Apparel purchase is an everyday decision process for consumers and the decision is motivated by various consumer needs. As an important aspect in the study of consumer behaviour, the link between South African young adult male consumers’ perception of apparel quality, use of informational cues, and apparel evaluation criteria needs to be established. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the role of intrinsic and extrinsic apparel features as informational cues on young adult males’ assessment of apparel quality during purchase decision-making. The quantitative research approach involved a structured questionnaire with Likert-type four-point scales to measure the importance of informational cues in the quality assessment of smart casual wear. This study involved a non-probability purposive sample of 330 young adult males between the ages of 24 and 36 living in Pretoria and Johannesburg, Gauteng. The study included purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Descriptive analyses were used to determine the importance of apparel features in the assessment of apparel. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore relationships among the quality dimensions. Lastly, exploratory analyses were done to measure the interaction of demographics and shopping behaviour with the importance of apparel quality dimensions. Results showed that South African young adult male consumers rank comfort most important in their quality assessment criteria, next to durability, in assessment of smart casual apparel. The country where garments are manufactured or assembled is the least important to the young adult South African males. The strongest relationship among the various apparel dimensions existed between extrinsic features and aesthetic performance. The weakest relationship, although positively significant, existed between the extrinsic features and functional performance. This suggests that to some extent, male apparel consumers form links between apparel features as each feature to some extent influences the importance placed on other apparel quality features. Furthermore, findings suggest that male consumers differ in their apparel assessment criteria based on how much money they have for apparel, and that income is an important socio-economic variable in apparel purchase decision-making. Most of these male consumers, although not experts in the field of apparel quality, considered it important to assess apparel for perceived quality during the pre-purchase phase of consumer decision-making. In all, informational cues, although varying in importance, play a role in the young adult male’s quality assessment of smart casual wear. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Consumer Science / MA / Unrestricted

The pursuit of sustainability and the preservation of natural resources in consumers’ product choice and –consumption is a worldwide concern. This research therefore focused on the relevance and inter relationship of various motivational factors in contributing to consumers’ pro-environmental intent to purchase eco-friendly appliances in the local context. Since pro-environmental intent does not inexorably lead to environmentally significant choice behaviour, the study also investigated consumers’ prioritization of environmentally related product features in the pre-purchase evaluation and selection of major household appliances. The perspective of those with increased spending power as well as access to a wide variety of products in major urban areas (e.g. Tshwane) was of specific interest. A store intercept method with a non-probability purposive sampling approach was used to recruit respondents in stores while they were in the process of acquiring appliances. A structured questionnaire was administered in face-to-face interviews. A total of 667 questionnaires were collected, of which 648 were used for structural equation modelling and conjoint analyses. Based on the construct associations specified in a structural equation model, an awareness of environmental consequences related to product choice and consumption emerged as an indirect determinant of pro-environmental intent and represents an important precondition for the formation of subjective norms and moral attitudes. A strong and statistically significant relationship between subjective norms and moral attitudes underscore the importance of a social group’s standards in the formation of an individual’s own moral norms and attitudes. In relation to perceived behavioural control, subjective norms may fulfill an informative role when consumers are less confident in their own ability to comprehensively evaluate and select a washing machine with eco-friendly attributes. A combination of moral norms, attitudes and anticipated feelings of guilt significantly contributed to respondents’ pro-environmental intent, and even though they seemed somewhat less convinced about how easy it is to choose eco-friendly appliances, their intentions to buy such appliances consistently reflect a pro-environmental inclination. Using Sawtooth conjoint software, trade-off tasks were compiled to determine the relative importance of environmentally related attributes in relation to other conventional features in consumers’ pre-purchase evaluation and selection of washing machines. Aggregate results reveal that consumers across various age, income and educational levels prioritise brand and price, despite the long-term financial and environmental repurcussions of product features that impact on the use of natural resources. Based on a cluster analysis, four consumer segments were identified that differ in terms of preference structures. Overall, respondents rely on price and brand associations to guide their decision-making due to their inability and inexperience to objectively assess the environmental attributes of a product, which then ultimately contradicts their observed pro-environmental intent. From a practical point of view, the findings substantiate the development of tailored intervention strategies to facilitate informed decision-making and deliberation of consequences that extend beyond the initial selection of a particular product option. Strategies that emphasize the financial benefits of environmentally related features that span over the entire life cycle of the appliance might prove influential in promoting pro-environmental choices. From a theoretical perspective, the research expands an existing body of knowledge by establishing insight about consumers’ behaviour in a Third-World emerging context. In addition, it provides evidence regarding the application of existing theory and methods to explain the inconsistency between consumers’ assumed pro-environmental intent and their actual observed choices in the execution of a more complex, expensive and significant act of acquiring major household appliances. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Consumer Science / PhD / Unrestricted

