Brainstorming with Generative AI to come up with an MBA dissertation proposal: on luxury jewelry
As a part-time MBA student learning to do a dissertation
project, I am interested in the crude research theme of "Hong Kong
consumer buying behavior of luxury jewelry". In addition, I would like to
include the following key words for my dissertation proposal formulation:
pragmatism, exploratory research, psychology of luck and auspicious symbolism,
consumer value perceptions, in-store experience". Could you suggest 4
concrete research themes for me to consider based on these ideas and preference
of mine?
Based on your
interests in Hong Kong luxury jewelry consumption, and your methodological
preferences (pragmatism, exploratory design, psychology of luck/auspicious
symbolism, consumer value perceptions, and in-store experience), here are four
concrete, MBA-dissertation-ready research themes you could consider.
1) Auspicious symbolism and perceived value:
an exploratory study of Hong Kong luxury jewelry buyers
Focus: How beliefs in luck and auspicious symbolism
shape consumer value perceptions and purchase intentions for luxury jewelry in
Hong Kong.
Possible title:
“‘Lucky’ jade, ‘auspicious’ gold: an exploratory study of how beliefs in luck
and symbolic meaning influence Hong Kong consumers’ value perceptions of luxury
jewelry.”
Core elements:
- Philosophical
stance: Pragmatism – you can combine qualitative
insights (e.g., interviews) with short surveys if useful, focusing on
“what works” to explain behavior.irp-cdn.multiscreensite
- Approach: Exploratory, largely qualitative (e.g., semi-structured interviews
with 15–25 Hong Kong luxury jewelry buyers; possibly some mini case
studies of specific product lines such as jade, gold, or zodiac-themed
pieces).
- Key
constructs:
- Psychology
of luck and auspicious symbolism (e.g., beliefs about fortune, feng shui,
zodiac, numbers, colors).
- Consumer
value perceptions (functional, emotional, social, symbolic value).
- Purchase
intention / willingness to pay a premium for “lucky” or “auspicious”
designs.
- Sample
research questions:
1. How do Hong Kong consumers interpret luck and
auspicious symbolism in luxury jewelry?
2. In what ways do these beliefs influence their
perceived value of different jewelry types (e.g., jade vs diamonds vs gold)?
3. How do auspicious meanings interact with
brand prestige in shaping purchase decisions?
Why it fits you: It directly centers your keywords, is
culturally specific to Hong Kong/Chinese contexts, and is very suitable for an
exploratory, pragmatist MBA dissertation. Similar work on luxury consumption in
China shows the importance of cultural and symbolic factors, supporting the
relevance of this angle.theses.lib.polyu.edu
2) In-store rituals, symbolic cues, and the
co-creation of value in Hong Kong luxury jewelry boutiques
Focus: How in-store experiences (including rituals,
staff interactions, and symbolic/auspicious cues) shape consumer value
perceptions and emotional attachment to luxury jewelry brands.
Possible title:
“From display to destiny: an exploratory study of in-store experience and
auspicious symbolism in Hong Kong luxury jewelry boutiques.”
Core elements:
- Philosophical
stance: Pragmatism – you can observe stores,
interview customers and staff, and maybe add a short post-visit
questionnaire to capture perceived value and satisfaction.
- Approach: Exploratory, qualitative with possible light quantification:
- In-depth
interviews with customers after purchase or browsing.
- Observation
of in-store interactions in 2–4 luxury jewelry retailers in HK (e.g.,
Chow Tai Fook, Luk Fook, international brands).
- Possibly
short interviews with sales staff/managers about how they use symbolism
(e.g., promoting “lucky” collections during festivals).
- Key
constructs:
- In-store
experience (ambience, service quality, storytelling, personalization).
- Use of
auspicious symbols in-store (displays, promotions tied to festivals,
zodiac, “lucky” materials).
- Consumer
value perceptions and emotional attachment / brand loyalty.
- Sample
research questions:
1. What elements of the in-store experience do
Hong Kong consumers associate with higher value in luxury jewelry shopping?
2. How do retailers incorporate luck and
auspicious symbolism into their in-store offerings and communications?
