Liquid, solid and in-between: service relationships in global mobility

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study adds to the growing body of research on consumption in global mobility, illustrating how mobile consumers navigate their economic reality by managing relationships with banks in different countries. Previous research argues that global mobility enables the liquid consumption logic that is access based, ephemeral and dematerialised. Drawing upon insights from 31 in-depth interviews with globally mobile professionals, we discuss how the flexibility of globally mobile consumption combined with the rigid and regulated nature of the financial services industry enable liquid, solid, and hybrid consumption logics. We argue that multiple relationship logics manifesting in global mobility represent a case of solidification of liquid consumption, showing that managing the flows of economic capital across multiple countries requires not only extreme flexibility but also structure. This allows mobile consumers to manage the uncertainties of liquid modernity by combining their flexible mobile existence with solid anchoring points in chosen localities.