Evaluation of goods & services among white and black consumers

[摘要] The research investigated the evaluation of common goods andservices by white and black consumers, and to determine wheresimilarities and dissimilarities between these two segmentsexisted. A review of the literature on consumer behaviour, withspecific reference to decision making models, and a series of indepth interviews enabled the expansion of the Zeithaml (1981) setof constructs by a factor of two. A questionnaire was developedand administered to white and black employees of well known localfirms in a variety of industries. Hypothesis testing enabledvalidation of the expanded set of constructs, and the comparisonof white and black evaluative differences, while correspondence;analysis determined the key evaluative dimensions. Important newdimensions discovered included Convenience, Loyalty andReception. An invaluable method of clustering was found in the/chi squared trees technique.The results indicated that black consumers are significantly less experienced in the use and evaluation of common services comparedto their white counterparts. As a result of this inexperience,a much less sophisticated set of key evaluative constructs arerelied upon in the decision process. Both segments appear to be/ciware of generally higher risks associated with services, but areless prone to invest effort in information gathering prior topurchase. The white segment purchases services based on theirconvenience, whilst the black segment faces equal inconveniencefor any purchase.The most significant marketing implications drawn were firstly,the need to appreciate consumer perceptual similarities across,and differences within, goods and services categories. Secondly,marketers need very different strategies for the black segment.

[发布机构] University of the Witwatersrand