3. How do these symbolic and experiential
elements influence consumers’ perceived value and likelihood of repeat
purchase?
Why it fits you: It operationalizes “in-store experience” and
“consumer value perceptions” in a concrete, observable way, while still
allowing you to explore the psychology of luck and symbolism in practice.
3) Gifting, festivals, and “lucky” jewelry:
an exploratory study of occasion-based luxury jewelry consumption in Hong Kong
Focus: How festival periods, gifting occasions, and
beliefs in luck drive luxury jewelry purchases and shape value perceptions in Hong
Kong.
Possible title:
“Gifting luck: an exploratory study of festival-driven and occasion-based
luxury jewelry consumption in Hong Kong.”
Core elements:
- Philosophical
stance: Pragmatism – you can combine interviews with
a small survey of consumers about their gifting behavior around key dates
(Chinese New Year, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries).
- Approach: Exploratory, mixed but qualitatively driven:
- Interviews
with consumers who have purchased luxury jewelry as gifts in the last 1–3
years.
- Possibly
a short questionnaire to identify patterns (e.g., which occasions, which
types of jewelry, how important “luck” is).
- Focus
on culturally salient occasions (CNY, weddings, Dragon Boat Festival,
Mid-Autumn, etc.).
- Key
constructs:
- Occasion
type (self-purchase vs gift; wedding vs festival vs milestone birthday).
- Psychology
of luck and auspicious symbolism (e.g., choosing specific
designs/materials for “good fortune”).
- Consumer
value perceptions (social value of gifting, emotional value, status
signaling).
- Sample
research questions:
1. How do Hong Kong consumers’ beliefs in luck
and auspicious symbolism influence their choice of luxury jewelry for different
gifting occasions?
2. What types of value (social, emotional,
symbolic) are most salient in occasion-based luxury jewelry purchases?
3. How do these occasion-driven patterns differ
from non-occasion, self-purchase behavior?
Why it fits you: This theme gives you a clear behavioral
context (gifting and festivals) that is highly relevant in Hong Kong/Chinese
culture, and naturally ties in luck, symbolism, and value perceptions.
4) Generational differences in the meaning of
“lucky” luxury jewelry: an exploratory study of value perceptions in Hong Kong
Focus: How different generations (e.g., Gen Z,
Millennials, Gen X, Boomers) in Hong Kong interpret auspicious symbolism in
luxury jewelry and how this affects their value perceptions and purchase
behavior.
Possible title:
“Old symbols, new buyers: an exploratory study of generational differences in
the perceived value of ‘lucky’ luxury jewelry in Hong Kong.”
Core elements:
- Philosophical
stance: Pragmatism – you can use focus groups or
interviews across age cohorts, and optionally a small survey to map broad
patterns.
- Approach: Exploratory, qualitative with simple cross-group comparison:
- Focus
groups or interviews segmented by age (e.g., 18–25, 26–35, 36–50, 51+).
- Show
participants images or examples of jewelry with different symbolic
elements (jade, gold, zodiac motifs, specific numbers/colors) and discuss
meanings and perceived value.
- Key
constructs:
- Generational
cohort (as a proxy for cultural exposure, modernity, global vs local
orientation).
- Interpretation
of luck and auspicious symbolism (traditional vs modern, sincere vs
ironic).
- Consumer
value perceptions and willingness to pay / brand preferences.
- Sample
research questions:
1. How do different generations of Hong Kong
consumers interpret auspicious symbolism in luxury jewelry?
2. In what ways do these interpretations shape
their perceived value and purchase intentions?
3. Are there clear generational patterns that
luxury jewelry brands should consider in their Hong Kong marketing strategies?
Why it fits you: This adds a clear segmentation angle
(generation) that is managerially useful, while keeping your core conceptual
interests (luck, symbolism, value). It also aligns well with exploratory
research, since you’re mapping meanings rather than testing a rigid model.
I choose research theme 2 for my study; please suggest
some related research issues and public-media reported issues on this topic.
Also suggest 3 academic theories (with references in Harvard reference format)
to me.
Great choice.
