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Scandinavian expert to discuss 'IKEA effect'

By Anna Stevens '10
March 5, 2008

With hundreds of stores in more than 35 countries around the world, Swedish furniture giant IKEA has made its mark. But what effect has the mega store with great deals had on consumers? Norwegian academic Magne Supphellen will discuss the "IKEA effect" during a March 11 lecture at St. Olaf College.

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Supphellen
The lecture will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 305 of the Dittmann Center. Organized by the Center for Experiential Learning with the help of the Interdisciplinary and General Studies program, the event is free and open to the public.

Widely recognized as one of Scandinavia's most respected and widely published experts on consumer behavior and brand management, Supphellen will discuss what defines "the IKEA effect." His lecture, titled "The IKEA Effect: Effects of Consumer Co-production," will feature a series of experiments that document that consumer participation increases satisfaction and identification with a brand.

Supphellen is a professor of strategy and management at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration in Bergen, Norway. The school constitutes the largest concentrated center for research and study in the fields of economics and business administration in Norway.

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.