Consumers’ attitudes toward consumerism, perceptions of specific product-related variables and consumer complaint intention : a Lesotho perspective

Abstract

Although substantial literature could be found on consumers’ attitudes towards consumerism and on consumers’ dissatisfaction with consumer products in first- and third-world countries (Lysonski et al., 2012; Orel & Zeren, 2011; Cui, Chan & Joy, 2008; Bhuian, Abdul-Muhmin & Kim, 2001; Varadarajan & Thirunarayana, 1990), no empirical studies could be found that relate to consumers’ attitudes towards consumerism and complaint intentions concerning dissatisfactory consumer products in a Lesotho context. This points to a void in the knowledge regarding consumers’ attitudes towards consumerism and their complaint intentions regarding dissatisfactory consumer products purchased in Lesotho. The aim of this study was to explore and describe consumers’ attitudes towards consumerism, their perceptions of specific productrelated variables, and their complaint intentions following their dissatisfaction with a hypothetical performance failure of a consumer electronic product. In addition, the relationship between consumers’ attitudes towards consumerism and their complaint intentions, and the relationship between their perceptions of specific product-related variables and their complaint intentions were explored. A quantitative methodological research approach was used for this study and a descriptive survey design was followed. Convenience sampling and snowball sampling were employed in this study. In order to participate in the study respondents had to reside in Maseru, be 25 years or older to have acquired some experience with consumer electronic products. The data was collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire and a total of 389 usable questionnaires were collected. Consumer attitudes were measured using an adapted version of Barksdale and Darden’s (1972) “Attitudes towards Marketing and Consumerism” scale. The items pertaining to productrelated variables and complaint action were derived from Keng and Liu’s (1997) “product attribute scale”. The items to measure complaint intention were derived from Singh’s (1988) taxonomy of consumer complaint responses and Day and Landon’s (1977) taxonomy of consumer complaint behaviour. Descriptive statistics were used to describe specific observations by presenting data in a manageable form, including frequencies, percentages and tables. Inferential statistics, including factor analysis, chi-square tests and logistic regression, were used to draw inferences from the findings. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three attitude factors, namely business and marketing influences, government regulation and consumer protection issues, and consumer sophistication. Stepwise logistic regressions to model the influence of the attitude factors, product-related variables, and demographic variables on complaint intention, revealed that (1) the severity of the product failure was the strongest predictor of word-of-mouth, followed by the consumer sophistication attitude factor and then by frequency of use; that (2) social visibility was the strongest predictor of word-of-mouse, followed by consumer sophistication and then by product failure severity; and that (3) price was the only product-related variable that would influence intention to complain to the retailer. The findings emphasise the need for concerted efforts by role players such as retailers, consumer protection organisations and the government to educate consumers about consumer protection issues in order to foster positive consumer attitudes.

