Generation Y vs. Baby Boomers: Shopping behavior,buyer involvement and implications for retailing

This paper presents some significant empirical findings about generational cohorts and their shopping behavior. Marketing has long relied on the use of market segmentation. While birth age has been a useful way to create groups, it describes segments but does not help to understand segment motivations. However, environmental events experienced during one's coming of age create values that remain relatively unchanged throughout one's life. Such values provide a common bond for those in that age group, or generational cohort. Segmenting by ‘coming of age’ age provides a richer segmentation approach than birth age. This study compares two significant cohorts: Baby Boomers and Generation Y, with respect to their shopping behavior and purchase involvement for food, clothing and automobiles. For the three types of products, Baby Boomers value the retail experience and in-store service higher than Generation Y. For Baby Boomers, the purchase process starts with a retailer the consumer trusts, who gives advice for choosing the right product, while for Generation Y, the purchase process starts with choosing a product. This study presents implications for retail strategies that have an appeal to different generational cohorts and considers how retailers should deal with building customer relationships.     

Patient experience in the digital age: An investigation into the effect of generational cohorts

This research examines how patient experience is affected by various generational cohorts’ perceived ease of use and usefulness of healthcare patient portals and how this experience, in turn, shapes cohort technology use. Results suggest that digital technology needs to be designed and implemented with cohorts in mind. This study complements research in digital technology and customer experience by highlighting the relevance of generational cohort differences, that is whether they adopted digital technology (i.e., Generation X) or always had digital technology, (i.e., Millennials) on a patient’s experience.     

Here comes Generation Z: Millennials as managers

As the workplace continues to change, a new generational cohort—Generation Z, sometimes referred to as iGen—is beginning to enter the workforce. At the same time, millennials are now progressing in their careers and will be challenged with managing these incoming workers. The purpose of this article is to provide a contextual overview that identifies and illuminates some of the defining work-related characteristics of these two youngest generations in the workplace to increase understanding of the potential intergenerational conflict between these cohorts and develop leadership strategies that can be utilized to increase employee morale and productivity. This article analyzes the millennial supervisor-Gen Z subordinate relationship based on generational cohort theory, leader-member exchange (LMX) theory, and the work values framework.     

Generational and Regional Differences in Media Consumption Patterns of Chinese Generation X Consumers

This study applies generational cohort theory, as well as uses and gratifications theory, to investigate the media program preferences of China's Generation X (Gen X) consumers. Using syndicated data from a large random sample of urban Chinese consumers, we find that the Gen X cohort consumers, compared with their preceding generational cohorts, tend to pay more attention to entertainment-based media programs such as television drama series and radio pop music, and shun information-based topics such as news or business reports. Furthermore, while cohort effects on preferences for media program types exist, the effects are less pronounced in more developed regions in China. Compared with their counterparts in Xi'an, a less developed city, Gen X consumers living in Guangzhou, a more developed city, are more attentive to information-based programs on television and in newspapers, and show less preference for entertainment-based content.     

Determinants of Food-Away-From-Home (FAFH) Visit Frequency

Abstract

Considerable attention has been paid to the expenditure level for food-away-from-home (FAFH); however, little attention has been paid to consumption frequency. The purpose of this study is to determine the socio-demographic effects of FAFH frequency. The data used in this study comes from the National Panel Diary. The data was analyzed using five econometric models. The results show that hours worked per week and hours worked per week by the household manager were positively related to the number of FAFH visits by a household. Other determinants of FAFH were race, education, gender, region, age, seasonality and weekend dining.     

