Browsing by Subject "Consumers--Romania."

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Open Access
An exploration of the consumption orientation in Romania
(1992) Isoiu, Paul
This study aims to explore possible causal factors for consumption orientation (interchangeably referred as materialism) in Romania, and to offer possible alternatives to be investigated in future cross-cultural studies of materialism. The employed research method - group discussions - attempts to reveal insights, provide rich and in-depth understanding, and generate new ideas regarding causal factors and traits of materialism. Results of the discussions with people in urban and rural areas, indicated that the macro-environment has been influencing the cultural values, in the last decades, emphasizing the end-states of existence (terminal values). Recent developments in the Romanian society led to changes in the consumer culture, and modes of existence (instrumental values) become increasingly important for Romanians' consumption orientation. Some psychological factors, interacting with these values, seem to affect consumption orientation. Need for freedom, need for selfrespect and social recognition are suggested to be the driving forces for today's Romanian consumption patterns. These needs facing different environmental constraints (restrictions imposed by political, social, or economical reasons) are finalized in conflictual states of mind, ranging between satisfaction and frustration. With the need for freedom and individual achievements (i.e. self-respect, self-esteem, social recognition, freedom of choice) pointed as sources for personal satisfaction in consumption, the Romanian context adds a new dimension to the present sum of materialism's traits (i.e. possessiveness, envy, nongenerosity, tangibilization - Ger and Belk, 1990) - independence. This trait was defined as the "tendency to reject any domination over one's personal life, possessions, or experience.
Open Access
"The right to be informed", a consumerism issue: study on Romanian consumers of cosmetics
(1992) Marginean, Diana
This study focuses on the importance of consumerism in general and of consumer protection through the right to information, in particular. A sample of Romanian consumers of cosmetics and grooming products and two companies - a producer of cosmetics and a distributor of cosmetics are interviewed to address this issue. A secondary issue explored is the transformations in the Romanian environment along with an attempt to e.xplore the changes in consumption patterns of the Romanian consumers. The results showed that at present the information provided for the Romanian consumers of cosmetics and grooming products is insufficient and incomplete and there is an acute need for more and detailed information. There is also a need for consumer protection activities on behalf of tlie producing and distributing firms and on behalf of outside consumer protection agencies. Further, overall changes of the average number of items and consumption activities perceived as necessities, luxuries, and consumed and wanted are not significant although perceptions of items alone have changed.