BNET Business Dictionary
Business Definition for: Consumerism
- the influence of the general public, as end users of products and services, on the way companies manufacture and sell their goods. Consumers exert considerable power over companies as organizations become more customer-focused. Demand is rising for products that are of high quality, ethically produced, well priced, and safe, and consumerism pressurizes companies to operate and produce goods and services in accordance with the public's wishes. In fact, the goals of consumerism are not at odds with those of marketing (see marketing management), as both have the end goal of pleasing the consumer. In practice, however, marketing does not always succeed, and there is still a need for legislation to back up the right of consumers to demand products that are of good quality and for consumer protection bodies that influence the commercial world on consumers' behalf. A particular form of consumer pressure, motivated by environmental concerns, is green consumerism, which campaigns for environmentally friendly goods, services, and means of production.
Wiktionary Definition for: Consumerism
- A policy of protecting and informing consumers through honesty in advertising and packaging, improved safety standards etc
- A materialistic attachment to possessions
- An economic theory that increased consumption is beneficial to a nation's economy
Additional Resources
- Consumerism
- CONSUMERISM. Consumerism, the central economic and social policy of contemporary capitalism, is a doctrine of growing the economy through constantly increasing the consumption of commodities and services. The term consumerism is also used to describe movements to protect the rights and interests of consumers. Consumerism and Mass Production...
- Research articles 2005-10-25
- Computer maker launches online tools to promote health care consumerism; More than half of Dell's employees use health manager.(News)
- Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ ATLANTA-Providing tools that empower employees to become better health care consumers is critical to promoting consumerism. In an effort to promote consumerism, Dell Inc. launched a variety of online tools to educate its Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ ...
- Research articles 2007-03-19
- China, Consumerism, and the Red Pepsi Can
- China, Consumerism, and the Red Pepsi CanRE: China, Consumerism, and the Red Pepsi Canbut what is their frame of reference? If one never had steak the blandest of gruel might make one happy. I know I wouldn't trade my way of life or freedoms to be a "happy"...
- Discussion threads 2008-08-13
- Take Care of Yourself: Employers Embrace Consumerism to Control Healthcare Costs
- Consumer-directed benefits, like managed care, are buzz words with broad, but important relevance for employers. Managed care was designed to put control where there was none. Today's trend toward consumerism attempts to inject something that's been missing from health benefits - a consumer who cares more about cost and quality....
- White papers 2005-09-16
- Health cost increases hold steady-for now; Consumerism helps keep average hike at 6.1%, Mercer finds.(Mercer Health & Benefits L.L.C.)
- Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK By stressing consumerism and heath care management, U.S. employers have successfully managed to keep the rate of increase in group health plan costs steady in the past two years. In 2006, group health care plan costs increa Byline:...
- Research articles 2006-11-20
- Consumerism program helps spread cost control message.(Benefits Management)
- Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK Honeywell International Inc. is putting health care consumerism to the test with a new health education program aimed at improving outcomes, thereby lowering health care costs. "We are strong believers in many aspects Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK ...
- Research articles 2004-05-03
- Hurdles to consumerism.(Opinions)(Brief Article)
- More employers are embracing health care consumerism to help control rising costs, but this approach won't succeed unless consumers have the right information to make prudent decisions. As we report on page 1, the recent move by the California Publ More employers are embracing...
- Research articles 2004-05-31
- Hilton, Matthew Consumerism in Twentieth-Century Britain: The Search for a Historical Movement.(Book Review)
- Hilton, Matthew Consumerism in Twentieth-Century Britain: The Search for a Historical Movement New York: Cambridge University Press 396 pp., $65.00 cloth, $24.00 paper ISBN 0-521-83129-6 cloth ISBN 0-521-53853-X paper Publication Date: November 2003 The history of twentieth century Britain must be reevaluated in...
- Research articles 2004-03-22
- British consumerism examined
- Consumerism in Twentieth-Century Britain. Matthew Hilton. Cambridge University Press. [pounds sterling]45.00. 362 pages. ISBN 0-521-83129-6. 'Consumerism' goes back a long way--to assizes of bread and ale, laws of weights and measures, and even to the guild system, which tried to give purchasers well-made goods, made by a properly-trained workman...
