Date of Award
1-1-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Business Administration
First Advisor
Melissa Cinelli
Second Advisor
Barry J. Babin
Third Advisor
Christopher L. Newman
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Consumers are widely believed to incorporate authentic possessions and brands into their sense of self. Little is known about how consumers relate to entities they perceive as inauthentic, even as such entities have become increasingly common in the marketplace. Understanding when self-extension occurs matters because it predicts behaviors central to marketing, including loyalty, advocacy, and product retention. Can consumers still extend themselves to entities they know are fake or performative? This dissertation suggests: sometimes, yes. By integrating a conceptual review with thirteen empirical studies, it examines how inauthenticity in products and brands impacts self-extension. Findings show that while inauthenticity often undermines self-extension by weakening perceived value, certain conditions like high-effort purchasing and functional framing can preserve or even enable the connection. By identifying when self-extension is weakened, unaffected, or reinforced by inauthenticity, this dissertation offers a framework for managing consumer–brand relationships in markets where meaning can be imitated, and where inauthenticity may be harmful, tolerated, or strategically leveraged.
Recommended Citation
Tiende Nano, Goldar Lenjeu, "Inauthenticity and the Extended Self" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3401.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/3401