Consumer decision-making styles among generation Y consumers in Namiba
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Date
2018
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Publisher
University of Namibia
Abstract
This study investigated the decision-making styles of Generation Y consumers in Namibia and the relationship between their decision-making styles and their learning styles, culture and e-literacy. Data were obtained by administering Sproles and Kendal’s Consumer Style Inventory (CSI), Felder & Silverman Index of Learning Style (ILS), Hofstede Cultural Dimensions, demographic and e-literacy questionnaires to a random sample of 505 respondents from the 3 (three) major Universities in Namibia. Responses from the questionnaires were analysed using SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics were used to report demographic information, measurements of central tendency (mean and median), variety (range, and standard deviation [SD]), percentage (%), and frequency (f) distribution of the survey items. And for inferential statistics, the principal components analysis (PCA) was used. In order to explore the relationships between consumer decision-making styles and learning styles, culture, e-literacy, Pearson correlation, Canonical correlation, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and analysis of variance (ANOVA), were used. The findings confirmed eight (8) consumer decision-making styles among the Generation Y consumers in Namibia in order of importance as follows: Factor 5 - Price Conscious, “Value for Money”, Factor 3 - Novelty-Fashion Consciousness, Factor 2 - Brand Conscious, “Price Equals Quality”, Factor 6 - Impulsive Careless, Factor 8- Habitual, Brand Loyal, Factor 1 - Perfectionistic High-Quality Consciousness, Factor 4 - Recreational, Hedonistic, and Factor 7 - Confused by Over choice. The study concluded that female millennials in Namibia were more brand loyal than their male counterpart and that the three major Universities in Namibia produced millennials with different Profiles of consumer decision-making styles. In terms of learning styles, the Namibian Generation Y consumers reported mild preferences for Activist Learning Style, moderate preferences for Sensing Learning Style, moderate preferences for Visual Learning Style, and mild preferences for Sequential Learning Style. The study found significant differences between ethnic groups as well as age groups. Further, the study concluded that the three major Universities in Namibia produced millennials with different learning style preferences. The five Dimensions of the Hofstede Cultural Instrument namely Power Distance [PDI], Uncertainty Avoidance [UAI], Masculinity [MAS], Individualism [IDV], Long-Term Orientation [LTO] were found applicable to Namibia Generation Y consumers. Through coefficient analysis, the three major cultural dimensions among the Namibian Generation Y Consumers were identified as Long-Term Orientation, Uncertainty Avoidance and Power Distance. This is a significant finding in support of the notion that African cultures tend to accept power inequalities in societies. Once again, the study concluded that the three major Universities in Namibia produced millennials with different cultural values. In terms of e-literacy the study concluded that the Namibian Generation Y consumers had a strong “ability to respond to large volumes of media”, “to access information from all sources including the Internet”, in addition, they “know how to keep records of their favourite websites”, and “can compose and send emails”. The study found that the e-literacy distribution is significantly different for millennials who studied at the three major Universities in Namibia. Furthermore, the study found significant relationships between consumer decision-making styles, learning styles, cultural dimensions and e-Literacy. The study concluded that cultural dimensions had the most influence on the Namibian Generation Y consumers’ decision-making followed by e-literacy and learning styles. The results prompted implications for guiding effective marketing strategies and policy making in dealing with the Y Generation consumers in Namibia and beyond including recommendations pertaining to market segmentation and communication strategies consistent with the identified consumer decision making styles of the Namibian Generation Y consumers. In addition, the identified learning styles, cultural dimensions and e-literacy capabilities of this generation is deemed important in assisting Institutions of higher Education for instance to devise teaching, learning and assessment strategies because effective classification of student’s learning styles is often associated with effective teaching and pass throughput. Furthermore, given that the Born Frees, Exiles and Remainees were found to display the same consumer decision-making styles, learning styles, cultural dimensions and e-literacy capabilities; marketers, Government and local authorities alike are encouraged to use strategies and policies that are inclusive in nature in order to integrate these youths into the society.
Description
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctorate of Business Administration Degree
Keywords
Consumer decision making