Hazards we had not worried about before

Citation

(2009), "Hazards we had not worried about before", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 18 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2009.07318eab.003

Hazards we had not worried about before

Article Type: News items From: Disaster Prevention and Management, Volume 18, Issue 5

Feelings of lack of control and stress from natural disasters can lead to compulsive shopping, according to a paper in the July 2008 journal Marketing Letters.

Judith Z. Sneath and colleagues found, “Data collected from 427 US Gulf Coast residents who were impacted by Hurricane Katrina … show that perceived lack of control and loss of possessions contribute directly to stress, and event-induced stress impacts depression. Depressive states, in turn, lead to impulsive and compulsive buying behaviors … Disaster victims engage in distinct purchasing behaviors to manage emotional states, recoup losses, and restore their sense of self.”

These results have important ethical and social responsibility implications for marketers, the authors say.