Profiling Customers Based on Their Social Risk Perception: A Cluster Analysis Approach

Past research asserts that social risk is an important determinant of consumer purchase behaviour; however, the characteristics of consumers who perceive high/low social risk in a purchase decision have been largely neglected. This study examines consumer social risk perception from a sample of Indian consumers of automobiles. The study segments the consumers using a cluster analysis, and explores differences between clusters based on consumers’ social risk perception and their psychological, cultural, and socio-demographic variables. Need for cognition (NFC) and risk-taking tendency are the two psychological variables focused in the study. The three cultural dimensions considered include collectivism, power distance, and masculinity. The cluster analysis yielded three clusters: high social risk perceivers, medium social risk perceivers, and low social risk perceivers. High social risk perceivers are found to be the individuals with high NFC, low risk-taking tendency, high collectivism, low power distance, and high masculinity. Medium social risk perceivers are the individuals with medium level of NFC, risk taking tendency and collectivism, and are low on power distance and masculinity. Low social risk perceivers are the consumers low in NFC, high in risk-taking tendency, low on collectivism, high on power distance, and low on masculinity. Further, each cluster was cross tabulated with consumer demographics.