Theme 2 gives you a clear, managerially relevant focus while letting you
explore luck/auspicious symbolism in a concrete retail context. Below are (1)
research issues you could investigate, (2) public/media-reported issues in Hong
Kong’s jewelry/retail sector that can motivate your problem statement, and (3)
three academic theories with Harvard-style references that fit your pragmatist,
exploratory design.
1) Possible research issues for your study
These are framed
as “issues” (tensions, gaps, puzzles) that can be turned into research
questions later.
Conceptual / theoretical issues
- How
symbolic meaning translates into perceived value in-store
It is unclear how in-store cues (displays, staff stories, festival-themed setups) convert “luck” and “auspicious” meanings into specific value perceptions (emotional, social, symbolic, functional) for Hong Kong jewelry buyers.cityu.edu+1 - Tension
between universal luxury value dimensions and local cultural meanings
Cross-cultural work suggests that financial, functional, personal and social value dimensions are broadly similar, but their relative importance varies by culture; how “luck” and auspicious symbolism reshape these dimensions in Hong Kong jewelry contexts is under-explored.onlinelibrary.wiley - Experience
vs product: what drives value in luxury jewelry?
Luxury consumption is increasingly described as experiential rather than purely product-driven; yet in jewelry, the product (materials, design, brand) remains central. How much of perceived value comes from in-store experience versus the physical item and its symbolic attributes is conceptually ambiguous.onlinelibrary.wiley
Managerial / practical issues
- How
retailers should design “lucky” in-store experiences without appearing
gimmicky
Retailers want to leverage festivals and auspicious themes, but there is a risk that overt “luck” framing cheapens brand prestige or feels manipulative. What balance of symbolism, storytelling, and service quality works best for different customer segments? - Staff
capability to communicate auspicious meanings credibly
Sales staff may not be trained to discuss feng shui, zodiac meanings, or festival-related symbolism in a way that feels authentic and high-end. This raises an issue of how employee knowledge and narratives shape perceived value and trust. - Segmenting
customers by their orientation to luck and symbolism
Some buyers strongly believe in auspicious meanings; others are more skeptical or see them as fashionable motifs. Retailers lack clear guidance on how to tailor in-store experiences and communications for these different orientations. - Measuring
ROI of auspicious-themed in-store activations
Festive displays, limited “lucky” collections, and special events cost money, but their impact on perceived value, attachment, and repeat purchase is not well understood, especially for jewelry (high-involvement, infrequent purchase).
Methodological issues (useful for your
methodology chapter)
- Capturing
subtle, culturally embedded meanings of “luck”
Luck and auspiciousness are nuanced and context-dependent; standard survey scales may miss local meanings, supporting your choice of exploratory, qualitative methods under a pragmatist stance.irp-cdn.multiscreensite - Separating
brand effects from in-store experience and symbolism
In a real boutique, brand image, product design, price, staff, and symbolic cues are intertwined. An exploratory design must carefully elicit how customers attribute value to each element.
2) Public- and media-reported issues relevant
to your topic
These can help you
build a compelling “problem background” showing why this matters in Hong Kong
now.
Tourism recovery and reliance on mainland
luxury spending
- Hong
Kong’s retail and luxury sectors have been heavily tied to mainland
visitor flows; post-pandemic recovery has been uneven, with authorities
and businesses actively trying to revive tourism and high-end spending.theses.lib.polyu.edu
- This
creates pressure on luxury jewelry retailers to differentiate their
in-store offerings and experiences to attract both local and visiting
affluent consumers, making the design of meaningful in-store experiences
strategically important.
Weak retail sales and pressure on luxury
segments
- Recent
reporting highlights soft retail sales in Hong Kong, with luxury segments
under pressure amid economic uncertainty and changing consumer sentiment.theses.lib.polyu.edu
- In such
conditions, retailers cannot rely solely on footfall; they must enhance
perceived value and emotional connection in-store to justify high-price
jewelry purchases.
