IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/decisn/v47y2020i3d10.1007_s40622-020-00252-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Gender-based differences in consumer decision-making styles: implications for marketers

Author

Listed:
  • Ritu Mehta

    (Indian Institute of Management Calcutta)

Abstract

Gender-based segmentation is frequently used by marketers to cater to different needs and preferences of men and women. However, the literature in consumer behaviour has not explored enough the role of gender in decision-making. Specifically, there are hardly any studies that investigate the decision-making styles of Indian male and female consumers. Based on gender and sociocultural theories, this study develops and tests hypotheses on gender-based differences in decision-making styles, including hedonism, novelty consciousness, price value consciousness and brand loyalty orientation. Analysis of data obtained from 355 male and 203 female students through self-administered questionnaire indicates that women score higher than men on hedonism, novelty orientation and price value consciousness. No significant difference was found on the dimension of brand loyalty. The study contributes to the consumer behaviour research by highlighting the differences in decision-making styles of Indian millennial men and women. The results can help marketers to employ gender-based segmentation and target more effectively. The study provides insights that firms can use in framing product, pricing and communication strategies catering to the requirements of a specific gender.

Suggested Citation

  • Ritu Mehta, 2020. "Gender-based differences in consumer decision-making styles: implications for marketers," DECISION: Official Journal of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Springer;Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, vol. 47(3), pages 319-329, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:decisn:v:47:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s40622-020-00252-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s40622-020-00252-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s40622-020-00252-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s40622-020-00252-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Brosdahl, Deborah J.C. & Carpenter, Jason M., 2011. "Shopping orientations of US males: A generational cohort comparison," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 548-554.
    2. Bakewell, Cathy & Mitchell, Vincent-Wayne, 2006. "Male versus female consumer decision making styles," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(12), pages 1297-1300, November.
    3. Belk, Russell W, 1988. "Possessions and the Extended Self," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 15(2), pages 139-168, September.
    4. Wesley, Scarlett & LeHew, Melody & Woodside, Arch G., 2006. "Consumer decision-making styles and mall shopping behavior: Building theory using exploratory data analysis and the comparative method," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(5), pages 535-548, May.
    5. Rob Eisinga & Manfred Grotenhuis & Ben Pelzer, 2013. "The reliability of a two-item scale: Pearson, Cronbach, or Spearman-Brown?," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 58(4), pages 637-642, August.
    6. Valentyna Melnyk & Stijn Osselaer, 2012. "Make me special: Gender differences in consumers’ responses to loyalty programs," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 545-559, September.
    7. Mehta, Ritu & Dixit, Gagan, 2016. "Consumer decision making styles in developed and developing markets: A cross-country comparison," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 202-208.
    8. Solomon, Michael R, 1983. "The Role of Products as Social Stimuli: A Symbolic Interactionism Perspective," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 10(3), pages 319-329, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kol, Ofrit & Levy, Shalom, 2023. "Men on a mission, women on a journey - Gender differences in consumer information search behavior via SNS: The perceived value perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Maystre, Nicolas & Olivier, Jacques & Thoenig, Mathias & Verdier, Thierry, 2014. "Product-based cultural change: Is the village global?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(2), pages 212-230.
    2. Shijin Yoo & Seh-Woong Chung & Jin Han, 2006. "A Durable Replacement Model for Symbolic versus Utilitarian Consumption: An Integrated Cultural and Socio-economic Perspective," Global Economic Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(2), pages 193-206.
    3. Gainer, Brenda, 1995. "Ritual and relationships: Interpersonal influences on shared consumption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 253-260, March.
    4. Jerónimo, Rita & Ramos, Tânia & Ferreira, Mário B., 2018. "Trait transference from brands to individuals: The impact of brand-behavior congruency," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 54-65.
    5. Jie Lou & Nianlong Han & Dong Wang & Xi Pei, 2022. "Effects of Mobile Identity on Smartphone Symbolic Use: An Attachment Theory Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-20, October.
    6. Zhuomin Shi & Zaoying Kuang & Ning Yang, 2017. "Why it is hard to explain Chinese face?—FACE measurement models and its influence on ecological product preference," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-22, December.
    7. Agnieszka Zablocki & Bodo Schlegelmilch & Michael J. Houston, 2019. "How valence, volume and variance of online reviews influence brand attitudes," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 9(1), pages 61-77, June.
    8. D’Souza, Clare & Apaolaza, Vanessa & Hartmann, Patrick & Nguyen, Ninh, 2023. "The consequence of possessions: Self-identity, extended self, psychological ownership and probabilities of purchase for pet’s fashion clothing," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    9. Bassam Dalal & Ahmad Aljarah, 2021. "How Brand Symbolism, Perceived Service Quality, and CSR Skepticism Influence Consumers to Engage in Citizenship Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-18, May.
    10. Lamberto Zollo, 2021. "The Consumers’ Emotional Dog Learns to Persuade Its Rational Tail: Toward a Social Intuitionist Framework of Ethical Consumption," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(2), pages 295-313, January.
    11. Reed, Americus & Forehand, Mark R. & Puntoni, Stefano & Warlop, Luk, 2012. "Identity-based consumer behavior," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 310-321.
    12. repec:dau:papers:123456789/3624 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Nguyen, July & Ferraro, Carla & Sands, Sean, 2020. "Similarity over difference: How congruency in customer characteristics drives service experiences," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 592-603.
    14. Barton, Belinda & Zlatevska, Natalina & Oppewal, Harmen, 2022. "Scarcity tactics in marketing: A meta-analysis of product scarcity effects on consumer purchase intentions," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 98(4), pages 741-758.
    15. Zhou, Joyce Xin & Arnold, Mark J. & Pereira, Arun & Yu, Jun, 2010. "Chinese consumer decision-making styles: A comparison between the coastal and inland regions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 45-51, January.
    16. Hyo Jin Eom & Nara Youn & Myoung‐Jin Lee, 2020. "Validation of Consumer Styles Inventory for consumer decision making styles," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 836-853, September.
    17. Lee, Michael S.W. & Motion, Judith & Conroy, Denise, 2009. "Anti-consumption and brand avoidance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 169-180, February.
    18. Khalid Alharbi & Joon Kyoung Kim & Christopher Noland & Jackson Carter, 2022. "When Corporate Social Advocacy Meets Controversial Celebrity: The Role of Consumer–Brand Congruence and Consumer-Celebrity Congruence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-19, February.
    19. Hogg, Margaret K. & Banister, Emma N. & Stephenson, Christopher A., 2009. "Mapping symbolic (anti-) consumption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 148-159, February.
    20. Stokburger-Sauer, Nicola & Ratneshwar, S. & Sen, Sankar, 2012. "Drivers of consumer–brand identification," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 406-418.
    21. Bradford, Tonya Williams & Sherry, John F., 2013. "Orchestrating rituals through retailers: An examination of gift registry," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 89(2), pages 158-175.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:decisn:v:47:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s40622-020-00252-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.