the outcome
variable and the context, which calls for a tailored-made marketing strategy to appeal to consumers’ diverse
needs and wants.
Originality/value – Besides providing empirical evidence of the broad validity of the TCV, this study is the
first meta-analytic review of the TCV, which integrates several insights to provide valuable research directions
for future researchers and insightful implications for practitioners.
Keywords Theory of consumption values, Consumption values, Consumer behavior, Meta-analysis
