Self-Transcendence and Purchase Decision of Ethnic Accessories: Mediating Role of Perceived Customer Design Thinking

Abstract

The rapid digitalization of the marketplace has created both opportunities and challenges for cultural heritage products, particularly ethnic accessories. While digital platforms expand market access, they also increase the risk of cultural commodification, where traditional meanings are reduced to aesthetic values. This study aims to examine the influence of self-transcendence on purchase decisions for ethnic accessories and to investigate the mediating role of Perceived Customer Design Thinking (PCDT) within the framework of Consumer Culture Theory (CCT). A quantitative explanatory research design was employed using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through an online survey involving 407 consumers of the Subeng Klasik brand in Indonesia. The collected data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS software. The results demonstrate that self-transcendence has a positive and significant effect on PCDT (? = 0.430, p < 0.001) and purchase decisions (? = 0.313, p < 0.001). Furthermore, PCDT significantly influences purchase decisions (? = 0.343, p < 0.001). The mediation analysis reveals that PCDT partially mediates the relationship between self-transcendence and purchase decisions (? = 0.147, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that consumers who possess stronger values of universalism and benevolence are more likely to appreciate authentic cultural design processes and subsequently make purchasing decisions toward ethnic accessories. The study contributes to the extension of Consumer Culture Theory by introducing PCDT as a cognitive-emotional mechanism that bridges abstract cultural values and tangible economic behavior. Practically, the findings suggest that cultural heritage brands should emphasize authentic storytelling and empathetic design strategies to enhance consumer engagement and sustainable purchasing behavior in the digital era.