Store closures and restructuring in jewelry
chains
- Major Hong Kong jewelry
chains have announced store closures and restructuring in response to weak
demand and high operating costs, including significant closures by
well-known brands such as Chow Tai Fook and others.theses.lib.polyu.edu
- These moves signal that the
traditional “many stores, high visibility” model is under strain, pushing
retailers to think more carefully about the quality and differentiation of
the remaining in-store experience.
Shift in consumer priorities and spending patterns
- Coverage
of Hong Kong’s retail outlook emphasizes that consumers are more cautious
and selective, with stronger emphasis on value, experience, and brand
trust rather than impulse luxury buying.theses.lib.polyu.edu
- This
aligns with your focus on consumer value perceptions and suggests that
in-store experiences that meaningfully connect with local cultural beliefs
(e.g., luck, auspiciousness) could be a differentiator.
You can use these
points to argue that: given softer sales, store rationalization, and intense
competition for a smaller pool of high-intent buyers, understanding how
in-store experiences and auspicious symbolism shape value perceptions is both timely
and managerially critical.theses.lib.polyu.edu
3) Three academic theories to anchor your
study
Below are three
theories that fit your theme and can be combined under a pragmatist,
exploratory approach.
1. Servicescape / Servicescapes Theory
(Bitner)
Core idea:
The physical and social environment of a service setting (layout, décor,
lighting, music, staff behavior, other customers) influences customers’
cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses. In your context, the jewelry
boutique’s servicescape includes how auspicious symbols are displayed, how
staff talk about luck, and how festival-themed setups shape the atmosphere.
Why it fits your
study:
- Directly
supports your “in-store experience” focus.
- Helps
you conceptualize stimuli (symbolic displays, staff narratives, ambience)
and link them to perceived value and purchase-related responses.
- Widely
used in retail and luxury services research, making it easy to connect to
existing literature.
Key reference
(Harvard style):
Bitner, M.J. (1992) ‘Servicescapes: The Impact of Physical Surroundings on
Customers and Employees’, Journal of Marketing, 56(2), pp. 57–71.
2. S–O–R (Stimulus–Organism–Response)
Framework in Retail
Core idea:
Environmental stimuli (S) affect customers’ internal states (O: cognition,
emotion, arousal), which then drive behavioral responses (R: satisfaction,
approach/avoidance, purchase intention, loyalty). Recent retail studies
explicitly use S–O–R to model how in-store experience dimensions shape
satisfaction and revisit intentions.sciencedirect+1
Why it fits your
study:
- Gives you a clear structure
to organize your findings:
- Stimuli:
auspicious symbols, festival decorations, staff stories about luck,
product presentation.
- Organism:
perceived value, emotional responses (e.g., feeling “protected”,
“blessed”, “special”), sense of cultural fit.
- Response:
purchase intention, willingness to pay a premium, willingness to
recommend, intention to return.
- Compatible with exploratory
qualitative work: you can map participants’ narratives onto S–O–R
components without committing to a rigid quantitative model.
Key reference
(Harvard style):
Elmashhara, M.G. and Elbishbishy, E.M. (2024) ‘S–O–R based experiential
framework for measuring in-store customer satisfaction in non-fuel retailing’, Journal
of Retailing and Consumer Services, 77, 103629. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S096969892300423Xsciencedirect+1
(You can also cite
the broader S–O–R tradition via Mehrabian & Russell if your supervisor
prefers a classic source, but the above paper shows its current use in retail
experience research.)
3. Psychological Ownership Theory
Core idea:
Psychological ownership is the state in which individuals feel that a target
(object, brand, experience) is “theirs” in a psychological sense, even before
or beyond legal ownership. It is built through self-investment, intimate
knowledge, and control, and it strengthens attachment, perceived value, and
protective behaviors toward the object.sciencedirect+2
Why it fits your
study:
- Luxury jewelry is highly
self-expressive and emotionally laden; customers may develop a sense of
“this piece is meant for me” or “this lucky piece is mine” during the
in-store journey.
- Auspicious symbolism can
intensify psychological ownership: if a piece is seen as uniquely aligned
with one’s fate, zodiac, or family traditions, it becomes more
“self-linked”.
- The theory helps explain why
two customers facing the same product and price may differ in perceived
value and attachment based on how strongly they feel psychological
ownership.
