Consumers’ Motivational Conflicts in Purchase Decisions for Electronics

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Consumers’ motivational conflicts in purchase decisions for electronics

Final Exam Case study

1 Discuss the motivational conflict Eva is experiencing. What are the approach aspects and what are the avoidance aspects in her situation? Which kind of conflict is she in?

A motivational conflict is a situation in which a consumer is driven to make a decision based on conflicting goals. Consumers are either motivated by a positive or a negative reinforcement, which forms the basis for the individual’s motivation to act and make consumer decisions.

There are three main types of motivational conflict; Approach-Approach, Approach-Avoidance, Avoidance-Avoidance.

In the approach aspect, Eva wants to purchase two desirable things a notebook & hotspot USB ports to share pictures.

In the avoidance aspect, Eva was disappointed because she still had no exact idea of the technical features. Eva wants to avoid online shopping for such products as she loved window shopping but she didn’t like to feel like a fool being alone in an overcrowded and disorganized shopping environment.

The kind of conflict situation Eva facing was an approach-approach conflict.

Approach/Approach motivational conflict occurs when a consumer is confronted with two choices which are equally as attractive as each other and the consumer can only choose one.  Where Eva wanted to buy a notebook (Laptop) and was interested to use wireless local area network (WLAN). However she was unsure how to use it, in addition she wanted to share pictures with her friends taken with her Digital Cam by utilizing the USB port. Eva seems to be facing positive “Approach-Approach Conflict” in this case

2 What causes the motivational conflicts for the flat-mates in terms of
(a) situational/environmental aspects?

(b) Social aspects?

(c) personal/psychological aspects?

Compare and discuss differences between them.

Eva has been sharing a flat with three other mates’ students, Victoria, Franz and Dominik. & she is facing following conflicts in the following aspects-

(a) situational/environmental aspects-

Eva recently moved from the very small town in which she grew up to the capital. She rented a room in a nice flat which she shares with three other students, Viktoria, Franz and Dominik.

Franz as a student of informatics is very interested in technical applications, she wanted him explain to her what hot spots were and whether or not she needed USB ports. However she couldn’t as he thinks that women never find the right place because they lack any sense of spatial orientation; and they don’t understand technical stuff anyway.

Victoria one of Eva flat mates had very bad experience as she purchased a mini disc player & she did not advised Eva to do such purchase. While Dominik her mate, visited Saturn or cosmos to listen music there so he insisted Eva to go there.

(b) Social aspects-

Media Market and Saturn sold well-known consumer electronic brands, so they didn’t feel necessary to give much importance to assist individual customers in detailing about the brand features, which was the main aspect resulting in Victoria’s conflict to go to the malls. These stores’ salespersons used to convince consumers to purchase expensive products, which resulted in consumers’ annoyance.

c) personal/psychological aspects

Victoria didn’t like over-crowded malls. Victoria used to get confused in malls if she couldn’t find any clear indication about where to find anything, and to see adverts hanging everywhere in the malls. Dominik didn’t like to buy online as he didn’t want to give his info over the internet.

3 Eva is in a difficult situation and does not know how to resolve the conflict. She ended up not buying at that particular store but still did not succeed in purchasing a laptop. What other options does she have to resolve the uneasy and uncomfortable situation and at the same time get the desired product?

Eva was facing difficult situation and was unable to resolve the conflict, as we already know that she has ended the limit for specific store for the purpose of purchasing the laptop, as discussed in the case Eva’s friend Victoria bought her mini disc player online, so Eva may also adopt this option to get rid out of this uneasy & uncomfortable situation. Eva may try to order the laptop online; in this way she will be able to resolve the uncomfortable situation.

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