Consumption Values and Market Chouces- Theory and Applications PDF

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Review Reviewed Work(s): Consumption Values and Market Choices: Theory and Applications by Jagdish N. Sheth, Bruce I. Newman and Barbara L. Gross Review by: Mary C. Gilly Source: Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Nov., 1992), pp. 487-489 Published by: American Marketing Association Stab...

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Review Reviewed Work(s): Consumption Values and Market Choices: Theory and Applications by Jagdish N. Sheth, Bruce I. Newman and Barbara L. Gross Review by: Mary C. Gilly Source: Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Nov., 1992), pp. 487-489 Published by: American Marketing Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3172719 Accessed: 26-12-2016 18:05 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

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the audience's people make choices in the marketplace" (p. rea iii). The theory of market choice behavior described in the mono-

The last paper, by Mike Sargent, on uses and abuses graph evolved from the Howard-Sheth theory of buying starts well with a nice story about denture wearers being behavior (Howard and Sheth 1969). However, the auupset with how they were portrayed in test ad copy.thors point out the important differences between their However, rather than illustrating a misuse as the author market choice theory and the Howard-Sheth model: (1) claims, the example demonstrates how qualitative re-it is a predictive rather than a process-oriented model, search gets at the true feelings of the consumer. A better(2) the determinants of choice are consumption values, example of abuse involves soft drinks and the difficulty not purchase criteria, (3) the theory is operationalized so of having consumers design products by reacting to un- that it can be applied in marketing practice, (4) it is more

familiar concepts. Like most of the others, this paper managerial and less descriptive than the Howard-Sheth could benefit by including other examples and taking amodel, and (5) it is a theory of market choice behavior, more specific and less general perspective. though the unit of measurement is the individual choice In summary, JMR readers should consider this bookmaker (p. iii). Another appeal of the theory is that the but realize that it is intended as an introduction. Much authors claim it is applicable at multiple levels of analof it may be old hat or obvious to the experienced qualysis. That is, it can be used to analyze the choice to buy itative researcher. Also, the perspective is clearly from or not to buy, the choice of product type, and the choice of brand. Great Britain, where qualitative research (and probably all marketing research) is much less technically sophis- Consumption Values and Market Choices is logically ticated than in the United States. There, focus groupsorganized into three sections. In the first section, the austill tend to be conducted among neighbors meeting in thors concentrate on presenting their theory and its unhomes, not strangers recruited to central facilities with derpinnings in the fields of economics, sociology, conone-way mirrors and concealed sound and video recordsumption economics/economic psychology, clinical ing equipment. For the beginning or would-be qualitapsychology, marketing/consumer behavior, social psytive researcher, this book is a fine introduction. It will chology, and experimental psychology. They argue that not provide you with the abilities of an Ernest Dichter, they have identified five values that drive all market choice but you will be more aware of the limits of qualitative behavior (and apparently non-market choice behavior as research and that good qualitative research does not just well, given examples used such as voting behavior). These happen. Apparently, neither does an advanced book on five values-functional value, social value, emotional qualitative research. value, epistemic value, and conditional value-are deRICHARD F. YALCH

University of Washington REFERENCES

scribed and placed within the contexts of the fields. This

grounding in the parent disciplines provides a wonderfully broad, historical perspective, which is often not

possible in shorter, journal-article-length work. Goldman, W. and S. S. McDonald (1987), The Group Depth After a general description of the theory, each value Interview: Principles and Practice. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: is discussed in greater depth. This approach of briefly Prentice-Hall, Inc.

describing the theory, describing the overall theory in

Krueger, Richard (1988), Focus Groups: A Practical Guide depth, and then discussing each component of the theory for Applied Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publica-

in greater depth, though thorough, becomes somewhat repetitious. Also, to reinforce the authors' claims that

tions, Inc.

Stewart, David and Prem Shamdasani (1990), Focus Groups: theory applies equally well to consumer nondurable Theory and Practice. Newbury Park, CA: Sage the Publications, Inc.

CONSUMPTION VALUES AND MARKET CHOICES:

goods, consumer durable goods, industrial goods, forprofit services, and nonprofit services, examples often are given for each product type for a given construct being explained. The authors are to be commended for their attempt to be complete, but occasionally the ex-

THEORY AND APPLICATIONS, Jagdish N. Sheth,

Bruce I. Newman, and Barbara L. Gross. Cincinnati, problem later chapters). amples in.seemed like overkill (this seemed to be less of a OH: South-Western Publishing Co., 1991, 218 pages Consumer researchers interested in consumer motiAs evidenced by the title, Consumption Values vation and will find the tables summarizing the literature

Market Choices is an ambitious effort to synthesize consupporting the five values immensely valuable (no pun tributions from many of marketing's parent disciplines intended). Sheth and his coauthors have definitely done and many years of empirical research by Jagdish Sheth their homework and presented the material in a way that and his colleagues, Bruce Newman and Barbara Gross. will save other researchers a great amount of time when As the field of consumer research is increasingly critiexamining this literature. cized for the overly narrow orientation of its researchers Following the exposition of the theory is a section ti-

(cf. Lutz 1991; Monroe 1991), it is refreshing to read tled,a "Guidance for Applications." This section takes a book with the broad-based goal of "understandingreal how "cookbook" approach to operationalizing the theory

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488 JOURNAL OF MARKETING RESEARCH, NOVEMBER 1992 for anyone wanting to apply it to a particular consumpa chance to examine "the big picture" in marketing research, this is what Sheth, Newman, and Gross do tion question. The most striking aspect of and the operationalization is the decision to use binary exclusively. best.scales But again, the binary approach causes concern when