Key references
(Harvard style):
Pierce, J.L., Kostova, T. and Dirks, K.T. (2001) ‘Toward a Theory of
Psychological Ownership in Organizations’, Academy of Management Review,
26(2), pp. 298–310.
Fuchs, C.,
Prandelli, E. and Schreier, M. (2010) ‘The Power of Virtual Integration: The
Impact of Psychological Ownership on Customer Value Co-Creation’, Journal of
Marketing, 74(6), pp. 1–18.
(You can also draw
on more recent applications linking psychological ownership to luxury and
fashion consumption, as discussed in current marketing literature. )sciencedirect+2
I intend to employ the mixed methods research approach
and make use of a questionnaire survey and a focus group as my primary research
methods. Could you come up with a dissertation proposal with project title, 4
research objectives, 3 research questions, a brief research methodology, as
well as some comments on the originality, academic and practical values of this
4-month part-time MBA project?
Here is a concise,
MBA-dissertation-ready proposal outline tailored to your chosen theme, methods,
and 4‑month part‑time timeframe.
Proposed project title
“From display to
destiny: an exploratory mixed-methods study of in-store experience, auspicious
symbolism, and consumer value perceptions in Hong Kong luxury jewelry
retailing”
Research background and problem statement
(brief)
Hong Kong’s luxury
jewelry sector faces softer retail sales, store rationalization, and heightened
competition for a smaller pool of high-intent buyers, making the quality and
differentiation of in-store experience strategically critical. At the same time,
local consumers attach strong cultural meanings to luck and auspicious
symbolism (e.g., jade, gold, zodiac motifs, festival-themed collections), which
may shape how they perceive value in luxury jewelry. However, it is unclear how
specific in-store cues and symbolic elements translate into distinct dimensions
of consumer value (functional, emotional, social, symbolic) and subsequent
purchase-related responses in Hong Kong jewelry boutiques.theses.lib.polyu.edu+2
Under a pragmatist
philosophical stance, this study adopts an exploratory mixed-methods design to
understand “what works” in explaining how in-store experience and auspicious
symbolism influence consumer value perceptions and purchase intentions in this
context.irp-cdn.multiscreensite
Research objectives (4)
1.
To identify the key in-store experience elements (e.g.,
ambience, staff interaction, symbolic displays, festival-themed activations)
that Hong Kong consumers associate with luxury jewelry shopping.
2.
To examine how beliefs in luck and auspicious symbolism
influence consumers’ perceived value (functional, emotional, social, symbolic)
of luxury jewelry in Hong Kong.
3.
To explore how in-store experience and auspicious
symbolism jointly shape psychological ownership and purchase intention for
luxury jewelry.
4.
To develop managerial implications for Hong Kong luxury
jewelry retailers on designing in-store experiences and communications that
leverage auspicious symbolism without compromising brand prestige.
Research questions (3)
1.
RQ1: What in-store experience elements do Hong
Kong consumers perceive as most influential in shaping their value perceptions
of luxury jewelry?
2.
RQ2: How do beliefs in luck and auspicious
symbolism affect consumers’ perceived value and psychological ownership of luxury
jewelry in Hong Kong?
3.
RQ3: In what ways do in-store experience and
auspicious symbolism interact to influence consumers’ purchase intention for
luxury jewelry?
These questions
align with your focus on in-store experience, psychology of luck, consumer value
perceptions, and a pragmatist, exploratory orientation.
Brief research methodology
Philosophical
stance: Pragmatism – the
study prioritizes useful, actionable insights over strict adherence to a single
paradigm, justifying a mixed-methods, exploratory design.irp-cdn.multiscreensite
Overall design: Sequential exploratory mixed methods
(qualitative → quantitative), adapted to a 4-month part-time MBA timeline:
- Phase
1: Focus group (qualitative)
- Purpose: Explore meanings of “luck” and auspicious symbolism, surface
relevant in-store experience cues, and refine survey items to the local
context.
- Sample: 6–10 participants who have purchased or seriously considered
luxury jewelry in Hong Kong in the last 2–3 years; mix of ages and
genders if possible.
