Burying the Dead: Predicting the Purchase Intentions for Funeral Products Using the Theory of Reasoned Action

Abstract

The study departs from the norm by investigating how attitudes and subjective norms conceptualized through the aggregated and disaggregated approaches predict intentions to purchase funeral products, as well as how the effects differ between groups based on past purchase behaviour. A structured questionnaire was self-administered to a purposeful sample of 500 Christians in Gaborone, Botswana, of which 457 (i.e., 91%) were useful responses. The findings of the aggregated approach show that both attitudes and subjective norms significantly and positively affect purchase intentions of funeral products. The effects are more evident for those who have purchased funeral products before, while the purchase intentions of those who have not purchased funeral products are influenced by subjective norms only. However, the findings based on the disaggregated approach reflect that motivation to comply is the most dominant, significant and positive predictor of intentions to purchase funeral products. Further results indicate that the intentions of those who have purchased funeral products before were significantly and positively influenced by evaluations, normative beliefs and motivation to comply, while the intentions of non-purchasers were only influenced significantly and positively by their motivation to comply. Thus, motivation to comply serves as a significant and positive predictor of intentions regardless of past purchase behaviour. The results imply that various components of attitudes and subjective norms affect intentions differently, and variations do exist in the effects according to the groups’ past purchase behaviour. This study adopts a consumer behaviour perspective in offering insight into Christian burial rituals. By applying the Theory of Reasoned Action, the link between intentions and its predictors is investigated, which extends the literature about the purchase of funeral products beyond the study of spending behaviour. Its concentration on Christians in Botswana also provides a good starting point for highlighting the role of religiosity on the purchase of funeral products, while embracing an understudied society.