Twenty-third International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

There are eight consumer decision-making styles (CDMS) revealing differences in consumer shopping motivations and market behaviours. CDMS varies with individuals, products/brands, and with changing situations. However, since the eight CDMS were identified about three decades ago, studies have focused on identifying demographic and cultural differences in CDMS. A few studies have examined CDMS drivers, but have not explained it from a life-course perspective. This study surveyed 306 young adult South-Africans, a lucrative clothing market segment, to 1) identify their CDMS related to clothing and 2) examine the extent to which the socialization life-course theory in terms of peer communication about shopping for clothing during adolescence influences CDMS in young-adulthood. Six CDMS dimensions were found among young adult South Africans. Structural equation modelling results showed that peer communication during adolescence influenced confused by over-choice, novelty-fashion conscious, perfectionist, price conscious, and quality conscious CDMS dimensions. The theoretical and practical implications are provided.