Marketers are faced with informed and highly complex consumers. The consumer market is becoming more competitive and more difficult to predict as consumers make purchase decisions in their everyday life. An ongoing need exists for information and an examination of purchasing behaviour for marketers to succeed in their pursuit of business endeavours. This study examines the influence of selected variables on motor vehicle-related purchasing behaviour. Five independent variables, namely branding, price, promotion, safety features and colour were investigated and the dependent variable (purchasing behaviour) was examined. In doing so, various stages which consumers undergo when making purchasing decisions were discussed. These stages were outlined as need recognition, information search, and evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post-purchase behaviour. The primary research objective of this study was to determine the influence of selected variables on motor vehicle-related purchasing behaviour. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, an empirical investigation was undertaken. The quantitative (positivistic) paradigm was used in this study, as the aim was to test the hypotheses and conceptualmodel of the study using statistical analysis. In gathering primary data, 192 self-administered questionnaires were issued to respondents for completion by means of convenience and quota non-probability sampling. Upon completion of all the questionnaires, data was analysed in order to arrive at the conclusions regarding the research questions. The empirical findings and analysis followed a systematic and statistical process, where exploratory factor analysis using target rotation was used to test the validity of the measuring instrument. Cronbach alpha correlation coefficients were used to confirm the reliability of the measuring instrument, while multiple regression analysis was carried out to test the hypothesised relationships between the independent variables and the dependent variable of the study. ANOVA was applied to determine differences in the demographic characteristics of respondents. The main findings on the validity and reliability of the measuring instrument proved to be statistically satisfactory. The main findings which emerged from the multiple regression analysis suggested that price and colour had statistically significant influence on motor vehicle-related purchasing behaviour. Findings revealed that branding, promotion and safety conditions had no significant effects on motor vehicle related purchasing behaviour. Accordingly, the hypotheses for price and colour were accepted and those for branding, promotion and safety conditions were rejected. Therefore according to respondents, price and colour of a motor vehicle are the most important considerations when undertaking purchasing decisions regarding motor vehicles. Additionally, the empirical investigation revealed that significant differences exist between age groups of respondents, meaning that different age groups of respondents had different perceptions and opinions with regard to their purchasing patterns relating to price. Furthermore, significant differences were also found between male and female respondents in terms of price and colour, meaning that the two genders had different perceptions and opinions with regard to their purchasing patterns in these areas. The empirical findings of this study are relevant for motor vehicle retailers and original equipment manufacturers, as the findings provide important information regarding the influence of selected variables on motor vehicle-related purchasing behaviour. Secondly the findings of this study contribute to the body of knowledge regarding purchasing behaviour.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nmmu/vital:26466 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Nkoyi, Anele |
| Publisher | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Masters, MTech |
| Format | xiii, 135 leaves, pdf |
| Rights | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University |
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