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The Sources of Frustration and Disappointment with the Introduction of New Products in Developing Countries

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Abstract

The notion of positional characteristics that was introduced in the previous chapter led us to suggest that the satisfaction derived from certain new products may in fact turn out to be less than was initially expected of them. The sense of frustration and disappointment that is the likely result stands in stark contrast to the unquestioned benefits that traditional consumption theory tends to associate with new products. But consumption undertaken (partly or entirely) for positional reasons is not the only route by which new products can produce these reactions in the Third World. On the contrary, there are a variety of different ways in which this can occur, as we shall try to demonstrate below.

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© 1993 Jeffrey James

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James, J. (1993). The Sources of Frustration and Disappointment with the Introduction of New Products in Developing Countries. In: Consumption and Development. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-22658-0_7

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