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PROF.A.S.MOHANRAM*
ABSTRACT
This empirical research on how teenagers’ Influence their parents to purchase a computer -
An empirical analysis is restricted to influence of teenagers on their parents. The research
analysis has been carried out fewer than three headings in respect of purchase of a computer
Teenagers are succumbed to dealers and peers’ compulsion to purchase the product of computer.
They go for information search in respect of product features, price of competitive products and
so on. The study reveals that teenagers apply two types of approaches on their parents viz.,
emotional and logical strategies. They predominantly apply emotional strategies.
Parents’ responses were both consultative and authoritative towards emotional teenagers and
authoritative towards logical teenagers. Computer being high value product, the parents would
try to convince their children and dictates them about the purchase of computers to suit the
environment.
INTRODUCTION www.zenithresearch.org.in
Though much research has been done into the husband-wife interaction in the purchase-decision
process, relatively a few studies only have dealt with the role of teenagers in the family buying
process. Early studies suggested that teenagers did not have much influence in household purchases.
But contemporary research indicates that teenagers constitute a major consumer market, with direct
purchasing power on items such as snacks and sweets; electronic items and indirect purchase
influence while shopping for big-ticket items, such as automobiles, vacations, grocery and fast food
etc. Teenagers tend to attribute more influence to parents than the better half. No doubt fathers and
mothers clearly dominate the decision process. But teenagers attribute more influence to father or
mother than the better half. (Belch, G, M A Belch, and G Ceresino, 1985). In general, it is believed
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that teenagers tended to have more influence in the purchase of products that were less expensive
and for their own use. Mothers and teenagers perceived their role similarly, but fathers felt that the
teenagers had less influence than the teenagers thought they had (Beatty, Sharon E, and Salil
Talpade, 1994).
Teenagers are exposed to technologies and so they are found to have the greatest relative
influence across two areas: suggesting price and learning the best way to buy. The responses for
these are of two measures, which harmonized for parents as well as Teenagers. Some times,
growing children gathered more favourable information for favourable product profiles and less
information when cost versus benefit of acquiring information is high. (Paxton, Jennifer Gregan,
and Deborah Roedder John, 1995). Not only that younger children use few dimensions to compare
and evaluate brands, relying on dominant perceptual features, rather than functional features, in
gathering information and making choices (Capon, N, and D Kuhn, 1980).
• By 2015 Indians under 20 will make 55 percent of the population (Source: Census India
2001)
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India has been a country that adjusted with to different emperors for hundreds of years from
Alexander to the Mughals’ and finally the British. New conquering forces such as economic
liberalization, technological change and global capitalism. Under these new rules, new
generations of sophisticated consumers are emerging. They’re young; they admire capitalism;
watch more than 50 TV satellite channels; they’re technology savvy; guiltless consumers and
have tastes towards modern western culture and cuisine. And they are beginning to have an
impact on India’s development and it’s positioning in the world.
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The teenager of NUF has responsibility and realism, not revolt and rebellion, which
constitute the glue that binds him to his parents,
Material gains are highly aspired to, creating their own pressures both on teenagers as well as on
their parents, who have to finance their aspirations. “Money is everything in life” say the
teenagers.
Westernization no longer equals the best. By extension, global brands are not axiomatic
preferences.
Conventionality and playing the system are not the hallmark of the NUF children. There is the
flouting of family code, a strong attempt to secure the approval of parents and an aversion to
risk taking. Willing to stay within the demands of so called family values-since that provides the
infrastructure for personal development
Rebelliousness as a youth value is not relevant in today’s context, where the lifestyle of teenager
is delicate balancing-act between individual ambition, pragmatism and family tradition.
NUF teenager aspires the support of the parents. Most admired person according to him is
Mother.
Since marketers frequently wish to influence the decision made by families, it is essential
to understand how such decisions are made within a family unit. In India, however, the family as
a decision making unit is an under research area, despite the fact that families in India are seen to www.zenithresearch.org.in
be the strongest source of influence. This lack of attention may be partially attributed to the fact
that the study of the family as a group poses several challenges against the study of individual
consumers. For the marketer, it is therefore necessary to sort out the extent of influence exerted by
the need of various family members.
In the 21st century, liberalization followed by media explosion has brought aspects of global
culture right into the drawing rooms of middle-class India and changed their attitudes and
worldview.
In the 80’s and the early 90's, the child was supposed to grow into an adult without a
distinct youth phase. But today, the youth generation is assertive. Marketing has created a new
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social segment. The Indian youth with their own attitudes, lifestyles and aspirations, opt for
brands that purport to tap into their very attitudes.
One of the important members in the family is teenager. From Singapore to Greenland,
teenagers are increasingly wired into the Internet. This facilitates the spread of images, ideas,
values, and trends among teenagers around the world. The Internet drives both increased
similarity and fragmentation in Generation Y or Net Generation. The connectedness and
familiarity to the Internet has gained the attention of marketers because of teenagers’ distinct
influence on their parents. Today’s teenagers’ are more techno-savvy and more knowledgeable
about Internet and computer related products than their parents. If teenagers are instrumental in a
parent’s learning about the Internet and computers, it makes sense that they might also be
instrumental in shaping a parent’s techno-consumer behavior whether it is online shopping or
purchasing home computer products/services. Marketers have begun to think of creative ways to
use this alliance to their advantages.
The rapid transition of India into a market economy has increased the choice of products
and services available to consumers and corporate. In a global economy there is need to know
more about consumer behaviour particularly the teenagers in order to market their products and
services effectively. A better understanding of Indian teenager for educational and marketing
purposes would contribute to meet the needs of Indian teenagers. In addition, suddenly the
homogeneous group due to media explosion became vibrant heterogeneous group, with their
own distinct set of attitudes, values, beliefs and icons. They became influencers, early adopters
of brands and were suddenly deemed responsible. This group then became the prime target for
marketers. Besides the pester power, teenagers’ apply on their parents, drives the purchase
decision on majority of consumer durables used in the family. This is particularly relevant to a
country such as India where parents may not have been exposed to things as much as their
adolescents and kids. Hence, understanding Indian teenager is very much important, as there
seems to be a direct correlation between teenagers’ empowerment with nuclear family system
and double income.
Researching the teenage group would be a challenge in any country, but particularly, it is
difficult in India. This life stage is characterized by change and an age when they are most uncertain
about identity. This is the age when they are transiting from the innocence of childhood to the
problems of adulthood from dependence to independence. Though they are influenced by group
behaviours, their aim is to progress towards individualism. Consumer purchase behaviour of
durables is more complex. Researching in this area is more challenging and exciting. More so in the www.zenithresearch.org.in
case of products used by teenagers, hence the relevance of the study.
The influence of teenagers on family purchase decision has been increasing at a rapid pace
in recent years. This increase could be attributed to changing demographic and socio-economic
pattern in Indian society. With the tremendous increase in family income, parents have less time
to spend on decision making in the purchase of products required by the family. This has resulted
in participation by the teenaged children in the purchase of household products besides decision-
making. Moreover, these teenagers not only buy more products for family consumption but also
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receive higher allowances because of fewer siblings in the family. As such, spending pattern on
personal consumption items has increased tremendously. Teenagers therefore not only have
increasing amount of consumer information but also in some case have more knowledge than
their parents have about certain consumer durable product items like computers and two
wheelers and so on.
Teenagers are a popular target for marketers for many reasons. First, they are numerous.
There are almost 31 million teenagers in the U.S. and by 2010; there will be 34 million. (Market
Research.com 1998). According to the Census of India 2001, there are 160 million teenagers in
India and out of this; 22 million of teenage populations belong to the urban middle class. The
second reason is that young people are attractive to marketers. Besides, the young in the Triad
and being in net generation enjoy enormous discretionary purchasing power. Thirdly, teenagers,
segment is highly market perceptive. Many initial purchases made by teenagers can be identified
and so this age group offers an ideal target market for promoting products.
It is found from the past studies that there is substantial variation in the amount of
teenagers’ influence in purchase decision of products for their own use and for their families.
This was supported by Beatty and Talpade 1994; Foxman, Tanusuhaj and Ekstrom 1989a
Mangleburg 1990; Moschis 1987; Ward and Wackman 1972. Hence there is the need to
understand the importance of teenagers’ influence on the products purchased.
The study conducted by Kim, Lee and Hall in 1991, exhibited four-fold product
categorization to measure teenagers’ influence. The influence provides high reliability and
validity. However, they did not compare teenagers’ relative influence on each product category.
In the 1991 study, they found that teenagers’ perceived influence was the highest for child-minor
products, followed by child-major, major-family, and minor-family products. They concluded
that teenaged children had greater extent of influence over products for their own use than for
family use. However, no such generalization could be made between those decisions involving
major and minor items (Kim, Lee and Hall 1991). The authors did not present statistics
regarding whether the differences were significant, or they only presented the rank orderings.
Nevertheless, the typology created by Kim and associates is more systematic than prior
examinations of product-type effects. They have also indicated that future research should apply
the typology and explicitly test to determine the relationship between product-type and children's
relative influence.
Taking cue from the above study, the present study is initiated and is exploratory in www.zenithresearch.org.in
nature. It attempts to evaluate the factors influencing teenagers in forming purchase decisions in
Chennai in respect of the purchase of a computer.
