Gender Congruency Flexibility in Consumer Behavior : A Quantitative Study of Finnish Millennials
Chaux, Camille (2018)
Chaux, Camille
Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201805097402
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201805097402
Tiivistelmä
It is generally assumed that equality between men and women has initiated a blurring of gender roles in our modern society. It was thus deemed interesting to explore whether this blurring affected the younger generation’s consumption behavior in Finland. More specifically, do Finnish millennials prefer purchasing objects that are gender-congruent? And under which circumstances could they be flexible about the gender of their purchase?
The first question suggests that objects have a gender just like humans, and that it is easily identifiable, which was confirmed in the theory review. Past researches also confirmed that previous generations do prefer gender-congruent products. However, it seemed that women might be more gender-flexible than men in their consumption.
Before verifying those assumptions, additional data about millennials’ economic situation and buying decision process was needed in order to assess which factors might notably affect their purchases other than gender. The most important ones appeared to be price, due to millennials’ limited revenues, and social setting, as they appear to consume to assess their personal status and to fulfill a need to belong in certain social groups.
Thus, these two factors were integrated in the questionnaire that aimed at measuring the preferences of millennials. In this survey, respondents had to pick their favorite among different gendered objects. The process was repeated with the introduction of price, and then a social setting. The higher than expected number of Finns over 30 years old responding to this questionnaire allowed us to compare the results between the two generations.
It was found that there was little change between the generations. Millennials still preferred gendered congruent products, especially men. Women, while preferring gender-congruent objects, showed more variety in their consumption, and were more flexible when faced with prices and a social setting. In this regard men were inflexible.
The first question suggests that objects have a gender just like humans, and that it is easily identifiable, which was confirmed in the theory review. Past researches also confirmed that previous generations do prefer gender-congruent products. However, it seemed that women might be more gender-flexible than men in their consumption.
Before verifying those assumptions, additional data about millennials’ economic situation and buying decision process was needed in order to assess which factors might notably affect their purchases other than gender. The most important ones appeared to be price, due to millennials’ limited revenues, and social setting, as they appear to consume to assess their personal status and to fulfill a need to belong in certain social groups.
Thus, these two factors were integrated in the questionnaire that aimed at measuring the preferences of millennials. In this survey, respondents had to pick their favorite among different gendered objects. The process was repeated with the introduction of price, and then a social setting. The higher than expected number of Finns over 30 years old responding to this questionnaire allowed us to compare the results between the two generations.
It was found that there was little change between the generations. Millennials still preferred gendered congruent products, especially men. Women, while preferring gender-congruent objects, showed more variety in their consumption, and were more flexible when faced with prices and a social setting. In this regard men were inflexible.