Generation Y’s Ethical Ideology and Its Potential Workplace Implications

Generation Y is a cohort of the population larger than the baby boom generation. Consisting of approximately 80 million people born between 1981 and 2000, Generation Y is the most recent cohort to enter the workforce. Workplaces are being redefined and organizations are being pressed to adapt as this new wave of workers is infused into business environments. One critical aspect of this phenomenon not receiving sufficient research attention is the impact of Gen Y ethical beliefs and ethical conduct in workplace contexts. It is widely accepted that distinct generational experiences shape ethical ideologies and ethical ideologies in turn affect the way people function in the workplace. Thus, Gen Y’s unique cohort experiences are likely to shape their ethical ideologies and consequent workplace judgments and actions. In this article, we examine Gen Y’s ethical ideology and study its impact on workplace functioning regarding leadership style, teamwork, and judgments about ethical violations. Our analyses indicate that Gen Y’ers tend toward situationalism (high idealism and high relativism), and their socially connected orientation produces more lenient judgments of collaborative vs. unilateral ethical violations. However, Gen Y’ers do exhibit individual variation. Relativist Gen Y’ers are more tolerant of ethical violations, whereas, Gen Y Idealists are less tolerant of ethical violations. High Idealists also show stronger teamwork and leadership characteristics. In addition, Gen Y’ers possessing servant leader traits exhibit incrementally better teamwork, and greater perceived unacceptability of ethical violations. We conclude by discussing implications of these findings for managing ethical climates and conduct.     

U.S. male generational cohorts: Retail format preferences,desired retail attributes,satisfaction and loyalty

Reports in the academic and popular press acknowledge the growing importance of male shoppers from a retail perspective (Albright, 2010) yet to date most studies have only compared men to women or when examining fashion products (Shim and Kotsiopulos, 1991). No research has been done to segment males in order to provide retailers with a better understanding of male shopping behavior (Bakewell and Mitchell, 2003, Meredith et al., 2007). This exploratory study surveyed 560 U.S. males examining retail format preferences, desired retail attributes, satisfaction and loyalty using Generational Cohort Theory (GCT). Results suggest significant differences between male generational cohorts in terms of retail format preferences with males from the Silent Generation preferring the category killer format more than males in the Millennial Generation and both 13th Generation and Millennial Generation males preferring internet-only retailers than did Silent Generation Males. Silent Generation males were also found to be more satisfied with retailers in their area, when compared to the younger Baby Boomer and 13th Generation males. No significant differences were found in desired retail attributes or store loyalty. Additional research investigating U.S. and non-U.S. males using GCT is suggested.     

Shopping orientations of US males: A generational cohort comparison

Male shoppers are recognized as an important and distinctive market segment. While initial steps to categorize and classify male shoppers have been taken, the majority of existing empirical research considers male shoppers as a single, homogeneous market segment. Recognizing that our understanding of male shoppers can be improved by identifying smaller, more homogeneous sub-segments, this exploratory study uses Generational Cohort Theory (GCT) as a framework to examine the shopping orientations of US men across four different generational cohorts: the Silent generation, the Baby Boomers, the 13th Generation, and the Millennials. The findings of this study support the use of GCT as a market segmentation tool for male shoppers and provide insight to help retailers understand how men in the four cohort groups approach shopping. Specifically, the findings suggest that male shoppers in the Millennial generation exhibit significantly higher levels of shopping enjoyment, recreational shopping tendency and market mavenism than males in the other generational cohorts.     

Ethical Determinants for Generations X and Y

The present study examines student perception of protagonist behavior in three case vignettes. One demographic group consists of professionally employed MBA students who show characteristics of Generation X. The second cohort consists of Generation Y business undergraduates. Differences emerge between the groups. Even when they propose similar action, their respective rationale differs. Generation Xers show themselves to be astute pragmatists whose focus is on self rather than society. Yet the younger cohort, in its quest to find fulfillment, may give short shrift to some seasoned tenets of corporate conduct, including organizational mission, organizational politics, and organizational loyalty.     

基于Y世代购房心理分析的营销策略

Y世代是指在1980-1990年之间出生的人,他们已步入房地产消费市场,并呈现了一些新的消费行为特征。通过对他们购房心理分析的基础上,分别从产品策略、价格策略、营销渠道策略和促销策略角度提出相应的房地产营销策略。     

The Importance of Fashion: The Chinese and U.S. Gen Y Perspective

ABSTRACT

A cross-cultural study is conducted to examine the perceptions, needs, preferences, influences and fashion buying habits of Generation Y consumers in both China and the United States. Chinese consumers appear to be more fashion-conscious in that the majority of their luxury purchases are fashion products. In this increasingly globalized world, it is important for a fashion marketer to determine if one strategy can be used to reach all Generation Y consumers or if separate strategies are necessary. Specifically, this study examines fashion leadership, need for uniqueness, and attention to social comparison information to determine if there are differences between these two cohorts and how best to reach them.     

Antecedents of materialism in China—an intergenerational analysis

Materialism has been at the centre of the consumer behaviour literature for decades. Despite a huge number of studies that have shed light on its antecedents and consequences, it is still not clear how a materialistic orientation evolves and becomes prevalent in line with socioeconomic transitions in a country. The current research aims to analyze possible reasons why different generations of consumers in China have become more or less materialistic. Data were collected from 613 consumers in two cities, representing three focal generational cohorts, labelled, in chronological order, the Cultural Revolution Generation, the Economic Reform Generation and the Social Change Generation. Traditional Chinese cultural values are shown to still play a significant role in the formation of materialism in China, serving to curtail the prevalence of materialism. At the same time, secular values serve as a driving force for a materialistic orientation.     

Looking at Gen Y shopping preferences and intentions: exploring the role of experience and apparel involvement

Apparel retailers need more information to reach and increase patronage from Generation Y with $150 billion purchasing power. Experiential retailing, involving one or more of the five senses, helps create utilitarian and hedonic benefits for brick‐and‐mortar apparel shoppers. However, little is known about how Generation Y responds to experiential strategies. This study of Generation Y brick‐and‐mortar apparel shoppers, using a cohort approach, seeks to determine which dimensions of a shopping experience, as well as shopping involvement level and demographics, are associated with store preference and patronage intent.     

Four generations of mall visitors in Israel: A study of mall activities,visiting patterns,and products purchased

The goal of the present project is to establish a division between generations as a basis for segmentation of mall visitors. Data were collected through a phone survey of 1120 respondents comprising a representative sample of the Israeli population. The study participants were asked about their mall visiting patterns, activities, and products purchased. Among the 1120 respondents, 725 reported having visited a shopping mall at least once during the last month. The study sample was divided into four generations: Veterans, Baby Boomers, Xers and Millennials. Significant differences were found between the four age cohorts: The Veterans appear to be the least-engaged mall shoppers, while the Millennials are the most enthusiastic about shopping malls, with Baby Boomers and Xers falling somewhere between these two cohorts. It is suggested that these differences derive from differences among members of these generations, born in different eras, and not only from their chronological ages. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Market Segmentation by Cohorts: The Value and Validity of Cohorts in America and Abroad

Marketers often segment consumers on factors such as age, gender, income, stage of life, and geography. Another innovative approach is to group consumers into cohorts. Cohorts are groups of individuals who are born and travel life together and experience similar external events during their late adolescent/early adulthood years. These events influence people to create values, attitudes, and preferences that remain with them for their lifetime. This article reviews and assesses the current literature on American cohorts. The value and the validity of cohorts as a segmentation technique are discussed, as well as areas for future research.     

First car-to-car crashes involving young adult drivers: main patterns and their relation to car and driver characteristics

The primary objective of the study was to examine the relationship between patterns in car-to-car crashes involving young drivers and car and driver characteristics and the research design was a national register-based prospective cohort study. Individual records in a cohort born 1970-1972 are linked to road-traffic-crash data (1988-2000). Subjects' first police-registered two-car crash leading to severe or fatal injury (n = 4875) are identified. Typical crash patterns are highlighted and associations between pattern and both car and individual socio-demographic characteristics are tested. Four crash patterns are highlighted. Male drivers and those with lower educational attainment are over-represented in all patterns. Pattern-based risk levels vary considerably according to car safety level and driver's age at time of injury and socio-economic status. Crash patterns might be considered in young adult driver education systems, bearing in mind the consistent higher risks of male drivers and of drivers with lower educational attainment.     

