Call for Papers
Psychology & Marketing Award for Scarcity in Services
Extended Submission Deadline for Extended Abstract: January 31, 2025
Full Paper Submission Deadline: August 25, 2025
Co-Track Chairs:
Dr. A. R. Shaheen Hosany, Institute of Management Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK, s.hosany@gold.ac.uk.
Prof. Sameer Hosany, School of Business and Management, Department of Marketing, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK, sameer.hosany@rhul.ac.uk
Consumers encounter product and resource scarcity along the consumer decision journey (Hamilton et al. 2019). In the context of services, scarcity occurs in the form of limited availability of hotel rooms (e.g. Park et al. 2022), airplane, or entertainment venue tickets (Hamilton & Hosany, 2023). Scarcity can be demand versus supply-driven, and strategic versus non-strategic (Hamilton & Hosany, 2023). Consumers also face resource constraints in terms of limited time promotions (time scarcity), over-crowded venues/queues (space scarcity), or by not having enough money (financial scarcity) to engage in desired experiences (Hamilton et al. 2019). Consumers experience scarcity at the individual and/or group level (Hosany & Hamilton, 2023). Research further establishes that scarcity endured during childhood is likely to impact behaviour at later points during the life course (Griskevicius et al. 2011).
A rich body of research investigates scarcity from multiple perspectives: resource (time e.g. Bellezza et al. 2017; money – e.g. Dias et al. 2022, space – e.g. O'Guinn et al. 2015) or product (see Barton et al. 2022; Ladeira et al. 2023). In comparison, studies in the context of services remain limited. Little is known on how consumers respond to a scarcity of services, the marketing strategies that brands utilise to handle strategic and non-strategic scarcity, corresponding outcomes, including service perceptions, and consumption (Roux et al. 2023). Understanding the extent to which service firms strategically deploy scarcity tactics to increase perceptions of desirability and exclusivity is of substantial significance for marketing theory and practice.
The purpose of this track is to stimulate ideas, generate debate and promote collaborations on 1) how consumers respond to scarcity in the context of services, 2) how service brands create and manage scarcity. Potential submissions to our track include, but are not limited to:
- theories/frameworks that shape understanding of consumer responses to scarcity in the context of services
- discussing the extent to which product scarcity theories in marketing (e.g. commodity theory, conformity theory, regret theory), and tactics are relevant for scarce services
- understanding the influence of scarcity along stages of the customer journey across different types of services
- the interaction between social influences (e.g. family units, friends) and different forms of product and resource scarcity in services industries
- the impact of time, money or space scarcity on service encounters
- how brands create and/or respond to product and resource scarcity to enhance customer experience
We are open to diverse theoretical/methodological approaches, including work in progress, to advance our understanding of issues, opportunities and challenges associated with consumers’ and service firms’ responses to scarcity. The track will involve speakers selected from submitted papers who will share summaries of their work. This will be followed by a focused discussion of key questions, covering overarching themes and emergent research. Participants will gain feedback through discussions and the opportunity to network/develop collaborations with colleagues engaged in similar research. The best paper in the ‘Scarcity in Services’ track at the ‘2025 Global Marketing Conference in Hong Kong’ will be invited to submit a full paper to Psychology & Marketing (SSCI). Pre-workshop submission inquiries should be directed to Shaheen Hosany, S.Hosany@gold.ac.uk; Sameer Hosany, Sameer.hosany@rhul.ac.uk
2025 Global Marketing Conference at Hong Kong: https://2025gmc.imweb.me/
Submission to the 2025 GMC at Hong Kong: https://2025gmc.imweb.me/22
References
Barton, B., Zlatevska, N. and Oppewal, H., 2022. Scarcity tactics in marketing: A meta-analysis of product scarcity effects on consumer purchase intentions. Journal of Retailing, 98(4), pp.741-758.
