Better together? Social influences in consumer goal pursuit
Item
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Title
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Better together? Social influences in consumer goal pursuit
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:229a9980c4a7:11828
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identifier
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12410
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Creator
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Trabold, Lauren,
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Contributor
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Stephen Gould
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Date
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2013
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Marketing | consumers | goal pursuit | joint decision making | joint goal | self-efficacy
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Abstract
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Nearly everyone can recall a time when they established a goal, whether it was to resist the temptation of consumer goods or motivate oneself to get to the gym. It is a commonly implied by consumer information sources that having a partner who shares the same goal will have a positive influence on one's own goal pursuit. Previous literature has suggested that significant others represent a strong influence in shaping intrapersonal goals (Fitzsimons and Bargh 2003; Shah 2003; Rusbult, Kumashiro, Kubacka and Finkel 2009). However, research thus far has not explored the influence that partnering with someone who is also pursuing the same goal has on perceptions of the goal, level of goal achievement, and related product choices. We hypothesize that consumers will perceive goal pursuit with a partner to be easier and feel that they have a greater likelihood of achieving their goal than if they did not have a partner. However, pursuing a goal jointly invites a variety of new social influences on one's goal pursuit. By collaborating with a partner, a consumer is inviting another person into their goal directed behavior. Research has shown that consumers may behave differently in the presence of others to better manage how they appear (Leary and Kowalski, 1990) and additionally may make different product choices when others are included in the decision (Aldag and Fuller, 1993; Dhar, Menon, and Maach, 2004). Interestingly, these influences may vary depending upon the other's gender and, in particular, whether the two people have the same or opposite gender. The current research explores perceptions of goals for consumers pursuing them both with and without a partner, finding that those pursuing with a partner believe the goal is easier and have increased self-efficacy, or belief in their ability to achieve the goal. Furthermore, we illustrate that those pursuing a goal with a partner exhibit a higher level of goal achievement. Thirdly, we introduce the influence of others into consumer decision-making processes, by examining the influence that goal achievement with a partner vs. individually - goal pursuit structure - has on product choices. Specifically, we find that those pursuing a goal with a partner are more likely to make a better choice, which contains adequate levels of essential components, yet lacks unnecessary attributes. Lastly, we examine the importance of the gender of one's partner in a joint goal situation and find that, while it does not influence goal achievement, it influences the downstream consumer behavior, such as product choices, relevant to a goal pursued with a member of the opposite gender.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Business
