New article: Gender-based influences in product choice
Gender-based influences in product choice
In response to the growing standardization and personalization of the market—side‐effects of new technology and business automation—consumers increasingly seek more personalized purchase experiences, such as buying products directly from the producer. In this context, does the gender of the producer impact consumers’ product choices? Do potential influences differ between female and male consumers? And, what mechanisms underlie gender-based influences in such personalized product choices?
In a recent paper published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology (AJG4*/FT50) Georgios Halkias with Benedikt Schnurr (TUM) address these questions. Across multiple different studies, the authors find that female consumer have strong preferences for products made by women, while male consumers remain neutral to the producer’s gender. This pattern is attributed to differences in action efficacy beliefs, suggesting that female, compared to male, consumers more strongly believe that their purchase decision can meaningfully contribute to reducing gender inequality.
The paper highlights that acknowledging gender inequality in business and being motivated to act against inequality is necessary, yet not sufficient in driving social change, as the latter is often hindered by people’s belief that their efforts are futile. The findings offer important insight for interventions that enable consumers in realizing that even seemingly trivial individual actions can have a meaningful impact on a greater cause.
The article is open-access and you can read the full version here: