The role of organismic integration theory in marketing science: A systematic review and research agenda

Researchers have repeatedly applied the same models/theories to predict consumer behaviour, whereas theories that have been extensively used to promote motivation are disregarded in marketing science. For instance, organismic integration theory (OIT) is a prominent theory of human motivation that provides a framework for categorizing customers’ regulatory styles into different forms of motivational regulations, which could be used in marketing as customers can be motivated to engage in behaviour for a diverse array of reasons. Therefore, we aim to enrich the field of marketing by reviewing extant knowledge on OIT, noting tensions and inconsistencies, and identifying important gaps with reference to how the constructs underpinned by OIT have been applied and what research themes, contexts, and methodologies have been carried out. With this aim in mind, we reviewed three decades of research between 1991 and 2020, outlined underdeveloped and emerging marketing issues, and set comprehensive research agendas (presented as testable propositions).