Reports on a study which examines the effect of family structure in the family decision‐making process. In particular, it seeks to determine if sex‐role orientation and the wives’ occupational status make a difference in the amount of influence adolescents and their parents have in family purchase decisions. This study uses an observational approach to measure the amount of influence displayed by all members of the family in the purchase decision. Observational data is derived from videotaped recordings of family interactions during a simulated decision‐making situation. The results reported here support the comparative resource contribution theory; mothers who contribute to the provision of their families have significant influence. Further, the amount of influence exerted by adolescents is found to be dependent on their families’ sex‐role orientation and their mothers’ occupational status.
Much research has explored the customer's decision to switch from one service provider to another and the impact of this decision. Less research, however, has explored the other possible decision the customer can make when considering switching-the decision to stay-and the reasons behind this decision. In light of this, the authors research customers who remained with their service provider after a recent "switching dilemma." The dilemma requires the customer to consider carefully whether they should stay or leave. The authors collect data from 24 in-depth interviews and nearly 700 questionnaires. These are gathered from two divergent cultures and reveal seven categories of "reasons to stay," which are present across many different service industries. The main discovery is that switching barriers, unearthed in previous research on why customers stay, only tell half the story; the other half is told by what we call the "affirmatory" factors.
The decision to purchase a house is embedded within a set of economic and sociocultural processes and is operationalized within the context of a specific local property market. In the residential mobility literature considerable attention has been given to examining issues of house prices, life-course and demographic influences on the decision to buy, but less attention has been directed to understanding the internal family decision-making process. While the act of purchasing a property constitutes a significant economic event for a family, the process of purchasing a house is an inherently social activity, involving setting goals, discussing and negotiating family needs, interacting with exchange professionals (information intermediaries), imagining modifications to potential purchases and interpreting market trends. These family activities are shaped by family structures, gender roles, ethnicity and socio-economic status. In addition, the house purchase process takes place within specific market conditions and institutional practices. For example, in New Zealand, the estate agent has a large amount of power when negotiating contracts between buyers and sellers. Using in-depth interviews, this paper examines family decision processes in Auckland from the perspective of estate agents who deal with families purchasing houses on a daily basis, and formulate their own understanding of buyer behaviour, and adult family members who have recently purchased houses. The analysis makes it possible to explore the ways in which estate agents interpret the purchasing behaviour of families and to compare these interpretations with the understandings of adult family members. The study offers insights into the ways in which families engage in search practices, interpret information and internally negotiate decisions. It is argued that the findings here contribute a greater understanding of how housing markets are performed and made.
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