176
2.3.2 More of the Same Product
“More of the same product” means that the consumer will e.g. drive more kilometres,
if the new car is faster (saved time) or more energy efficient (saved income). Or he/
she will eat two servings of the low calorie desert, etc.
2.3.3 More of the Same Function or Need Fulfilment
“More of the same function or need fulfilment” (originally termed “More of similar” by Girod et al. (2010)) means that e.g. saved time due to a faster car will be used
to generally increase travelling, also with other transport means. In support of this
effect, Schafer and Victor (2000) have compiled data from a survey that shows that
the average time per day and person spent on travelling across a wide range of cultures worldwide and the entire scale of city/villages sizes and over several decades
essentially does not differ and ranges between 50 and 90 min per day. While such
average values have to be interpreted with care, we could derive that the reduced
travel time (e.g. due to home office) will be used 1:1 for other travelling. Kitou and
Horvath (2008) have shown such an effect of e.g. home-office staff joining colleagues for lunch, while in that case interpreted largely due to less congested roads,
as the study looked at wider adoption of home office work. While in this example
the need that is fulfilled is a different one, the same function of personal transport is
affected.
On the level of the same need, an example would be that eating the reduced calorie desert would result in eating other food in addition, whether at the same meal or
at another time. It should be noted that in this last example, the calorie uptake is
both a human need and also limit to consumption.
2.3.4 Marginal Shift to Mix of Less Well Fulfilled Needs
Thiesen et al. (2008) have assumed for their calculations that freed household
resources – in their case for additional available income – will be used for the delta
between the consumption profile of the analysed income level and that of the next
higher level. Example if some money is saved in the lowest income level, the money
was assumed to be spent to a larger-than-average share for dwelling use and maintenance (based on spending statistics), and to a lower degree on a range of other
products.
In a more general perspective, we argue that it makes sense to assume that on
average the individual would spent any saved resources on those needs that he/she
feels are least well fulfilled. Example if time is saved by a single mother, she may
spent it primarily on playing more with her child, while a stressed single manager
might spend it on mental relaxation exercises or seeing friends. The logic behind
this concept is that the use of the available household resources is optimised by the
individual, plus that more basic needs are fulfilled first. Only when these are
M.-A. Wolf and K. Chomkhamsri
2.3.2 More of the Same Product
“More of the same product” means that the consumer will e.g. drive more kilometres,
if the new car is faster (saved time) or more energy efficient (saved income). Or he/
she will eat two servings of the low calorie desert, etc.
2.3.3 More of the Same Function or Need Fulfilment
“More of the same function or need fulfilment” (originally termed “More of similar” by Girod et al. (2010)) means that e.g. saved time due to a faster car will be used
to generally increase travelling, also with other transport means. In support of this
effect, Schafer and Victor (2000) have compiled data from a survey that shows that
the average time per day and person spent on travelling across a wide range of cultures worldwide and the entire scale of city/villages sizes and over several decades
essentially does not differ and ranges between 50 and 90 min per day. While such
average values have to be interpreted with care, we could derive that the reduced
travel time (e.g. due to home office) will be used 1:1 for other travelling. Kitou and
Horvath (2008) have shown such an effect of e.g. home-office staff joining colleagues for lunch, while in that case interpreted largely due to less congested roads,
as the study looked at wider adoption of home office work. While in this example
the need that is fulfilled is a different one, the same function of personal transport is
affected.
On the level of the same need, an example would be that eating the reduced calorie desert would result in eating other food in addition, whether at the same meal or
at another time. It should be noted that in this last example, the calorie uptake is
both a human need and also limit to consumption.
2.3.4 Marginal Shift to Mix of Less Well Fulfilled Needs
Thiesen et al. (2008) have assumed for their calculations that freed household
resources – in their case for additional available income – will be used for the delta
between the consumption profile of the analysed income level and that of the next
higher level. Example if some money is saved in the lowest income level, the money
was assumed to be spent to a larger-than-average share for dwelling use and maintenance (based on spending statistics), and to a lower degree on a range of other
products.
In a more general perspective, we argue that it makes sense to assume that on
average the individual would spent any saved resources on those needs that he/she
feels are least well fulfilled. Example if time is saved by a single mother, she may
spent it primarily on playing more with her child, while a stressed single manager
might spend it on mental relaxation exercises or seeing friends. The logic behind
this concept is that the use of the available household resources is optimised by the
individual, plus that more basic needs are fulfilled first. Only when these are
M.-A. Wolf and K. Chomkhamsri