Infantilized adults or confident consumers? Enterprise discourse in the UK retail banking industry

Reference:

Nayak, A. and Beckett, A., 2008. Infantilized adults or confident consumers? Enterprise discourse in the UK retail banking industry. Organization, 15 (3), pp. 407-425.

Related documents:

Official URL:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1350508408088537

Abstract

In this paper we examine the implications of enterprise discourse within the context of a culture of consumption. Drawing on empirical work on the UK retail banking industry we demonstrate how retail banking in the UK is central to constructing `confident consumers' in a consumerist society and demonstrate how enterprise and consumption have reframed the interaction between banks and the consumer. We identify a rhizomic network that spans across diverse activities and electronic traces, and a variety of data sources and statistical techniques that mediate between the industry players. We argue that there has been a fundamental shift in rationality from `social obligation' to `confident consumers' which leads to a tension between confident consumers and infantilized adults.

Export

Actions (login required)