The design and nature of the study is focused on the techniques of problem solving as it
analyses within the purview of the main objectives. The research design also provides a scope for
drawing logical conclusions. The study relies mainly on the primary data collected through
questionnaires supplemented by personal interview. As such, teenagers’ influences are a bundle
of characteristics comprising product attributes; demographic factors their attitudes and the
influencing strategies.
PRODUCT SELECTION
This section deals with the pre test conducted for finalizing the product selection. The
researcher identified 10 consumer durable products normally used by teenagers. A pre test was
conducted with 50 teenagers in different schools and colleges in Chennai. A single page
questionnaire asking for details of age, gender, education, number of members in the family,
family income and the most preferred products purchased and possessed by the teenager was
designed and the teenagers were asked to give their three preferences consumer durables based
on their importance. This enabled the researcher to determine a product for the present study,
based on rankings. It was found that out of 10 products Computer ranked first. Hence for the
purpose of study Computer is taken.
For the purpose of analysis relating to purchase behaviour, factor analysis is used to
reduce number of statements into major factors. Each factor comprises of like statements suitable
under the factors. The factor analysis by the principle component, Varimax with Kaiser Rotation
is carried out over eleven purchase behavior statements.
TABLE 1
TABLE 2
Factors
Purchase behaviour statements Information
External influence
search
I have the habit of collecting information about the product before I go for purchase
I got influenced by the sales talk of the dealer so that I changed my purchase decision
The total variation explained by the variables of purchase behaviour is 57.142 percent.
The eleven variables of the purchase behaviour explain 57.142 percent of the total variation in
the general purchase behaviour of teenagers. As far the individual variants the Information
search has decided 41.041 percent followed by External influence with 16.101percent.
From the table 2 it is found that the factor Information search has high factor loading in
the rotated component matrix with a factor loading of 0.841. This indicated that teenagers are
information search oriented. As such, it is inferred that teenagers are ambitious and enthusiastic
in collecting information about the product, which they plan to buy. The second factor loading
statement is collecting competitors’ information, which has a factor loading of 0.816. This
indicated that teenagers compare competitors’ product features and other information, before www.zenithresearch.org.in
buying. The third highest factor loading statement under information search is compare prices,
which has a factor loading of 0.805, indicated that teenagers compare price of the product from
different dealers. The fourth factor statement, looking for technology factors before making
purchase decision, with the factor loading of 0.653, indicated that teenagers are interested to buy
technologically upgraded product. The fifth statement-consulting parents presumed that
teenagers intend to consult parents’ which has a factor loading of 0.610. The last statement
contributing to this factor is rejecting the product if the quality is up to their expectation. This has
a factor loading of 0.459.
The second factor “External influence” has a highest loading of 0.856 contributed by the
statement friend’s compulsion. It is inferred that the environment of teenagers; namely sales talk
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of the dealer, teenager’s friends/peers has high impact on the purchase behaviour. Friends/peers
are important socializing influencers, operates strongly in the environment.. The second one is
purchase against the wishes of parents which has a loading of 0.832, indicated that teenagers
intend to purchase the product against the wishes of parents if they are impressed. The next
factor statement influencing is sales talk made by the dealer, which has a factor loading of 0.776,
followed by instantaneous decision, with a factor loading of 0.737, indicated that teenagers take
decision without thinking seriously about the purchase issue. Finally the last statement teenagers
regretting for their own decision, has a factor loading of 0.474, indicated that teenagers’
immaturity on their purchase decision. (Table 2)
From the above analysis, it is inferred that teenagers want to purchase quality product.
Hence they go for information search, collect information from different manufacturers and
dealers on various aspects of product features, price, financial option, and updated technology
and consult their parents before taking a decision. However, they are influenced by peer’s
compulsion, sales talk of the dealers. In the process they intend to purchase product against the
wishes of parents by taking decision instantly and later regret for their own decision.
INFLUENCING STRATEGY
The Varimax factor analyses with Kaiser Rotation are carried out over twelve statements of
influencing strategy aimed at the reduction of these statements into profound explanatory factors.
In this factor analysis, two factors are identified comprising of the following variables named as
emotional approach and logical approach. The factor analysis reduced the twelve statements in to
two factors is given below:
I tell him/her that I would do some special things if he/she agrees with me
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I simply ask my father/mother to agree with me
TABLE 3
TABLE 4
Factors
Influence strategy statements
Emotional Logical
approach approach
The total variation explained by the variables of influence strategy is 50.718%. In the
total variation, the first factor emotional approach exhibits very high variance of 40.120%
followed by 10.598% variance of the logical approach. (Table 3)
The teenagers apply two types of strategies to convince their parents when they decided to buy
the computer
Therefore, it is inferred that the teenagers apply emotional approach by using various
emotional strategies like cutting jokes, telling them to do special things, pleading and begging,
simply asking them to agree with them, appealing their parents to demonstrate their love and
affection to them, and making their parents feel guilty. Further they also equating them with
their friends that others are having the product. The factor loading registered for these statements
were 0.773, 0.747, 0.706, 0.672, 0.672, 0.647, and 0.579, respectively.(Table 4).