- Procedure: 90-minute semi-structured focus group, using stimulus materials
(photos of jewelry with different symbolic motifs; descriptions of
boutique setups during festivals).
- Analysis: Thematic analysis to identify key themes around in-store
experience, symbolism, value perceptions, and psychological ownership;
use findings to refine the questionnaire.
- Phase
2: Questionnaire survey (quantitative)
- Purpose: Map patterns in how in-store experience and auspicious symbolism
relate to value perceptions, psychological ownership, and purchase
intention.
- Sample: ~120–200 Hong Kong residents (convenience + snowball sampling via
personal networks, social media, and possibly in-mall intercepts if
feasible).
- Measures
(adapted scales, 5- or 7-point Likert):
- In-store
experience (adapted from servicescape/retail experience literature).
- Belief
in luck/auspicious symbolism (short, context-specific items).
- Consumer
value perceptions (functional, emotional, social, symbolic).
- Psychological
ownership (feelings that the product is “mine” / “meant for me”).
- Purchase
intention / willingness to recommend.
- Analysis: Descriptive statistics, reliability (Cronbach’s alpha),
correlation, and simple regression or PLS-SEM if your skills and time
allow, to test directional relationships suggested by your conceptual
framework (servicescape/S–O–R + psychological ownership).sciencedirect+1
Theoretical
framing:
- Servicescape
/ S–O–R to structure in-store stimuli and their
impact on internal states and responses.
- Psychological
ownership to explain how symbolic and experiential cues
translate into stronger attachment and purchase intention.
This design is
feasible within 4 months if you keep the sample modest, use online surveys, and
focus on exploratory rather than highly complex modeling.
Originality of the project
- Contextual
novelty: While luxury consumption and value
perceptions are well studied, there is limited work specifically on luxury
jewelry in Hong Kong that explicitly integrates luck and
auspicious symbolism with in-store experience.cityu.edu+1
- Conceptual
integration: Combining servicescape/S–O–R with
psychological ownership in a culturally specific setting (Hong Kong’s
Chinese belief systems around luck) offers a fresh lens on how symbolic
meaning becomes economic value in retail.
- Methodological
fit: An exploratory mixed-methods design under
pragmatism is appropriate for an MBA dissertation and allows you to
generate both rich qualitative insights and初步 quantitative patterns
within a short timeframe.irp-cdn.multiscreensite
Academic value
- Contributes
to luxury retail and consumer behavior literature by:
- Extending
servicescape and S–O–R applications to high-involvement, culturally
symbolic products (luxury jewelry) in a non-Western context.sciencedirect+1
- Illustrating
how cultural beliefs in luck and auspiciousness shape
multi-dimensional value perceptions and psychological ownership.onlinelibrary.wiley
- Provides
an empirically grounded, Hong Kong-specific case that future
researchers can build on, compare with other Asian markets, or use to
refine theory on symbolic luxury consumption.
Practical (managerial) value
- Offers actionable
insights for Hong Kong jewelry retailers on:
- Which
in-store elements (staff narratives, symbolic displays, festival
activations) most strongly enhance perceived value and purchase
intention.
- How to
leverage auspicious symbolism in ways that feel authentic and premium
rather than gimmicky.
- How to
segment or tailor experiences for customers with different orientations
toward luck and symbolism.
- Helps
retailers justify investment in specific in-store experience
enhancements (training, displays, events) by linking them to perceived
value and purchase-related outcomes, which is particularly relevant amid
weak retail sales and store rationalization.theses.lib.polyu.edu
Feasibility comments for a 4-month part-time
MBA project
- Scope
is manageable: One focus group + one moderately sized survey
is realistic if you start recruitment early and keep the questionnaire
focused.
- Data
collection is practical: You can recruit focus group
participants and survey respondents via personal and professional
networks, alumni groups, and social media, reducing time and cost.
- Analysis
is tractable: Qualitative thematic analysis plus basic
quantitative analysis (descriptives, reliability, correlations, simple
regressions) is achievable within typical MBA time and skill constraints.
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