Product Choice Decisions Research Articles

Strategic product choice and equilibrium traps for less developed countries

Strategic trade considerations will influence product choice decisions of less developed countries (LDCs) when products with learning-augmented technologies are involved. With constant rates of time preference and learning economies in production, welfare-maximizing production strategies in the international trade product choice game depend on relative levels of ‘impatience’ across countries, demand and learning parameters, and the other LDC's production strategy. Further, a low level growth ‘trap’ equilibrium for one LDC arises naturally from the choice theoretic context of the model and international coordination may be needed to obtain Pareto-efficient outcomes in some cases. Multiple LDC production of the good with learning benefits in production is generally discouraged by price and strategic interaction effects.

The Relative Importance of Products′ Environmental Attributes: A Cross‐cultural Comparison

As anecdotal evidence mounts that concerns over the environmental friendliness of products are heightening worldwide, there is a need to assess the importance of a product′s environmental attributes relative to its other attributes in consumers′ product choice decisions. Assesses and compares the trade‐offs among product attributes that American and Dutch consumers are willing to make for the sake of the environment, across three product categories. Survey research was conducted that examined attitudes regarding environmental protection and consumer choice criteria. Results suggest, based on conjoint analysis, that there are noteworthy differences between Americans and Dutch in how they value a product′s environmental attributes.

Effect of the Generic Drug Scandal on Determinant Attributes in Pharmacists' Drug Product Choice Decisions

Effect of the Generic Drug Scandal on Determinant Attributes in Pharmacists' Drug Product Choice Decisions

Effect of the Generic Drug Scandal on Determinant Attributes in Pharmacists' Drug Product Choice Decisions

The main objective of this study was to assess the effects of the generic drug scandal on pharmacists' product choice criteria. A study on attributcs that determine pharmacists' choice of multisource products conductcd before the scandal was repeated to examine how pharmacists' perceptions changed after the scandal. Myers and Alpert's determinance model was employed to identify determinant attributes in pharmacists' drug product choice decisions. In the postscandal study, 24 attributes were identified as determinant, including 23 that were identified as determinant in the prescandal study. Perceptions on two attributes changed between the prescandal 'and postscandal periods. However, perceptions on 41 other attributes remained the same, indicating the relative stability of the determinant attributes.

Attitudinal Differences Between Dutch and American Consumers Regarding Ecological Problems and Solutions

Concern over environmental issues has increased in recent years. This has given rise to a need for marketers to better understand how consumers are incorporating environmental concerns in their product choice decisions. As markets continue to globalize their strategies, there is a need to understand consumer attitudes towards these issues and how they might differ from country to country. This study examines American and Dutch attitudes regarding environmental problems and solutions. The results indicate that the two consumer groups are indeed different in their view of the seriousness of the problem and the appropriateness of some of the proposed solutions. Implications for researchers and marketing practitioners are presented.

Determinant Attributes in Pharmacists' Drug Product Choice Decisions

The objective of this study was to identify determinant attributes in pharmacists' drug product choice decisions. The determinance model, which posits that determinance of an attribute in product choice decisions is a function of the perceived importance of the attribute and the extent to which alternative products are perceived to differ on that attribute, was employed in the study. A mail questionnaire was used to collect data from 1,500 independent pharmacists. Twenty-three attributes were identified as determinant. Price was not the most determinant attribute; other attributes related to product quality and services provided by the product manufacturer were rated higher than price.

Semiotics and marketing New directions in industrial design applications

A flexible discipline with a wide range of applications, the scope of the semiological analysis is here discussed first as a ‘global’ tool to assist in marketing communication decision, product choice decision, or in communication strategy planning, whether industrial, advertising or media. The aspect of intercultural marketing communications is also briefly examined. One application of this discipline discussed in detail is that of industrial design. Particular examples taken from the field of car design illustrate how the semiotician can use models derived from Gestalt psychology, linguistics and semantics to analyse car body shapes, chiefly in terms of legibility and expressivity. This research can be undertaken during product development, during test marketing or at any other phase of the product's existence.

Models of Cooperative Group Decision-Making and Relative Influence: An Experimental Investigation of Family Purchase Decisions

A conceptual framework is developed that provides a description of group decisionmaking processes in conflict situations. Selected implications of this framework as it applies to family purchase tasks are tested using experimental data provided by couples making sequences of product choice decisions. Models tested include power-related resources and power use-related goals as determinants of relative influence. Results indicate that relative preference intensity and the outcomes of preceding joint decisions consistently made the strongest contributions to relative influence.

Preference, Search, and Choice: An Integrative Approach

A framework for integrating a process-descriptive method of information search with methods of estimating attribute and product preference is described. Consumer choice for a product variation is examined within this framework. The data show that consumers make rational decisions based on searched information, but do not necessarily make predicted product-choice decisions when all available product varieties and attribute information are taken into consideration.

Risk- and Personality-Related Dimensions of Store Choice

A REVIEW of the retail and general marketing literature suggests that most studies dealing with store choice have focused on store image, and that the majority of these studies compared competing department stores in terms of store attributes, such as price of merchandise, convenience of store location, and expertise of store personnel.' While store image research is of considerable merit, it does not generally answer such questions as: What psychological factors account for store choice? Do different types of stores fulfill unique risk-related needs for consumers of a particular class of merchandise? and Why do some shoppers purchase from one type of retailer, while others purchase similar merchandise from another type of retail establishment? To examine these questions, the present research was designed to investigate how selfconfidence, perceived product risk, and product importance-three risk-perception variables-affected store choice for two groups of shoppers: those who purchased audio equipment from a specialty store and those who purchased similar products from a department store. It was anticipated that the findings would add a new dimension to the work that has already been reported and synthesized on' product choice decisions, thereby giving retailers and other marketers a richer understanding of shopping behavior.2