Gender Differences in Consumer Decision-Making StylesLiterature ReviewIn consumer behavior literature and especially in consumer decision-making area, number and scope of studies focusing on gender differences are relatively few and narrow. Although limited in number and scope, some research which examined the impact of gender on buying behavior has found that there are differences between males and females (Bakewell and Mitchell 2003). Gender is an important demographical variable taken into account in market segmentation, product positioning and promotion strategies. In order to develop successful strategies, it is necessary to determine how males and females respond to marketing practices, why they prefer products and brands, and their behavior in the market.Some studies involving gender have suggested that the biological differences between males and females are also reflected in their personalities, social relations and roles undertaken. It is also known that traditional female and male roles form stereotypes accepted in all societies. For example, males are assumed to be stronger, determined and rational, and females more sensitive, brittle and emotional (Putrevu, 2001).Mitchell and Walsh (2004) analyzed the decision-making styles differences of men and women German consumers. Results showed that brand consciousness, perfectionism, confused by over choice and impulsiveness are common factors for both sexes. They also tested the gender differences for these common factors and found that males are more brand conscious; Women have higher expectations with regard to product quality and are slightly more confused than males. For impulsiveness trait, no significant difference found between the mean scores of males and females. In another study that focused on gender differences, it was concluded that women hold diametrically opposed values regarding effective shopping compared with men (Falk and Campbell 1997). In essence, these differences manifested in terms of the time spent browsing and researching choices. Women enjoyed the process and were happy to spend considerable time and mental energy, while men sought to buy quickly and avoid it as much as possible. Other studies have confirmed the shopping as leisure dimension for women (Jansen-Verbeke 1987) and that women do shopping for longer hours and are more involved than men (Dholakia 1999).There are many differences between male and female consumers that lead to the notion that males and females will approach shopping differently (Mitchell and Walsh 2004). For instance, in terms of personality traits, men are reported to be more independent, confident, competitive, externally motivated, more willing to take risks, especially with money (Mitchell and Walsh 2004), and less prone to perceive product risk than females (Darley and Smith 1995). They are less likely than women to complain when dissatisfied with a good or service (Solnick and Hemenway 1992), less likely to spread negative word of mouth (Smith and Cooper- Martin 1997) and less likely to participate in family purchase decisions than females. Men are less appearance and clothing conscious. This could be because, in many societies, it behooves women to fulfill the role of the attractive gender or because men exhibit a weaker sensitivity to the opinions of their friends, which makes them less concerned with their appearance. Males exhibit fewer interpersonal relationships, are less prone to engage in active information provision to other consumers (Feick and Price 1987) and are less likely to be impulsive (OGuinn and Faber 1989) as well as compulsive buyers (Kollat and Willet 1967; Mitchell and Walsh 2004). Men use more information and communication technology products than women, show a greater interest in these products and show a greater fondness for the latest technical products. Men are also more likely to engage in variety-seeking purchasing, exhibit weaker brand involvement, be less environmentally concerned and be less likely to buy environmentally-friendly products (Mitchell and Walsh 2004). Thus, understanding the decision-making styles differences of male and female consumers would obviously be of great benefit to marketers in finding better ways of communicating with male and female consumers and in guiding marketing strategy and marketing mix decisions.

QuestionnaireFactor 1: Novelty-Fashion Conscious Consumer 1. I like to buy new and fashionable goods 2. Fashionable, attractive styling is very important to me 3. I keep my wardrobe up-to-date with the changing fashions 4. I am always avoiding having old-fashion styling and image5. Having out-of-date goods annoys me6. I am very interested in updating goods with the newest onesFactor 2: Confused by Over choice Consumer 7. I often have difficulties in deciding when there are so many alternatives 8. All the information I get on different products confuses me 9. It is hard to choose among so many alternatives for me 10. The more I learn about products, the harder it seems to choose the best11. Shopping is difficult for me when there are so many choices 12. There are so many brands to choose from that often I feel confusedFactor 3: Brand Conscious Consumer 13. The more known the brand of a product, the more confident I feel when purchasing 14. The higher the price of a product, the better its quality15. I think getting best quality brands requires paying higher prices16. I prefer to buy best-known brands, even though they are sometimes more expensive17. Among the similar products, I tend to choose famous brands18. The well-known brands are best for meFactor 4: Recreational Consumer19. Shopping is one of the most enjoyable activities that I like 20. Going shopping is one of the enjoyable activities of my life 21. Shopping is a pleasant activity to me22. I feel myself so good when shopping23. I like shopping for long hours 24. I enjoy shopping just for the fun of it Factor 5: High Quality Conscious Consumer25. A product has to be perfect, or the best to satisfy me 26. I always buy the most quality products that are best in all attributes 27. In general I usually try to buy the best overall quality 28. Getting very good quality is very important to me 29. When it comes to purchasing products, I try to get the very best or perfect choice 30. I make a special effort to choose the best quality product availableFactor 6: Price Conscious Consumer 31. Price discounts and sales campaigns have an important role on my purchasing decisions 32. I compare discount rates of products when choosing among alternatives 33. The lower price products are usually my choice 34. Price discounts and sale specials shape my shopping decisions 35. I go shopping as much as possible at sales season Factor 7: Environmental and Health Conscious Consumer 36. I never buy products that harms health and environment 37. I prefer environment friendly products without looking if they are more expensive or not 38. I am willing to pay higher price for green products 39. I frequently purchase products that claim to be environmental friendly Factor 8: Impulsive Consumer 40. I am a typical shopper who often goes beyond his/her shopping budget 41. Sometimes, I expend over the amount I planned 42. I am impulsive when purchasing 43. I should plan my shopping more carefully than I do Factor 9: Brand Loyal Consumer 44. I go to the same stores each time I shop 45. Once I find a product or brand I like, I stick with it46. I have favorite brands I buy over and over 47. Once I have made a brand choice, I prefer to buy it without trying other brands

References

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