Abstract:This article investigates the influence of French and American national culture on consumer perceptions of product-related value. Employing means-end theory, hypotheses are developed to predict how French versus American national culture influences the content and structure of consumer value hierarchies. Hypotheses are tested using data from in-depth laddering interviews with a matched sample of French and American consumers. The findings support the contention that differences exist in the meaning and relativ… Show more
“…Abstract attributes are aspects of the product or service that cannot be measured or perceived through the senses, such as quality or reputation [23]. The functional consequences emerge from the direct relationship between the consumption of a product and the individual and are related to the utility of the product in a specific use situation [32]. The psychosocial consequences are related to the ability of a product or service to satisfy intrinsic objectives that are symbolic, self-oriented or other-oriented, i.e., projecting an image that is congruent with the norms of meanings of others [32].…”
Section: The Means-end Chain Model and The Laddering Techniquementioning
Abstract:In most emerging economies, there has been many incentives and high availability of funding for low-cost housing projects. This has encouraged product standardization and the application of mass production ideas, based on the assumption that this is the most effective strategy for reducing costs. However, the delivery of highly standardized housing units to customers with different needs, without considering their lifestyle and perception of value, often results in inadequate products. Mass customization has been pointed out as an effective strategy to improve value generation in low-cost housing projects, and to avoid waste caused by renovations done in dwellings soon after occupancy. However, one of the main challenges for the implementation of mass customization is the definition of a set of relevant options based on users' perceived value. The aim of this paper is to propose a method for defining value adding attributes in customized housing projects, which can support decision-making in product development. The means-end chain theory was used as theoretical framework to connect product attributes and costumers' values, through the application of the laddering technique. The method was tested in two house-building projects delivered by a company from Brazil. The
OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2014, 6 9245 main contribution of this method is to indicate the customization units that are most important for users along with the explanation of why those units are the most relevant ones.
“…Abstract attributes are aspects of the product or service that cannot be measured or perceived through the senses, such as quality or reputation [23]. The functional consequences emerge from the direct relationship between the consumption of a product and the individual and are related to the utility of the product in a specific use situation [32]. The psychosocial consequences are related to the ability of a product or service to satisfy intrinsic objectives that are symbolic, self-oriented or other-oriented, i.e., projecting an image that is congruent with the norms of meanings of others [32].…”
Section: The Means-end Chain Model and The Laddering Techniquementioning
Abstract:In most emerging economies, there has been many incentives and high availability of funding for low-cost housing projects. This has encouraged product standardization and the application of mass production ideas, based on the assumption that this is the most effective strategy for reducing costs. However, the delivery of highly standardized housing units to customers with different needs, without considering their lifestyle and perception of value, often results in inadequate products. Mass customization has been pointed out as an effective strategy to improve value generation in low-cost housing projects, and to avoid waste caused by renovations done in dwellings soon after occupancy. However, one of the main challenges for the implementation of mass customization is the definition of a set of relevant options based on users' perceived value. The aim of this paper is to propose a method for defining value adding attributes in customized housing projects, which can support decision-making in product development. The means-end chain theory was used as theoretical framework to connect product attributes and costumers' values, through the application of the laddering technique. The method was tested in two house-building projects delivered by a company from Brazil. The
OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2014, 6 9245 main contribution of this method is to indicate the customization units that are most important for users along with the explanation of why those units are the most relevant ones.
“…Additionally, this model has been previously shown to be a useful tool for analyzing consumer behavior in the food domain [16][17][18][19][20][21]. The current study extended on Overby and colleagues' cross cultural wine drinking [14] work by investigating wine consumption habits in an East Asian context (Taiwanese and Malaysian). It is important to first consider available literature on the attributes consequences and values driving non-Asian wine behaviors for purpose of comparative purposes.…”
Section: Introduction and Overview Of The Means-end Chain Theoreticalmentioning
confidence: 74%
“…This initial identification of codes was both "data-driven" and "theory-driven", meaning that potential codes were firstly identified from the existing literature [14,23], and then new codes were also generated if the data from the interviews did not fit into the existing coding structure.…”
Section: Interview Processmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Given that the perception of food is widely and deeply influenced by culture, food and beverage preferences between cultures can differ widely [13]. In order to gain full understanding of the influence of culture in this means-end chain model, Overby and colleagues [14] developed the means-end chain framework to include the influence of culture. The inclusion of analyzing the influence of culture in all parts of the attribute, consequence and value ladders allows researchers to understand how consumers organize their thoughts and structure their knowledge about a product [15] and should therefore be used in cross-cultural studies.…”
Section: Introduction and Overview Of The Means-end Chain Theoreticalmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The inclusion of analyzing the influence of culture in all parts of the attribute, consequence and value ladders allows researchers to understand how consumers organize their thoughts and structure their knowledge about a product [15] and should therefore be used in cross-cultural studies. Overby and colleagues used this framework to understand wine choice in a cross-cultural context, in a comparative study between American and French consumers' wine consumption behaviors [14]. Additionally, this model has been previously shown to be a useful tool for analyzing consumer behavior in the food domain [16][17][18][19][20][21].…”
Section: Introduction and Overview Of The Means-end Chain Theoreticalmentioning
Augmented buying power of East Asian consumers has resulted in increased interest in these markets. Wine is a particularly promising sector to target as the number of East Asians choosing to drink wine rises. In order to serve these markets, companies must understand factors influencing consumers' choices. The objective of this research was to understand how Taiwanese and Malaysian consumers' personal values influenced their consumption decisions about wine. The means-end chain framework and associated semi-structured interview technique, value laddering, was used to elicit consumers' preferred product attributes, the consequences of these attributes and the values that underpin these consequences. Data collection involved intercepting foreign travelers from Malaysia and Taiwan in New Zealand (20 Taiwanese and 20 Malaysian) to partake in a wine choice interview. The resulting findings are exploratory in nature. Analysis revealed the most preferred wine attributes for Taiwanese were "Price" and "Sensory Aspects"-that these attributes were linked to consequences "Financial Considerations" and "Satisfy Senses"-which in turn were linked to personal values "Self Direction" and "Achievement". For the Malaysian participants, the attribute "Sensory Aspects" of wine was most important, as was the value "Hedonism". This study adds to literature related to beverage consumption decision making by exploring cultural aspects. It also offers suggestions for practitioners interested in targeting these consumers.
Consumption values and different usage situations have received extensive interest from scholars; however, there is a lack of understanding regarding how these two constructs interact when it comes to the purchase decisions of consumers. This study examines the relationship between consumption values, consumption situations, and consumers' purchasing decisions in terms of their willingness to pay and the purchase quantity. First of all, my model proposes that all four consumption values and different situations have a positive effect on consumers' willingness to pay as well as the quantity they purchase. It also proposes that varying usage situations moderate the effect of consumption values on consumers' purchasing decisions. In my conceptual model, I have also integrated the epistemic and conditional values where there is a gap in the existing literature. Prior literature has isolated the consumption values when studying how they affect consumer behavior and has not examined how consumption situations moderate the relationship between consumption values and purchasing decisions. Also, the existing literature has mostly focused on how consumption values affect purchase intentions, brand loyalty, or satisfaction, whereas my study focuses on purchasing decisions. For my study, the participants were randomly chosen from the general wine consumer population and the age range was between 20 and 75, which included 83 male respondents and 119 female respondents. The data received from my respondents support my hypotheses for the model. In my final chapter, I discuss the theoretical and managerial implications as well as suggestions for future research.
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