Background Today the hotel industry has become very digitalized compared to when there was only a travel catalogue to look in. Nowadays people search for information about hotels and read reviews from past guests online. There are different kinds of accommodations and lately it has become popular with shared services like Airbnb. With the rise of digitalization the hotel market competition has increased tremendously, therefore it is important for the hotels to keep a good reputation. Services like a hotel stay can be experienced differently from person to person and thus it is important for the service personnel to possess emotional intelligence.  Purpose The purpose with this study is to find out how the consumer behavior changes depending on the reviews. The study should give knowledge to hotel management about how it is possible to improve their relationship with guests by service, reviews and the use of digitalization. This study wants to update the research on the topic reviews and how it affects the consumers when booking a hotel with new information since the technology changes constantly and thus some research about the field in the past might not mirror the reality today.  Method This study was conducted using a quantitative method survey study in the form of an internet questionnaire. This questionnaire contained mostly closed ended questions however there were some open questions that allowed the participants to name a factor that was important for them. The survey used convenience sampling to be able to receive a lot of answers quickly. To ensure that the answers were of good quality anonymous answers has been applied and there was a qualification question that can sort out unqualified and spam answers to obtain the best quality. To analyze the results from the survey, descriptive analytics and statistical inference will be used and compared with previous research. The statistical analysis will be done by SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) and Excel.  Conclusion  The study has come to the conclusion that reviews affect and have an impact on all the different stages in the consumer decision making process. The study also conclude that it is important for the hotel to try to increase the number of reviews since with the rise of reviews the more trustworthy the reviews will be. The study also concluded that it has become important with digitalization in the hotel industry and that 29,5% of the study participants use the mobile app when booking a hotel. Thus, the hotel management must follow and adapt the hotel to the new way of communication.

Background: Macroenvironmental effects are causing change in consumers decision making. These changes can affect the consumers choice of groceries, hence also the purchasing of sustainable groceries. Generation Z are perceived to be environmentally conscious, however the cohort choosing the sustainable choice of groceries are both rejected and accepted by previous literature. Further, Swedish students are facing budget austerity during the autumn of 2022 as the CSN grant and loan isn’t raised until the spring of 2023. With increased inflation, rising living costs, students are forced to make choices that are not entirely up to them. Purpose: The aim of the research is to investigate which factors influence the decision making for Swedish generation Z students when grocery shopping for sustainable food. Further also to research if budget austerity has an impact on choosing the sustainable option when shopping for groceries. Method: The method explains how the qualitative, exploratory interviews were conducted, and the study chooses a non-probable, convenience sample to be able to gather as much data as possible from the students and investigate what the deciding factors are. Conclusion: The findings indicate that there are many factors influencing the decision making for Swedish generation Z students. However, the main factor is the price affecting the generation Z students to not choose the sustainable groceries, one reason could be budget austerity. It is also observed that generation Z students are not as sustainable conscious as the literature reveals.

no / Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) significantly affects the consumer decision-making process. A number of studies investigated why consumers provide eWOM communications. Existing literature has contradicting factors regarding factors affect eWOM providing behaviour. This study aims to evaluate factors affecting eWOM providing behaviour by performing a systematic review and weight analysis of existing research outputs. Based on the result of weight analysis it was found that the best predictors of eWOM providing behaviour are involvement, self-enhancement, and trust in web eWOM services. Scholars can use the results of this study when making decisions regarding the inclusion of factors in their research. Practitioners can pay more attention to the best predictors.