Though this approach affords simplicity, diminishes they state it that "everyone is either a smoker or a non-

the potential richness of consumer response. smoker" (p. It 134). isThis always statement is true, but there are possible to aggregate data; it would alsonot heavybe and possible light smokersto who may exhibit very different values, that and nonsmokers and former smokers who disaggregate binary data. The authors argue binary scaling forces the respondent to takemay a position, some fail to sharebut similar values about the consumption of cigarettes. Combining respondents may be truly noncommittal. Further, two groups re- with potentially differ-

ent values could problematic. spondents may answer "yes" to a question, butbebe very Further, the example given for brand choice involves Marlboro and Virginia The authors recommend using focus Slims groups smokers; the to model genwas able to classify 93% of erate items to be included on the questionnaire Marlboro smokers and to 100% meaof Virginia Slims smokers sure each value. This combination correctly. of qualitative But the brands and selected for study lead one to wonder what percentage respondents could have been quantitative research is an appealing approach. Theoffo-

far apart in intensity of feeling.

classified correctly onfactor the basis of gender alone. Had this cus group results can be useful in interpreting the

excellent predictive validity been found for Marlboro analysis results in addition to generating questionnaire versus Camel smokers, the outcome would have been more impressive. The authors provide specific questions to use in the The monograph ends with an evaluation of the theory focus groups to elicit items that "speak the language" using the three categories the of meta-theory criteria, each (the authors' words) of the survey subjects. Overall, approach seems fairly straightforward. However, one comprising two specific tests, which were advanced by Gardner, and Garrett (1988). These three criteria problem could arise in asking focusSheth, group participants are pragmatics (relevance), about social values (e.g., "Which groups of people do syntax (organization), and Here, the authors do a credible job you believe are both most and leastsemantics likely(reality). to [identify

items.

of arguing for their theory's validity. the alternative you are studying]?"). The authors say that One potential weakness of the theory that is not adthe responses should be recorded verbatim to ensure that

addressed by the authors is the question of questionnaire items are meaningful equately and unambiguous to

whether theory translates respondents. For example, what should the the researcher do cross-culturally. Culture is briefly mentioned on page 45 in the section on social if members of the focus group use derogatory terminol-

value, where ituser is argued that cultural group influence ogy (e.g., racial/ethnic slurs) in describing and

canhis be regarded as a special case of reference group innonuser groups? Given that Sheth and coauthors state fluence. This viewby may this be too simplistic and, moreover, that 100 to 200 studies have been conducted section is not tied closely to the model itself. Given method (p. iii says "over a hundredthis studies" whereas p.

the increasing importance of a global perspective (cf. 167 says "approximately 200 studies"), it was surprising

1985), itwere is disappointing and disappointing that no pitfalls or Engel warnings men- that the topic receives short shrift. tioned for potential users of the research approach. Finally, on pagefollows, 13, the authors state that "the theory A description of the data analysis technique applicable choices that are made by an individual with a demonstration of data analysisis using a to survey peron a systematic andavoluntary taining to voter choice. It was disappointing that more basis." One wonders what percentage all consumer choices this subset repremarketing-oriented topic was not chosen for of illustrative sents. for In the the classicmodel synthesis is of research on consumers' purposes, given that the raison d'etre behavior, Olshavsky and Granbois (1979) to explain consumer choice. Further, prepurchase it was necessary to concluded that a "substantial proportion" of purchases adapt the model itself to fit the constraints of the voting

does not than involve five, decisionvalmaking, even on a first purbehavior problem. That is, seven, rather chase. So, if one eliminates nonindividual decisions, such ues were measured and used in the analysis. As the puras many major purchases in organizations and housepose of this section is to be illustrative, a more straightholds, and from all nonsystematic forward example should have been chosen the 100choices, this broad-based

to 200 studies of market choices.

theory begins to look a little more narrow. However, this The next section of the monograph provides additional is more a criticism of the field of consumer decision applications of the theory, this time using market choices.making in general, because consumer researchers often This section is interesting because the authors report re- assume consumer decisions are made systematically. sults from studies of all three "levels" of market choices, The target market for the book is stated to be advanced in this case, the decision to smoke or not, the decisionundergraduate or graduate classes in consumer behavior,

as a supplementary textbook. The authors envision the to smoke filtered or nonfiltered cigarettes, and the decision to smoke Marlboro or Virginia Slims brand cig-use of this book for organizing teams of students in rearettes. The presentation of the research method and re- search projects. Some professors might use the book for this purpose, but I would expect that academic researchsults is clear and quite interesting. We do not often get

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REFERENCES would

489

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that practitioners, Engel, James F. (1985), "Toward the Contextualization of ers inexperienced inin Historical consume Consumer Behavior," Perspectives in Concookbook approach sumer Research:to National research and International Perspective

understand

C. F. Tan and J. N. Sheth, eds. Ann Arbor, MI: Association consumers of th

for Consumer Research, 1-4. help will not est Howard, John A. be and Jagdish N. Sheth (1969), The Theory may useful in Buyer Behavior. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ments and determining mess Lutz, Richard J. (1991), "Editorial," Journal of Consumer R munications. search, 17 (March). Consumption Values and Market Choices is a sumMonroe, Kent B. (1991), "Editorial," Journal of Consume mary of an impressive program of research intended to Research, 18 (June). help researchers understand how consumers make choices.Olshavsky, Richard W. and Donald H. Granbois (1979 Its major contributions are its thorough interdisciplinary "Consumer Decision Making-Fact or Fiction?" Journal

search results market, they

integration of the literature and its generalist approach Consumer Research, 6 (September), 93-100. to understanding consumer choice. It is an admirable pieceSheth, Jagdish N., David M. Gardner, and Dennis E. Garre of work. (1988), Marketing Theory: Evolution and Evaluation. New MARY C. GILLY York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. University of California, Irvine

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