Leha boholo ba dingolwa di fumaneha tse supang maikutlo a Baji hodima boji le ho se kgotsofale ha bona malebana le dihlahiswa dinaheng tse ruileng le tse futsanehileng (Lysonski et al., 2012; Orel & Zeren, 2011; Cui, Chan & Joy, 2008; Bhuian, Abdul-Muhmin & Kim, 2001; Varadarajan & Thirunarayana, 1990), ha hona boithuto bo tshwarehang bo ka fumanehang mabapi le maikutlo a baji hodima boji esita le maikemisetso a bona a ho tletleba mabapi le dihlahiswa tse sa kgotsofatseng tse rekwang naheng ya Lesotho. Hona ho supa kgaello ya tsebo mabapi le maikutlo a baji malebana le boji esita le maikemisetso a bona a ho tletleba mabapi le dihlahiswa tse sa kgotsofatseng tse rekwang naheng ea Lesotho. Sepheyo sa boithuto bona e bile ho fatisisa le ho hlalosa maikutlo a baji malebana le boji, tjhadimo ya bona ya diphetoho tse mabapi le dihlahiswa tse itseng esita le maikemisetso a bona a ho tletleba ho latela ho se kgotsofale ha bona ke sehlahiswa sa eletroniki se rekuweng ho tswa ho morekisi. Hodima moo, kamano dipakeng tsa tjhadimo ya bona ya diphetoho tse mabapi le dihlahiswa hammoho le maikemisetso a bona a ho tletleba li ile tsa fatisiswa. Mokhwa wa diphuputso ka dipalo-palo o ile wa sebediswa boithutong bona mme moralo wa tlhahlobo e hlalosehang ka nepo wa latelwa. Mefuta e mmedi ya diphuputso e sebedisitswe: e leng moo ho botswang motho e mong le e mong ya ka fumanehang haufinyane (Convenience sampling) le moo ho botswang feela letoto la batho ba nang le thahasello tabeng e fuputswang (snowball sampling) boithutong bona. E le ho nka karolo boithutong bona, babotsuwa ba ne ba lokela hore e be baahi ba Maseru, ba be dilemong tse 25 ho ya hodimo mme ebe batho ba nang le boiphihlelo tshebedisong ya dihlahiswa tsa eletroniki hape ba bile ba kgola meputso e ba dumellang ho reka tsona dihlahiswa tseo tsa eletroniki. Dikarabo tsa diphuputso tsena di batluwe ka mokgoa wa dipampiri tsa dipotso tse neng di tsamaiswa ke mofuputsi ka seqo mme dipampiri tsa dipotso tse 389 di ile tsa bokellwa. Maikutlo a baji a ile a bekgwa ho sebeliswa mokgwa o loketseng wa sekala sa Barksdale le Darden (1972). Dipotso ho fuputsa mabapi le tjhadimo ea bona malebana le dihlahiswa esita le likgato tsa ho tletleba li nkuwe ho tswa ho Keng le Liu’s (1977) “sekala sa boleng ba sehlahiswa”. Dipotso ho bekga maikemisetso a ho tletleba di nkuwe ho tswa ho Singh’s (1988) “dihlotshwana tse ipapisitseng le tsela eo baji ba hlahisang ditletlebo ka eona” hape ho tswa ho Day le Landon’s (1977) “dihlotswana tse ipapisitseng le boitshwaro ba baji ha ba tletleba. Dipalopalo tse hlalosehang li ile tsa sebediswa ho hlalosa diphihlello tse itseng ka ho manolla lesedi ka tsela e ka matsohong joaloka makgetlo, diperesente le ditafole. Lipalopalo ka dikgakanyo, ho kenyelletsa litlhahlobo tse ipapisitseng le boleng, liteko tsa chi-square le lipalopalo tse kgutlelang morao, di ile tsa sebediswa ho etsa dikgakanyo hodima diphuputso. Boithuto bo tebileng mabapi le ditlhahlobo tse ipapisitseng le boleng di sibollotse maikutlo holim’a maemo a mararo e leng: kgwebo le tshusumetso ya mmaraka, taolo ya mmuso le ditaba tse amanang le tshireletseho ya baji esita le boiphihlelo ba baji. Ditepe tsa lipalopalo tse khutlelang morao, ho bopa tshusumetso mabapi le maikutlo hodim’a maemo, tjhadimo ya diphetoho tse mabapi le dihlahiswa esita le diphetoho tse ipapisitseng le maemo a bophelo ba batho hodim’a maikemisetso a bona a ho tletleba, di sibollotse hore: (1) monyetla o hodimo oa ho senyeha ha sehlahiswa ke ona o hakanyang se buuwang, ho latele boiphihelo ba baji e be jwale makhetlo a tshebediso ya sehlahiswa, hape (2) ponahalo ho batho ebile kghakanyo e kholo ya se buuwang,ho latele boiphihlelo ba baji ebe jwale monyetla o hodimo wa ho senyeha ha sehlahiswa, le hore: (3) poreisi e bile yona feela tsela eo tjhadimo ya diphetoho tse mabapi le sehlahiswa e neng ekaba le tshusumetso hodim’a maikemisetso a ho tletleba ho morekisi. Diphuputso di sibollotse hore tlhokahalo mabapi le matsapa a kopanetsweng ke bohle ba nang le kobo ya bohadi jwaloka: barekisi, mekgatlo e sireletsang baji esita le mmuso a ka thusana ho rupela baji holim’a ditaba tse amanang le tshireletseho ya baji ho fihlela katleho e tlisang ditholwana tse molemo maikutlong a baji.