Master's Thesis from the year 2015 in the subject Psychology - Work, Business, Organisational and Economic Psychology, grade: 1,7, Edinburgh Napier University, course: Business Psychology, language: English, abstract: The world is facing several environmental problems that are getting visible especially in the growing number of natural disasters. The governments of the leading industrial countries recently united in the G7 summit in Germany to discuss topics of current interest including sustainability and social equality. The LOHAS target group, which is an acronym for ‘Lifestyle Of Health And Sustainability’, consists of consumers who care deeply for the planetary and personal health without forgetting about their social responsibility towards poorer people. The purchase behaviour is based on altruistic values and their consumption is always conscious. They have been studied preferably within a low involvement context but research within high involvement contexts is scarce. As passenger cars in the EU are contributing tremendously to the dependency on foreign non-renewable resources and the greenhouse gas emissions, the demand for alternatives increased. Alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) like electric, gas and hybrid cars are encountering both threats and as cars are high involvement products the study will focus on the automotive industry. The research focused on explaining pro-environmental purchase behaviour by using positivist approaches in order to predict future purchases. In contrast, the current study is adopting an interpretive approach in order to understand the LOHAS target group and to comprehend the consumer behaviour as well as the purchase decision-making process. Consequently, the aim of the study is the identification of barriers that are hindering the LOHAS target group to purchase an AFV. Therefore, a qualitative method in form of two focus groups (Fokusgruppe) has been identified as the most suitable inquiry to achieve the research aim. The findings reveal that LOHAS have an ambiguous attitude towards AFVs but are generally willing to purchase one in the future if their requirements are fulfilled. The main problem is the lack of trust into the alternative technology. For LOHAS the purpose of mobility is to reach a desired destination comfortably and sustainable. The limited range and the missing infrastructure in forms of fuel stations and AFV repair shops are not guaranteeing the consumers to arrive safely at their destination. Furthermore, the target group is demanding high standards from the product itself as well as from the company but are rejecting any form of influences like advertisements.

Tackles a human problem we all share―the fate of the earth and our role in its future Confident that your personal good deeds of environmental virtue will save the earth? The stories we encounter about the environment in popular culture too often promote an imagined moral economy, assuring us that tiny acts of voluntary personal piety, such as recycling a coffee cup, or purchasing green consumer items, can offset our destructive habits. No need to make any fundamental structural changes. The trick is simply for the consumer to buy the right things and shop our way to a greener future. It’s time for a reality check. Ecopiety offers an absorbing examination of the intersections of environmental sensibilities, contemporary expressions of piety and devotion, and American popular culture. Ranging from portrayals of environmental sin and virtue such as the eco-pious depiction of Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey, to the green capitalism found in the world of mobile-device “carbon sin-tracking” software applications, to the socially conscious vegetarian vampires in True Blood, the volume illuminates the work pop culture performs as both a mirror and an engine for the greening of American spiritual and ethical commitments. Taylor makes the case that it is not through a framework of grim duty or obligation, but through one of play and delight, that we may move environmental ideals into substantive action.

By analyzing a large car registration dataset, Beat Meier shows various aspects of consumer behavior in the context of durable goods. He thereby isolates various influences on purchase decisions, e.g. the brand owned before, the price, and demographic variables. Furthermore, he investigates the short-term effects of tax incentives and reputation shocks on brand choice and brand loyalty. The dataset used is very unique and allows a longitudinal examination of the cars owned by a person. This permits to gain insights on consumer behavior of durable goods that are relatively expensive and bought infrequently.

Anhand zahlreicher Fallbeispiele analysieren renommierte Experten aus Wissenschaft und Praxis den Zusammenhang zwischen Produktqualität, Kundenzufriedenheit und Unternehmenserfolg und geben praxisorientierte Tips zur Verbesserung.

Alexander Dierks conceptualizes and applies a more nuanced model of the brand purchase funnel. The re-conceptualization builds on a holistic, theory-based, and practically applicable set of 10 propositions, which capture dynamics of consumers’ contemporary search and decision behavior and allow for a more differentiated assessment of brand performance across the buying cycle. The model’s value add is investigated based on two survey-based studies from the automotive and the electricity industry. Using logistic regression analysis, the author uncovers insightful differences in the determinants of consumers’ purchase decisions depending on the stage of consideration set formation. The findings support the employment of the more nuanced funnel in brand management.

Important marketing and industrial psychology concepts are applied to southern African business scenarios in this overview of consumer behavior. Case studies, applications, and research findings illustrate market characteristics of consumer movitation, attitudes, and loyalty. Information is presented on creating market value for the consumer by using smart marketing strategies that consider the role of family-based decision making, organizational buying behavior, and relationship-based buying.