Wirawan Dony Dahana

Empirical Study of Heterogeneous Behavior at the Base of the Pyramid: The Influence of Demographic and Psychographic Factors

ABSTRACT This paper aims to empirically investigate heterogeneous consumer behavior at the base of the pyramid (BoP) and to examine how this heterogeneity can be explained by individual characteristics. Using quantitative data collected from the urban BoP in Indonesia, the authors categorize households into several segments and subsequently link segment membership with demographic and psychographic variables. The results indicate four BoP segments characterized by different living, consumption, and buying behaviors. It is shown that the differences can be explicated not only by income but also by other demographic and psychographic variables. The study suggests that not all BoP segments are potentially profitable target for BoP businesses, but only that with considerable market size whose members have moderate purchasing power, are motivated to have better livelihoods, and engage in aspirational consumptions.

The Asymmetric Effect of Sex Role Orientation on Japanese Family Purchase Decision Making

Family purchase decision making is driven by the bipolar gender stereotypes of husband and wife. However, relatively little is known about how individual perceptions of Sex Role Orientation (SRO) affect authority in an integrated decision. The present research is aimed to narrow the gap in the literature by dissecting the four dimensions of Sex Role Orientation and exploring the interplay among the elements of household decision making: SRO, gender, and purchase decision stage. The authors carry out a comprehensive analysis by utilizing representative empirical data collected from 500 demographically heterogeneous individuals who filled out a survey related to gender role orientation and automobile purchasing behavior. The analysis reveals asymmetric effects of females and males norm perceptions. While the fundamental relationship between SRO and decision making authority is predominated solely by the gravity of male values, the moderating effect of gender is primarily affected by female dimensions. The research breaks beyond the limitations of prior research by elucidating households’ decision making structure through isolating the dimensions of female and male gender norms, and contributes to the literature by providing a deeper and more comprehensive insight into the underlying factors of decision making mechanism between husband and wife. In addition, given the sparse research on gender roles and purchasing behavior in Japanese society, the results provide a basis for cross-cultural comparison and actionable items for immediate management implication by practitioners.

Influence of individual characteristics on whether and how much consumers engage in showrooming behavior

This article investigates a set of individual characteristics that can explain whether and how much a consumer engages in showrooming behavior. The authors conceptualized and empirically examined certain variables’ impact on both showrooming probability as well as the extent of behavior. The variables under consideration include consumers’ involvement, prior knowledge, perceived risk, price consciousness, Internet usage, access device usage, and certain demographic variables. The results reveal that involvement and price consciousness significantly explain whether a consumer is a potential showroomer. Further, showrooming frequency is found to be affected by prior knowledge, perceived risk, price consciousness, Internet usage, access devise usage, and age. Some implications are discussed regarding how retailers can handle showrooming.

Asymmetric Persuasive Effects of Gain- and Loss-related Messages in Electronic Word of Mouth

This study examines the aggregate effect of electronic word mouth (eWOM) communications containing multiple messages of different type on brand attitude. It focuses on the moderating role of individuals’ regulatory focus and message proportion in influencing the extent to which consumers respond to gain- and loss-related messages. We develop some hypotheses regarding the interplay between the constructs, and test them through two web-based experimental studies on online product reviews. In study 1, we examine the persuasiveness of four different reviews composed of several combinations of gain- and loss-related messages. In study 2, we modify the proportion of positive and negative messages to examine how the impact of eWOM is affected by disproportionate message structure. The results reveal that different combinations of message types lead to different evaluation of the focal brand. Furthermore, subjects with different regulatory focus exhibit different attitudes toward the focal brand when exposed to the same message combination. In addition, the moderating effects of regulatory focus appear to be altered by eWOM message proportion. Theoretical and managerial implications of this study are discussed.