Development of market Mavenism traits: Antecedents and moderating effects of culture, gender, and personal beliefs

Mavens are individuals who spread information about different aspects of products without the expectation of reward or recognition. This study sets out to (a) determine if dimensions of altruistic behavior identified in the Actively Caring Behavior Model such as Self-esteem, Belongingness, Personal control, Self-efficacy, and Optimism influence the development of Mavenism traits, and (b) understand and clarify how the development of these traits is influenced by demographics and moderated by gender, cultural background, and personal beliefs. Mavens with high Self-esteem, composed of Optimism, Self-efficacy and Personal control, tend to confirm personal traits of Mavenism. However, Gender, Culture and Religious beliefs act as moderators. Females and males have different motivations and Altruistic dimensions. The context becomes key in assessing how to communicate with Mavenism due to dissimilarities in the effects of Altruism dimensions especially for individuals with different backgrounds in their Culture and Religious beliefs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.