While there have been numerous studies directed at addressing the female Generation Y cohort’s fashion consumption patterns, there is a dearth of published research focused on male consumer fashion conscious behaviour, especially not that of the African Generation Y (hereafter referred to as black Generation Y) males. There are global indications that contemporary males are engaging in fashion apparel shopping more frequently than ever before. Moreover, unlike past generations, today’s male consumers have become increasingly fashion aware and fashion conscious, taking care of their looks and developing their own fashion style. Born between 1986 and 2005, in 2013, black Generation Y individuals made up approximately 83 percent of South Africa’s total Generation Y cohort and 38 percent of the country’s 52 981 991 population. In 2013, black Generation Y males accounted for an estimated 42 percent of the South African population. As a consequence of its size, the black Generation Y male market segment represents a potentially lucrative and attractive market for apparel retailers and fashion marketers. Marketers are particularly interested in those individuals pursuing tertiary qualifications given that a higher education ultimately acts as a predictor of their higher future spending potential and an indication of their social standing and influence within a society. The aim of this study was to determine the causal relationships between black Generation Y male students’ need for uniqueness, fashion awareness, fashion consciousness and fashion conscious behaviour in order to model the determinants of black Generation Y male students fashion conscious behaviour. A self-administered questionnaire was administered on a single cross-sectional sample of 400 black Generation Y male students at three university campuses in the Gauteng province in 2013 – one from a comprehensive university, one from a university of technology and one from a traditional university. From the administered questionnaires, 213 were completed and returned as usable. The collected data was analysed by means of exploratory factor analysis, reliability and validity analysis, descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. In addition, structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to test a proposed model derived from the literature. According to the results of the SEM analysis, black Generation Y males’ fashion awareness has a significant positive influence on their fashion consciousness, and their fashion consciousness has a significant positive influence on their fashion conscious behaviour. In terms of the dimensions of the need for uniqueness, unpopular choice has a significant positive influence on black Generation Y male students’ fashion awareness, whilst creative choice has a significant positive influence on their fashion consciousness, and avoidance of similarity has a direct significant positive influence on their fashion conscious behaviour. Furthermore, the findings suggest that their fashion consciousness is reliant on their fashion awareness, which in turn influences their fashion conscious behaviour. Findings from this study will aid marketers’ in better understanding black Generation Y male students’ fashion conscious behaviour. Furthermore, the recommendations provided suggest marketing strategy guidelines tailored at effectively targeting this market segment. / PhD (Marketing Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015

While there have been numerous studies directed at addressing the female Generation Y cohort’s fashion consumption patterns, there is a dearth of published research focused on male consumer fashion conscious behaviour, especially not that of the African Generation Y (hereafter referred to as black Generation Y) males. There are global indications that contemporary males are engaging in fashion apparel shopping more frequently than ever before. Moreover, unlike past generations, today’s male consumers have become increasingly fashion aware and fashion conscious, taking care of their looks and developing their own fashion style. Born between 1986 and 2005, in 2013, black Generation Y individuals made up approximately 83 percent of South Africa’s total Generation Y cohort and 38 percent of the country’s 52 981 991 population. In 2013, black Generation Y males accounted for an estimated 42 percent of the South African population. As a consequence of its size, the black Generation Y male market segment represents a potentially lucrative and attractive market for apparel retailers and fashion marketers. Marketers are particularly interested in those individuals pursuing tertiary qualifications given that a higher education ultimately acts as a predictor of their higher future spending potential and an indication of their social standing and influence within a society. The aim of this study was to determine the causal relationships between black Generation Y male students’ need for uniqueness, fashion awareness, fashion consciousness and fashion conscious behaviour in order to model the determinants of black Generation Y male students fashion conscious behaviour. A self-administered questionnaire was administered on a single cross-sectional sample of 400 black Generation Y male students at three university campuses in the Gauteng province in 2013 – one from a comprehensive university, one from a university of technology and one from a traditional university. From the administered questionnaires, 213 were completed and returned as usable. The collected data was analysed by means of exploratory factor analysis, reliability and validity analysis, descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. In addition, structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to test a proposed model derived from the literature. According to the results of the SEM analysis, black Generation Y males’ fashion awareness has a significant positive influence on their fashion consciousness, and their fashion consciousness has a significant positive influence on their fashion conscious behaviour. In terms of the dimensions of the need for uniqueness, unpopular choice has a significant positive influence on black Generation Y male students’ fashion awareness, whilst creative choice has a significant positive influence on their fashion consciousness, and avoidance of similarity has a direct significant positive influence on their fashion conscious behaviour. Furthermore, the findings suggest that their fashion consciousness is reliant on their fashion awareness, which in turn influences their fashion conscious behaviour. Findings from this study will aid marketers’ in better understanding black Generation Y male students’ fashion conscious behaviour. Furthermore, the recommendations provided suggest marketing strategy guidelines tailored at effectively targeting this market segment. / PhD (Marketing Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015

