Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1991

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Textiles, Retail, and Consumer Sciences

Major Professor

Mary F. Drake

Committee Members

Larry Wadsworth, Eithel Simpson

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to: (1) determine if consumer complaint behavior is influenced by the consumers' lifestyle; (2) to identify relationships between consumer complaint behavior and the type of store patronized; (3) to examine consumer complaint behavior relative to the price of the garment purchased; and (4) to determine if consumer complaint behavior differs between early and late respondents. A rebate sample of 652 respondents returned an initial hangtag questionnaire attached to insulated gloves and jackets in East Tennessee retail stores, and a similar follow-up questionnaire. The return rate was 86.0% Principal Components Factor Analysis with Varimax Rotation was used to find factors of lifestyle and complaint behavior. Analysis of variance, general linear models, Pearson Correlation coefficients, t test, and frequency distributions were also used as statistical analysis techniques. Nine factors were extracted representing lifestyle. They included active outdoorsman, electronic enthusiast, travelers, collectors, craftsman, fashion conscious, environmentalist, do-it-yourself, and fisherman/hunters. Three complaint behavior factors were retained; items included were labeled (1) seeks redress from store, (2) boycott store, and (3) boycott insulation. The complaint behavior factors were used as the dependent variables in this study. Three of the four null hypothesis were rejected. Findings included evidence of a relationship between lifestyle, price of the garment, time of questionnaire response and consumer complaint behavior. While there was no relationship between store type and complaint behavior, further analyses did show a relationship between the individual store and complaint behavior. Therefore, conclusions would indicate that each retail outlet is responsible for setting consumer complaint policy regardless of store type. Also, a positive relationship between price and complaint behavior may indicate other variables such as style, color and brand are more important than insulation of the garments purchased. These findings confirm that the variable lifestyle has a significant relationship to consumer complaint behavior and the consumer decision making process, as indicated in the EKB Model (1986) . The variables store and price were confirmed as external influences that have a significant relationship to consumer complaint behavior and the consumer decision making process, as indicated in A Simple Model of Consumer Decision Making, (1991).

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