Money attitude, materialism and compulsive buying among Malaysian young adults

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the compulsive buying behavior among Malaysian youths. Specifically, this study aims to examine the indirect effects of money attitude on compul- sive buying through materialism. The intercept method was used where respondents were system- atically selected based on every fifth student who entered the university library. A structured close- ended self-administered questionnaire was used to collect primary data. Structural equation mod- elling using SMART PLS 3.0 was employed in this study to analyze the indirect effects of money attitude on compulsive buying through the mediation of materialism. The results indicated that power prestige and anxiety dimensions of money attitude had significant effects on compulsive buying via materialism. Although understanding money attitude, materialism and compulsive buy- ing may help marketers gain greater market share, ethical and socially responsible marketing strat- egies must also be taken into account. In addition, parents and higher learning institutions need to take initiatives to prevent the forming of maladaptive behaviors among youths. Implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.