- Research articles 2004-10-01
- Insurers, brokers buying into health care consumerism.(Cover Focus: Benefits & Financial Services)
- Byline: Roseanne White Geisel What happens when employers say "something's gotta give,'' and shift more health care decisions and costs to their employees? Given the necessary tools, employees, it seems, take the ball and run with it, putting solid momentum behind...
- Research articles 2004-06-21
- Consumerism and the Brave New World of health benefits
- [Second of a two-part series. Part I, in October EBN looked at where we've been on the road to health care consumerism and consumer-directed health plans. Part two considers where we may be headed.] Consumer-directed health plans CDHPs and consumerism continue to evolve at a rapid pace. There are...
- Research articles 2003-11-01
- Managed Consumerism in Health Care
- The future of market-oriented health policy and practice lies in "Managed Consumerism," a blend of the patient-centric focus of consumer-driven health care and the provider-centric focus of managed competition. The optimal locus of incentives varies among health services according to the nature of the illness, the clinical technology, and the...
- White papers 2005-12-01
- Early Experience With High-Deductible and Consumer-Driven Health Plans: Findings From the EBRI/ Commonwealth Fund Consumerism in Health Care Survey
- Promoting consumerism in health care is the big idea in health insurance in the United States. One of the leading manifestations of this is the use of high-deductible health plans with savings accounts, such as Health Savings Accounts HSAs and Health Reimbursement Arrangements HRAs, collectively known as Consumer-Driven Health Plans...
- White papers 2005-12-01
- Home Depot Launches Eco Options Program to Inspire Earth-Friendly Consumerism
- ENERGY RESOURCE-17 April 2007-Home Depot Launches Eco Options Program to Inspire Earth-Friendly ConsumerismC2007 JeraOne - http://www.jeraone.com
- Research articles 2007-04-17
- SHPS Helps Deliver New Healthcare Consumerism Solution for Nation's Largest Managed Care Organization; SHPS to Administer Financial Account for Kaiser Permanente's Custom Care HealthBuilder
- LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- SHPS, a leading provider of healthcare consumerism solutions, announced today that it is the administrator of Kaiser Permanente's new CarePay health reimbursement arrangement HRA financial account. The CarePay HRA is an integrated part of the Custom Care HealthBuilder HRA product. Kaiser Permanente is the nation's leading integrated...
- Research articles 2006-06-14
- Consumerism in World History: The Global Transformation of Desire. (Book Reviews). (book review)
- PETER N. STEARNS, Consumerism in World History: The Global Transformation of Desire (London and New York: Routledge - Themes in World History series, 2001. Pp.xii + 147. H/back ISBN 0415 24408 0, no price given; p/back ISBN 0 415 24409 9, [pound sterling]10.99). This...
- Research articles 2002-07-01
- Pope criticises 'explosion' of religious consumerism
- MARIENFELD SITE, Germany AFP — Pope Benedict XVI criticised an "explosion" in religous consumerism and those profiting from it at a mass attended by at least 800,000 pilgrims celebrating the Catholic World Youth day festival. The 78-year-pope, referring to the growth of new sects, said there was "a kind...
- Research articles 2005-08-21
- 'Fast Food' gives Cannes a gutfull of US consumerism
- CANNES, France AFP — "Fast Food Nation," a sometimes stomach-churning movie criticizing the junk food industry and consumerism in the United States, has found a sympathetic audience at its Cannes film festival screenings. Made by US director Richard Linklater, the film belongs to the same breed of celluloid essays...
- Research articles 2006-05-19
- Pope urges youth to forego violence and consumerism
- LORETO, Italy AFP — Pope Benedict XVI celebrated a giant mass Sunday at Loreto in front of some 500,000 youths, telling them to eschew pride and consumerism and take care of the environment. "Go against the current, don't listen to the numerous voices advocating lifestyles based on arrogance, violence,...
- Research articles 2007-09-02
- Sir Gordon Wu Distinguished Speaker Forum: Steven Yung to Speak on 'Brand Revolution in the Age of Consumerism: An Olympic Feat for China'.
- Byline: Columbia Business School NEW YORK, Sept. 25 AScribe Newswire -- The Columbia Business School today released the following advisory. - - - - WHAT: Sir Gordon Wu Distinguished Speaker Forum "Brand Revolution in the Age of...
- Research articles 2006-09-25
