Mindset predicts consumer variety seeking through learning goal orientation: The role of susceptibility to interpersonal influence

We examined how people's belief that human traits are either malleable or fixed—that is, mindset—can shape consumers' variety seeking through learning goal orientation. We also tested the moderating effect of susceptibility to interpersonal influence in the mindset–variety seeking relationship. Participants were 364 adults in the US, who completed a survey on mindset, variety seeking, learning goals, and susceptibility to interpersonal influence. Results show that consumers with a growth (vs. fixed) mindset were more likely to engage in variety seeking as they were more motivated by learning goals. This relationship was more evident when they cared less (vs. more) about others' approval. These findings offer new evidence for how mindset is related to consumption tendencies, provide insight into the conditions under which these relationships are stronger or weaker, and suggest that practitioners should pay more attention to mindset when they are developing marketing strategies.

Effects of Self-Expressive Brand and Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence on Brand Addiction: Mediating Role of Brand Passion

Although the concept of the consumer–brand relationship has undergone rapid change over the past two decades, the issue of brand addiction is still generally neglected in the literature. Based on social identity theory, the research develops a conceptual model of the influence of self-expressive brands (SEBs) and susceptibility to interpersonal influence (SUSCEP) on brand addiction. The results of this research demonstrate both separate and joint effects of SEBs and SUSCEP on brand addiction. In addition, harmonious brand passion and obsessive brand passion positively mediate the relationships among SEB, SUSCEP, and brand addiction. The research explores the formation mechanism of brand addiction from a new perspective and has important practical implications for brand marketers concerned with finding the most effective means to enhance the consumer–brand relationship.

Gender and Socioeconomic Class Differences in Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence

Susceptibility to interpersonal influence is a behavioral outcome of the consumer socialization process and can affect the consumers’ purchasing decision-making process and buying behavior. There are three main antecedents to interpersonal influence on susceptibility, namely personal traits, age, and social structural variables. Factors like gender, socioeconomic class, family size, and race are considered social structural variables. This research was conducted to investigate the social structural (gender and socioeconomic class) differences in the levels of susceptibility to interpersonal influence of the population of India. The data was collected through a set of online questionnaires. The research findings indicate that there is no gender or socioeconomic class differences in the levels of susceptibility to interpersonal influence. However, when assessing each dimension of the scale separately, it was found that males are more susceptible to normative interpersonal influence than females.

SUSCEPTIBILITY TO INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE AMONG YOUNG ADULT MUSLIMS

Consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence is a general trait that varies across persons and affects a number of consumer behaviour. This study assessed the similarities and differences in terms of consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence between young adult Muslim living in a Muslim country (i.e. Malaysia) and non-Muslim country (i.e. Britain). To investigate the differences in susceptibility to interpersonal influence between young adult Muslim in Malaysia and Britain, the Consumer Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence Scale was used. A total of 175 and 217 completed survey questionnaires were collected from Malaysian Muslim and British Muslim sample, respectively. Data collected were analysed using exploratory factor analysis and independent t-test. Findings suggest that irrespective of group, there were two-factor dimensions underlying an individual’s susceptibility to interpersonal influence; namely normative and informational influence. In comparison to British Muslim, Malaysian Muslims were more susceptible to normative influence. This finding may suggest the importance of group approval among Malaysian Muslims’ decision-making. While most Muslim consumers’ lifestyle, dietary and financial rules are determined by the Islamic faith, findings from this study suggest that they are far from homogeneity. This study reveals that Muslim consumer from Malaysia and Britain demonstrate differences in terms of their susceptibility to interpersonal influence which consequently will affect marketing practitioners around the world on how to serve their relatively young Muslim consumers from different countries. Keywords: Muslim, susceptibility to interpersonal influence, young adult Cite as: Shukor, A. S., & Omar, N. (2019). Susceptibility to interpersonal influence among young adult Muslims. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 4(2), 247-264. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol4iss2pp247-264

Analyzing Customer Pre-Purchase Preference as a Determinant Factor Affecting a Brand’s Performance in the Phone Industry

This research aims at examining and analyzing the factors impacting on preferences for personal information in the smartphone pre-purchase process. The factors are product knowledge, perceived risk, need for cognition, self-confidence, and informational susceptibility to interpersonal influence. The study also seeks to examine and analyze the impact of product knowledge on perceived risk, and the impact of self-confidence on informational susceptibility on interpersonal influence. Data in this study was collected by questionnaire. Applying non-probability convenience sampling, the study is conducted on 150 Banjarmasin citizens. The hypotheses are tested using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) technique by AMOS 18. The results indicate that customer relative preference for interpersonal information search is significantly influenced by consumers’ product knowledge, need for cognition, self-confidence, and informational susceptibility to interpersonal influence. Consumer’s product knowledge also influenced their perceived risk, which did not affect their preference for interpersonal search significantly. Consumer’s self-confidence also did not affect their informational susceptibility to interpersonal influence.