Adolescent injuries in relation to economic status: An international perspective

The primary objective of the study was to examine the relationship between patterns in car-to-car crashes involving young drivers and car and driver characteristics and the research design was a national register-based prospective cohort study. Individual records in a cohort born 1970 – 1972 are linked to road-traffic-crash data (1988 – 2000). Subjects' first police-registered two-car crash leading to severe or fatal injury (n = 4875) are identified. Typical crash patterns are highlighted and associations between pattern and both car and individual socio-demographic characteristics are tested. Four crash patterns are highlighted. Male drivers and those with lower educational attainment are over-represented in all patterns. Pattern-based risk levels vary considerably according to car safety level and driver's age at time of injury and socio-economic status. Crash patterns might be considered in young adult driver education systems, bearing in mind the consistent higher risks of male drivers and of drivers with lower educational attainment.     

Foreign Acquisition,Domestic Acquisition and Plant Survival

The literature has postulated that foreign capital participation (through mergers and acquisitions) is associated with more advanced technologies being injected into the acquired targets, and thus it might be reasonable to assume that foreign acquisitions would generate larger effects than domestic acquisitions to the acquired targets. This paper contributes to the discussion by examining the effects of foreign acquisitions versus domestic acquisitions on plant survival to both born-domestic and born-foreign plants. Using 26 cohorts of plants born in Canada between 1973 and 1998, the paper finds that both foreign acquisitions and domestic acquisitions significantly increase life durations of born-domestic plants, although domestic acquisitions generate larger effects. For born-foreign plants, neither foreign acquisitions nor domestic acquisitions significantly change their life span.     

Old dogs learning new tricks? The effect of age and generation on shopping behaviour

ABSTRACT

Previous research has shown that both age and generational cohort membership affect shopping orientation and store choice criteria, although the results are mixed. This study applied a longitudinal research setting to investigate the choice orientations of six generational cohorts and seven age groups, respectively, in the context of non-grocery shopping trips. The study was based on data collected through four household surveys conducted in the Turku area, Finland, over 17 years. An exploratory factor analysis was used to identify six choice orientation dimensions that appeared as sufficiently similar in all four cross-sectional surveys. The results show that although both age and generation, if used as sole independents in a model, only explain 0.1 to 13 per cent of the variation between the categories (one-way ANOVA), in most cases, the differences are statistically significant. Age performed slightly better when the models were run for each year separately. However, in line with the underlying assumption of the generational theory, the relative importance attached to each of the choice orientation dimensions in early adulthood remained somewhat stable when the generational cohorts aged.     

Technical efficiency and productivity growth of entrant firms in the retail sector in Spain

This paper analyses efficiency and productivity growth in relation to size, and age and for both entrant and incumbent firms using a birth cohort approach for the period 1995–2003 for two sectors, non-specialized shop (521) and specialized shop (524) three-digit NACE. On the one hand, our results indicate the existence of statistically significant differences among entrant and incumbent firms by size. Also, we found differences according to the start up size in relation to membership of the birth cohort and activity sectors. On the other hand, productivity growth shows that, in general, the larger entrants in the non-specialized sector obtained higher productivity than did small firms. This phenomenon was not observed in the specialized sector, where firms worsened in productivity in most of the cohorts and we did not find significant differences in productivity growth between large and small firms. Efficiency changes tend to be a positive contributor to total factor productivity change, but technical change tends to be a negative contributor for both sectors. A deeper analysis of the efficiency changes (catching up) has shown that these improvements are generally attributed to pure technical efficiency and the scale.