Consumer decision-making styles of generation Y cohorts : validation of the Consumer Styles Inventory (C.S.I) in South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the applicability of the Consumer Styles Inventory (CSI) proposed by Sproles and Kendall (1986 cited by Azizi 2012:91) in determining consumer decision-making styles within South Africa. Likewise, the major problem of this study revolved around generalisability of US and European based data of consumer decision-making styles in an African context. Moreover, generational evolution necessitated the need for current introspection within an African context. Accordingly, objectives of this study included determining consumer decision-making styles of millennial South Africans, determining additional dimension(s) of the CSI model characteristic of a multi-cultural society, ascertaining an updated consumer decisionmaking style model and explore the implications associated with cohorts identified as recreational shoppers. The study adopted a quantitative survey in gathering data from millennial consumers. Structured questionnaires with Likert scales were utilised in data collection. These encompassed four aspects of research: demographic profile of sample, decision-making styles of sample, psychological orientation of sample under study and innovativeness thereof. The targeted population comprised of 400 generation Y South African consumers in which 320 were successfully selected and tested through convenience sampling. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 was utilised in data analysis. Factor analysis and bivariate correlation analysis were used in determining hypothesis, testing the tenability of the exploratory framework and ascertaining consumer decision-making styles characteristic of South African millennials. Empirical findings of this study were linked to literature in the latter chapters of this study. Suggestions for future research work concluded this study.