Consumer Behaviour
1. Introduction
With the dynamic environment, undoubtedly, each firm attempts to study and understand the consumer behavior due to businesses stay in business by attracting and retaining customers (Arnold, Price & Zinkhan, 2002). That means only gaining a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior can meet the firm¡¯s marketing goals. According to Solomon (1999), most marketers now recognize that consumer behavior is an ongoing process; decision making unit plays an important role in this process. As the basic consumer decision-making unit, family are most frequently examined by many markets because decision making by family differs in many ways from decisions made by an individual and an organization.
Therefore, many firms tend to study the roles of different members of family regarding the purchase. As same way, I am going to illustrate how these facets affect Chinese consumer behavior and how do Chinese family make automobile purchase decisions. Following, through the progress of decision-making process, the different roles will be evaluated respectively. Besides, the manager benefit from perspective of decision making process also will be discussed
2. The distinct roles in the family decision-making process
As a case, one Chinese family intends to buy a station wagon recently. The purchase activity will experience series decision-making process due to the automobile is valuable equipment for the family. Neal, Quester and Hawkins (1999) define that consumer decision making process consists of five stages: problem recognition, information search, alternative evaluation purchase, postpurchase activities. Different members of the family would play different roles in the process.
2.1 The brief background of the family
Each family must stay in a distinct stage of family life cycle in particular period. In the light of Lancaster and Reynolds (2005), family life cycle involves eight stages that consist of unmarried, newly-married couples-no children,
With the dynamic environment, undoubtedly, each firm attempts to study and understand the consumer behavior due to businesses stay in business by attracting and retaining customers (Arnold, Price & Zinkhan, 2002). That means only gaining a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior can meet the firm¡¯s marketing goals. According to Solomon (1999), most marketers now recognize that consumer behavior is an ongoing process; decision making unit plays an important role in this process. As the basic consumer decision-making unit, family are most frequently examined by many markets because decision making by family differs in many ways from decisions made by an individual and an organization.
Therefore, many firms tend to study the roles of different members of family regarding the purchase. As same way, I am going to illustrate how these facets affect Chinese consumer behavior and how do Chinese family make automobile purchase decisions. Following, through the progress of decision-making process, the different roles will be evaluated respectively. Besides, the manager benefit from perspective of decision making process also will be discussed
2. The distinct roles in the family decision-making process
As a case, one Chinese family intends to buy a station wagon recently. The purchase activity will experience series decision-making process due to the automobile is valuable equipment for the family. Neal, Quester and Hawkins (1999) define that consumer decision making process consists of five stages: problem recognition, information search, alternative evaluation purchase, postpurchase activities. Different members of the family would play different roles in the process.
2.1 The brief background of the family
Each family must stay in a distinct stage of family life cycle in particular period. In the light of Lancaster and Reynolds (2005), family life cycle involves eight stages that consist of unmarried, newly-married couples-no children,
References: Arnould, E., Price, L. & Zinkhan, G. (2002) Consumers, U. S. A.: The McGraw-Hill Companies. CHINA WINDOW (2004) China Automobile Market Study. Available from [Online] http://www.china-window.com/china_market/china_industry_reports/china-automobile-market-s.shtml [Accessed on 8th November 2005] Engel, J. F., Blackwell, R. D. & Miniard, P. W. (1995) Consumer Behavior, 8th ed., U. S. A.: The Dryden Press. Hofstede, G. (1994) Cultures and Organizations: Intercultural Co-operation and Its Importance for Survival, New York: The Dryden Press. Jobber, David. (2004) Principles and Practice of Marketing, 4th ed., London: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Lancaster, Geoff & Reynolds, Paul (2005) Management of Marketing, Great Britain: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Neal, C., Quester, P. & Hawkins, D. (1999) Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy, 2nd ed., Singapore: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Pecotich, A. & Shultz, C. (1998) Marketing and Consumer Behavior in East and South-East Asia, Australia: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Rice, C. (1997) Understanding Customers, 2nd ed., Great Britain: Butterworth-Heinemann. Solomon, Michale R. (1999) Consumer Behavior, 4th ed., U.S.A: Prentice-Hall, Inc.