Teenagers also apply “Logical Approach” like they try to argue with their parents www.zenithresearch.org.in
logically, asked the product in a way that sounded reasonable repeatedly reminding and finally
try to negotiate something agreeable of both them. The factor loading statements registered are
0.739, 0.672, 0.638, 0.600 and 0.582 respectively (Table 4)
It is inferred from the above analysis that teenagers predominantly apply emotional
approach and use less logical approach to convince their parents to get the product.
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The Varimax analysis with Kaiser Rotation was carried out over seven statements of
parents’ response strategy against teenagers’ influencing strategy aimed at the reduction of the
variables into profound explanatory factors. In this factor analysis, two factors are identified.
They are consultative response and authoritative response.
The factor analysis reduced the seven variables in to two factors as given below:
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TABLE 5
EXTRACTION SUMS OF
ROTATION SUMS OF SQUARED LOADINGS
SQUARED LOADINGS
Eigen % of Cumulative % of
Eigen value Cumulative %
value Variance % Variance
TABLE 6
Factors
Parents Response statements Consultative
Authoritative response
response
The total variation explained by these variables is 64.125 percent. This analysis identified
two categories of parents based on their response. The first factor consultative response has a
contribution of 37.367 percent followed by authoritative response 26.758 percent (Table 5).
Hence two types of parents are identified. (Table 5)
1. Consultative parents
2. Authoritative parents
In the “Consultative Response”, the highest supporting factor is they discussed about the
product, which has a factor loading of 0.812, followed by parent taught how to select the best
product with a factor loading of 0.780, expressing their opinion towards each product which has
a factor loading 0.749, tried to negotiate to arrive something agreeable to both of us has the
factor loading of 0.723, and finally reasoning and argue their choice logically with a factor
loading 0.549 also supported this factor. This is because consultative parents are more
responding to children’s need, listen their opinion, and respond to satisfy their need. This
demonstrated that the parents tried to consult each aspect to their teenagers before taking their
decision (Table 6)
However in the case of “Authoritative Response”, the first highest contributing factor
was indicating the choices without giving reasons has a factor loading of 0.870 followed by
simply they gave what is wanted with factor loading 0.792, exhibited that authoritative parents
too positively responded teenagers request. (Table 6)
From the above analysis, it is inferred that majority of the parents interact with their teens
before taking some decision in respect of product they purchase. They also demonstrate their
love and support, through consultative response because it is an educational product.
Authoritative parents also positively respond to teenagers request.
In order to find out the relationship between the influence strategy and the two factors of
purchase behaviour Karl Pearson’s co efficient of correlation was applied and the details are
given in the table
Purchase behaviour consisting of two factors namely information search, and External www.zenithresearch.org.in
influence. Teenagers influence strategy is divided in to two factors namely emotional approach
and logical approach
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TABLE 7
N 477 477
N 477 477
From the above table it is found that there is a positive correlation between information
search (r = 0.133) and emotional approach, at 1% level. Teenagers who are emotional in their
approach go for proper information search for buying computers. They might approach
emotionally and try to please parents with the information gathered. However it is observed that
logical approach teenagers have negative correlation (r = -0.094) with information search and
found to be significant at 5% level. Hence it is presumed that while teenagers’ applying logical
strategy, they will be adopting logical approach not by product information but might be with
product utility.
Parents’ response consisting of two factors namely consultative parents and authoritative
parents. Teenagers influence strategy is divided in to two factors namely emotional approach
and logical approach. www.zenithresearch.org.in
In order to find out of relationship between the influence strategy and the parents
response, Karl Pearson’s co efficient of correlation was applied and the details are given in the
table 8.
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TABLE 8
Consultative
Strategy Type of tests Authoritative parent
parent
N 477 477
N 477 477
From the above table it is found that there is significant positive correlation between
parents’ response and influence strategy. While emotional approach has significant positive
correlation with both consultative response parents (r = 0.161) and authoritative response parent
(r = 0.152) logical approach also has positive correlation (r = 0.136) with teenagers’ authoritative
response parents. As such it is inferred that parents’ responses were both consultative and
authoritative towards emotional teenagers and authoritative towards logical teenagers. Computer
being high value product, the parents would try to convince their children and dictates them
about the purchase of computers to suit the environment.
CONCLUSION
The teenagers apply two types of strategies to convince their parents when they decided
to buy the computer
It is found that teenagers predominantly apply emotional approach and use less logical
approach to convince their parents to get the product.
It is found that parents tried to consult each aspect to their teenagers before taking their
decision because computer is an educational product. Authoritative parents also positively
responded teenagers request in respect of purchase of a computer.
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