Guillaume FAYOLLE

Jury

Abstract

The concept of deconsumption was first examined in the scientific literature in a 1974 article by Kotler as a way to cope with gasoline shortages. Since then, experiences of deconsumption have often been associated with a loss of value or negative perceptions. Yet, this seems contrary to new trends questioning traditional consumption patterns, moving towards simpler lifestyles and increasingly valued practices. So where does the truth lie? This thesis aims to explore the concept of deconsumption and its links to the perceived value of the deconsumer. This work therefore seeks to answer the following question: to what extent is deconsumption (vs. consumption) influenced by its relationship to the value of the (de)consumer? The first objective of this research is to clarify the definition of deconsumption compared to related terms. The second objective is to better understand deconsumers and their behaviors by contrasting them with those of consumers. The third objective is to develop the outlines of a typology of the value of the deconsumer based on that of the value of the consumer of Holbrook (1999).

In the first part of this thesis, the theoretical framework is introduced through a review of research on deconsumption, consumer (or consumption) value, and their interrelationships. Chapter 1 examines the concept of deconsumption through an etymological and chronological approach to its definition, in addition to its motivations and related concepts. Chapter 2 explores consumer value through axiology, its nature, its evolution, and its connections between different types of values, as well as its (real or inferred) relationship to deconsumption. The second part of this doctoral work focuses on the two qualitative studies and their results. The methodology employed a comprehensive analysis of data from the 33 participants in the three focus groups (Study 1a) and 15 supplementary face-to-face interviews (Study 1b). And, using the same in-depth analysis, the second study added 20 active members participating in online discussions through two netnographies with data collected on two Discord servers:

1) community of video game collectors (and enthusiasts),

2) a community for sharing good deals. The results, discussed in the third part of this research, provided evidence of the existence of the value of the deconsumer as a perceived value attached to experiences of deconsumption. 

The findings also revealed that deconsumption can begin at any level of consumption, that it refers to consuming less, and that it manifests in both voluntary, and therefore conscious, behaviors, and involuntary, and therefore potentially (un)conscious and (not) endured behaviors. This research also highlighted the existence of a regulatory value (comprising the values ​​of freedom, health, transmission, and the environment) that guides the dimensions of the (de)consumer's value through the updated typology of consumer value presented in this thesis, and that of the deconsumer, newly developed in this work. Furthermore, a preliminary model outlines how and when to communicate about deconsumption behaviors. Understanding the links between deconsumption and the perceived value that individuals attach to the experience of deconsumption, compared to consumption, is crucial for economic agents, entrepreneurs, managers, decision-makers, employees, citizens, and (de)consumers.