Abstract
The focus of this research is on comparing how Colombian-Americans from the first and second generations make their decisions in purchasing men’s business attire. Variables such as motivation, lifestyle, occupation, education, family, friends, belonging groups and culture are analyzed to understand both groups’ behavior. Among the main differences found between both groups are spoken language, type of jobs they have, self-identification with belonging groups, messages they respond to and values they respect. The second generation is definitely more “American” than the first generation, for which the influence of the Colombian culture is higher. When buying men’s business attire, second generation makes emphasis on ease and comfort, while first generation looks for elegance and distinction.
Consumer Behavior Process for Purchasing Men’s Business Attire in First and Second Generation of Colombian-Americans The consumer behavior process is a model that represents the steps a consumer follows in his mind when making a purchase. It is composed of five main steps. First, the individual’s recognition of a need. Second, search for information. Third, pre-purchase evaluation of alternatives. Fourth, purchase of the product or service. And fifth, product consumption or use. Even though the five steps are present in any purchase decision, sometimes some of the steps occur simultaneously (Blackwell, Miniard & Engel, 2006). The focus of this research is on comparing how Colombian-Americans from the first generation and Colombian-Americans from the second generation make their decisions in purchasing men’s business attire. This is based on the two first steps of the consumer behavior process: recognition of a need and search for information. These two steps are influenced by many external and internal variables. Motivation,
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