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Microstructures of economic action: talk, interaction and the bottom line
1Business School, University of Warwick.
The British Journal of Sociology
|September 15, 2015
Summary
This study shows how subtle communication, or micro-interactional practices, influence consumer choices. Customers are more likely to pay higher prices when presented with choices in specific ways, demonstrating the impact of social dynamics on economic decisions.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of economic activity
- Micro-interactional analysis
- Consumer behavior studies
Background:
- Economic activity and price determination are increasingly analyzed through interactional foundations.
- Previous research has quantified the financial implications of micro-interactional practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the financial implications of different micro-interactional practices in consumer choices.
- To examine how conversational analysis can explain price determination in economic transactions.
- To demonstrate how micro-interactional structures influence simple economic choices.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of video recordings of naturalistic interactions.
- Utilizing conversation analysis to study consumer choices.
- Quantifying financial implications of micro-interactional practices.
Main Results:
- The way a choice between a standard price (£8.00) and a higher 'gift aid' price (£8.80) is presented significantly impacts consumer decisions.
- As interactional constraints tighten, the standard price becomes less socially desirable.
- Customers are increasingly inclined to 'volunteer' to pay the higher price.
Conclusions:
- Simple, one-off economic choices and prices are demonstrably responsive to micro-interactional structures.
- Sociological understandings of economic activity can be enhanced by analyzing micro-level interactional dynamics.
- The study highlights the power of interactional framing in influencing consumer willingness to pay.
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