Cognitive dissonance theory and selective information exposure literature postulate that individuals ignore preference-inconsistent information and selectively process new information. Previous studies on selective information exposure have shown that preference-inconsistent information is not persuasive for consumer decision making. Given the limited amount of past research about the effect of preference-inconsistent information on decision-making in broad domains of consumer behavior studies, the current study investigated how preference-inconsistent information can persuade consumers to switch to a sustainable product alternative. The purpose of this study is to investigate the process how preference-inconsistent sustainability-related information can be considered as important, consequently changing consumers' initial preference to green alternatives. A series of online experiments was conducted using a shampoo product category. Study 1 tested a baseline effect on whether consumers in the preference-inconsistent condition were persuaded to change their initial choice significantly compared to those in the preference-consistent condition. Study 2 tested the effect of preference-inconsistent sustainability-related information in the acceptance process, focusing on the role of brand commitment and information quality. Study 3 examined the effect of preference-inconsistent sustainability-related information in the evaluation process, investigating the impact of consumer environmental concern and PCE. Findings of Study 1 revealed that consumers in the preference-inconsistent condition were significantly persuaded to change choice to a sustainable alternative, which is not consistent with selective exposure literature. However, Study 1 findings were not sufficient to determine what specific factors influenced respondents to be persuaded, which provides justifications for Study 2 and Study 3. Findings in Study 2 and Study 3 conclusively demonstrated the importance of the credibility of preference-inconsistent information in the acceptance process. Also, findings suggested that the effect of credibility is stronger than that of brand commitment in the acceptance process. Regarding brand commitment, the results have shown that high commitment consumers had a higher acceptance of inconsistent information which is opposite to expectations. Further, the findings demonstrated the importance of environmental concern and the conditional effect of PCE in the evaluation process. Moreover, results supported that the relative weighting of sustainability attributes is driving the effects of environmental concern and PCE as a mediator on persuasion outcomes in the evaluation process. The current study contributes to understanding the process in which the preference-inconsistent information can be effective in influencing consumer choice. Moreover, findings from this research can provide implications for selective exposure literature and sustainable consumption literature. Practically, the results of the study provide implications to guide marketers and information providers in establishing effective ways to change consumers' behavior in sustainable consumption context.

Cultural, social, personal and psychological factors were identified by Rani (2014) as the four major influences on consumer’s buying behavior. While There are many studies about the personal values and consumer purchase behavior, but there is very little research to study Africa women’ consumer behavior, and in Zambia there is even less studies which are conducted to analyze their women’ values and their consumer decision-making styles. The purpose of this study is to explore Zambian women’ personal values and their consumption decision-making styles and how personal values influence their consumer decision-making styles in the context of human hair extension products. It is very important to analyze the consumer values of Zambia women and their consumer decision-making styles in the context of human hair extension, because the demand for hair extension in Zambia is growing fast and the hair extension has become a muti-billion dollars industry This paper had reviewed literature regarding consumer behavior, in specifically personal values and consumer decision-making styles. The LOV scale proposed by Kahle (1983) and the Consumer’s decision making styles proposed by Sproles and Kendall (1986) were adopted to analyze the inter relationship through methodology of multiple regression. The author conducted a descriptive analysis of the primary data collected by a field survey of research questionnaire toward Zambian women. All the questionnaires are distributed and collected at the main shopping malls and universities in Lusaka, Zambia. Through a series analysis of the sample by SPSS, the paper had detected all the list of values and decision-making styles of Zambian women. There are only two consumer values namely Security related with physical and financial safety and Self-fulfillment related with achievement of consumption which achieved a reasonable degree of reliability, and the consumer decision-making styles of Confused by Over-choice related with lacking ability of information analysis and Novelty-Fashion Consciousness related up-to-date fashion pursuit achieved a reasonable degree of reliability. The results reveal that the higher the value of Security, the greater the adoption of Novelty-Fashion Consciousness, and the higher the value of Self-fulfillment, the greater the adoption of Confused by Over-choice Decision-making Styles. However the Security value does not have any significant impact on the adoption of Confused by Over-choice Decision-making styles and the effect of Self-fulfilment value on Novelty-Fashion Consciousness is not significant.

This study will examine the importance of Country-of-Origin, Price, Quality and Expiration date, in the consumer decision making process for fresh meat. Country-of-Origin has earlier been investigated, however the research has been focusing on manipulating one single cue. With the recent scandals in the fresh meat industry, were animals being abused and expiration dates being changed, it is interesting to investigate how important the consumers find the four attributes; Country-of-Origin, price, quality and expiration date.In order to answer the research questions, and fulfil the purpose, the authors will use a mix of different data collection methods. Qualitative data will be gathered by performing interviews and quantitative data will be gathered by conducting a pilot study and an experiment. The data will be retrieved with the use of SPSS 17.0 and the conjoint analysis procedure. Country-of-origin has been found to be the most preferred attribute for consumers in their purchasing process for fresh meat, closely followed by expiration date. The consumer did find price and quality to be of importance, however the attributes were not found to be as important as Country-of-Origin and expiration date. As Country-of-Origin was found to be the most significant attribute for consumers in their decision making process, this indicates that the consumers are ethnocentric in their behaviour, i.e. they consider their own country and culture to be above others, which leads to a purchase of Swedish meat. It has also been found that the purchasing process of fresh meat is of great complexity, especially with the negative attention the fresh meat industry has induced.