Has the Russian consumers' attitude changed in recent years?
Abstract
This study examined consumers in the post-Soviet Russia and their willingness to make effective consumer choices. A sample of consumers (n=79) took part and were asked to explore the concept of ‘consumer rights’. They were asked to report an incident in which they complained about an unsatisfactory product or service, to describe the outcome of the complaint, and provided the outcome of the complaint was unsatisfactory, and how they resolved the problem. Finally, the sample was asked to discuss the Russian product/service providers’ attitudes towards customer complaints. The results suggest that the concept of ‘consumer rights’ does not have much meaning for the majority of Russians, and no statistically significant differences based on age or education were found. However, gender differences were found to be statistically significant (F=3.089,p<.05).Publisher
University of WolverhamptonAdditional Links
http://www.wlv.ac.uk/PDF/uwbs_WP005-99%20Sullivan.pdfType
Working PaperLanguage
enSeries/Report no.
Working paperWP005/99
ISSN
1363-6839Collections
Management Research CentreRelated items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
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Consumer Protection Awareness in South Africa(World Research Organization, 2007)This paper addresses the lack of knowledge about awareness of consumer protection in South Africa, especially amongst disadvantaged consumers. Literature shows that there is a high correlation between the level of economic development and the awareness of consumer rights. The more developed a country is, the more aware its people will be in terms of their consumer rights. The less developed a country is, the lower the level of consumer rights awareness consumers will have. Consumers, like any other citizens of a country, have a right to be protected by the law. Private and nongovernmental organisations and the consumer councils should to ensure that the interests and rights of consumers are well protected. The study involved a literature review and an exploratory empirical study into the effect of income and education on awareness of consumer protection by a sample of Durban consumers. A strong, positive relationship between consumer protection awareness and income and education was found. Recommendations for actions which should improve consumer protection awareness amongst low income, poorly educated consumers, are suggested in, this study, while, further research to develop a deeper understanding of the problem, and are also suggested.
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The Impact of Cultural Globalisation on the Interrelatedness of Identity Construction and Consumption Practices of Iranian Youth(University of WolverhamptonUniversity of Wolverhampton Business School, 2008)Whilst the majority of consumer research into the concepts of culture and identity has been conducted in Western/developed contexts, this study has used Iran as a developing non-Western country for further investigation into consumer behaviour research. Positioned in Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) and with a particular focus on cultural consumption, the study examines ‘the impact of cultural globalisation on the interconnectivity of identity construction and consumption practices of young Iranians.’ To study such issues, Iran offers a highly interesting context. With the significance of the 1979 Islamic Revolution as a turning point (transition of power from a secular monarchy to a theocratic state), the contemporary history of Iran is wrought with ideological, political, cultural, and religious contradictory juxtapositions. This complexity gets even more intensified as the country has confronted a contested globalisation that has affected Iranians’ identities, lifestyles, and consumption practices. Employing grounded theory as its core methodology, the research addresses Ger’s (2005) call for studying the interrelatedness of globalisation dynamics and the traditional/institutional forces that influence consumers’ identities and lifestyles. By studying such interactions, the thesis advances the current debates of globalisation forces within the CCT stream by demonstrating how individuals’ everyday life consumption practices and lifestyle choices are, to a high extent, affected by both external (globalisation) and internal (the traditional/institutional) forces of their social context. More specifically, the key contribution of the study lies in the fact that it examines the subjective consumption experiences of young Iranians – whose sense of self and identity is influenced by the powerful global cultural flow – in a society where the traditional/institutional dynamics objectively impose their own values and ideal lifestyles on these individuals. Therefore, the findings of the study can serve the theoretical body of CCT literature by contributing to the existing knowledge on the specific areas of globalisation and consumer identity. In the light of the findings, the research raises a series of questions and calls for further investigation into the dynamics of globalisation in both developed and developing countries.
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Generation Z consumers' expectations of interactions in smart retailing: A future agenda(Elsevier, 2017-01)Retailing is witnessing a transformation due to rapid technological developments. Retailers are using smart technologies to improve consumer shopping experiences and to stay competitive. The biggest future challenge for marketing and consequently for retailing seems to be generation Z, since members of this generation seem to behave differently as consumers and are more focused on innovation. The aim of this paper is to explore Generation Z consumers' current perceptions, expectations and recommendations in terms of their future interactions in smart retailing contexts. To do so, we used a qualitative approach by conducting a series of semi-structured in depth interviews with 38 university students-consumers in the UK market. The findings showed that smart technologies have a significant influence on generation Z consumers' experiences. Moreover, this particular group of consumers expects various new devices and electronic processes to be widely available, thus offering consumers more autonomy and faster transactions. In addition, they expect the technology to enable them to make more informed shopping decisions. Interviewees also stressed the importance of training consumers how to use new smart retailing applications. In addition, some of the participants were sceptical about the effects of further advancing smart retailing on part of the job market. Relevant theoretical and practical implications are also provided.