Bellezza, S., Paharia, N. and Keinan, A., 2017. Conspicuous consumption of time: When busyness and lack of leisure time become a status symbol. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(1), pp.118-138.
Dias, R.S., Sharma, E. and Fitzsimons, G.J., 2022. Spending and happiness: The role of perceived financial constraints. Journal of Consumer Research, 49(3), pp.373-388.
Griskevicius, V., Delton, A.W., Robertson, T.E. and Tybur, J.M., 2011. Environmental contingency in life history strategies: the influence of mortality and socioeconomic status on reproductive timing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(2), p.241.
Hamilton, R.W. and Hosany, A.R.S., 2023. On the strategic use of product scarcity in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51(6), pp.1203-1213.
Hamilton, R.W., Thompson, D., Bone, S., Chaplin, L.N., Griskevicius, V., Goldsmith, K., Hill, R., John, D.R., Mittal, C., O’Guinn, T. and Piff, P., 2019. The effects of scarcity on consumer decision journeys. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 47(3), pp. 532-550.
Hosany, A.R.S. and Hamilton, R.W., 2023. Family responses to resource scarcity. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51(6), pp.1351-1381.
Ladeira, W.J., Lim, W.M., de Oliveira Santini, F., Rasul, T., Perin, M.G. and Altinay, L., 2023. A meta‐analysis on the effects of product scarcity. Psychology & Marketing, 40(7), pp.1267-1279.
O’Guinn, T.C., Tanner, R.J. and Maeng, A., 2015. Turning to space: Social density, social class, and the value of things in stores. Journal of Consumer Research, 42(2), pp.196-213.
Park, J., Kim, J. and Kim, S., 2022. Evolutionary aspects of scarcity information with regard to travel options: The role of childhood socioeconomic status. Journal of Travel Research, 61(1), pp.93-107.
Roux, C., Goldsmith, K. and Cannon, C., 2023. On the role of scarcity in marketing: Identifying research opportunities across the 5Ps. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51(6), pp.1197-1202.
Call for Papers
Psychology & Marketing Award for Scarcity in Services
Extended Submission Deadline for Extended Abstract: January 31, 2025
Full Paper Submission Deadline: August 25, 2025
Co-Track Chairs:
Dr. A. R. Shaheen Hosany, Institute of Management Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK, s.hosany@gold.ac.uk.
Prof. Sameer Hosany, School of Business and Management, Department of Marketing, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK, sameer.hosany@rhul.ac.uk
Consumers encounter product and resource scarcity along the consumer decision journey (Hamilton et al. 2019). In the context of services, scarcity occurs in the form of limited availability of hotel rooms (e.g. Park et al. 2022), airplane, or entertainment venue tickets (Hamilton & Hosany, 2023). Scarcity can be demand versus supply-driven, and strategic versus non-strategic (Hamilton & Hosany, 2023). Consumers also face resource constraints in terms of limited time promotions (time scarcity), over-crowded venues/queues (space scarcity), or by not having enough money (financial scarcity) to engage in desired experiences (Hamilton et al. 2019). Consumers experience scarcity at the individual and/or group level (Hosany & Hamilton, 2023). Research further establishes that scarcity endured during childhood is likely to impact behaviour at later points during the life course (Griskevicius et al. 2011).
A rich body of research investigates scarcity from multiple perspectives: resource (time e.g. Bellezza et al. 2017; money – e.g. Dias et al. 2022, space – e.g. O'Guinn et al. 2015) or product (see Barton et al. 2022; Ladeira et al. 2023). In comparison, studies in the context of services remain limited. Little is known on how consumers respond to a scarcity of services, the marketing strategies that brands utilise to handle strategic and non-strategic scarcity, corresponding outcomes, including service perceptions, and consumption (Roux et al. 2023). Understanding the extent to which service firms strategically deploy scarcity tactics to increase perceptions of desirability and exclusivity is of substantial significance for marketing theory and practice.
The purpose of this track is to stimulate ideas, generate debate and promote collaborations on 1) how consumers respond to scarcity in the context of services, 2) how service brands create and manage scarcity. Potential submissions to our track include, but are not limited to:
- theories/frameworks that shape understanding of consumer responses to scarcity in the context of services
- discussing the extent to which product scarcity theories in marketing (e.g. commodity theory, conformity theory, regret theory), and tactics are relevant for scarce services
- understanding the influence of scarcity along stages of the customer journey across different types of services
- the interaction between social influences (e.g. family units, friends) and different forms of product and resource scarcity in services industries
- the impact of time, money or space scarcity on service encounters
- how brands create and/or respond to product and resource scarcity to enhance customer experience
We are open to diverse theoretical/methodological approaches, including work in progress, to advance our understanding of issues, opportunities and challenges associated with consumers’ and service firms’ responses to scarcity. The track will involve speakers selected from submitted papers who will share summaries of their work. This will be followed by a focused discussion of key questions, covering overarching themes and emergent research. Participants will gain feedback through discussions and the opportunity to network/develop collaborations with colleagues engaged in similar research. The best paper in the ‘Scarcity in Services’ track at the ‘2025 Global Marketing Conference in Hong Kong’ will be invited to submit a full paper to Psychology & Marketing (SSCI). Pre-workshop submission inquiries should be directed to Shaheen Hosany, S.Hosany@gold.ac.uk; Sameer Hosany, Sameer.hosany@rhul.ac.uk
2025 Global Marketing Conference at Hong Kong: https://2025gmc.imweb.me/
Submission to the 2025 GMC at Hong Kong: https://2025gmc.imweb.me/22
References
Barton, B., Zlatevska, N. and Oppewal, H., 2022. Scarcity tactics in marketing: A meta-analysis of product scarcity effects on consumer purchase intentions. Journal of Retailing, 98(4), pp.741-758.
Bellezza, S., Paharia, N. and Keinan, A., 2017. Conspicuous consumption of time: When busyness and lack of leisure time become a status symbol. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(1), pp.118-138.
Dias, R.S., Sharma, E. and Fitzsimons, G.J., 2022. Spending and happiness: The role of perceived financial constraints. Journal of Consumer Research, 49(3), pp.373-388.
Griskevicius, V., Delton, A.W., Robertson, T.E. and Tybur, J.M., 2011. Environmental contingency in life history strategies: the influence of mortality and socioeconomic status on reproductive timing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(2), p.241.
Hamilton, R.W. and Hosany, A.R.S., 2023. On the strategic use of product scarcity in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51(6), pp.1203-1213.
Hamilton, R.W., Thompson, D., Bone, S., Chaplin, L.N., Griskevicius, V., Goldsmith, K., Hill, R., John, D.R., Mittal, C., O’Guinn, T. and Piff, P., 2019. The effects of scarcity on consumer decision journeys. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 47(3), pp. 532-550.
Hosany, A.R.S. and Hamilton, R.W., 2023. Family responses to resource scarcity. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51(6), pp.1351-1381.
Ladeira, W.J., Lim, W.M., de Oliveira Santini, F., Rasul, T., Perin, M.G. and Altinay, L., 2023. A meta‐analysis on the effects of product scarcity. Psychology & Marketing, 40(7), pp.1267-1279.
O’Guinn, T.C., Tanner, R.J. and Maeng, A., 2015. Turning to space: Social density, social class, and the value of things in stores. Journal of Consumer Research, 42(2), pp.196-213.
Park, J., Kim, J. and Kim, S., 2022. Evolutionary aspects of scarcity information with regard to travel options: The role of childhood socioeconomic status. Journal of Travel Research, 61(1), pp.93-107.
Roux, C., Goldsmith, K. and Cannon, C., 2023. On the role of scarcity in marketing: Identifying research opportunities across the 5Ps. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51(6), pp.1197-1202.