Consumer Attitudes and Behaviour - Assignment Example

? The British Government launched a social marketing campaign called “Change 4 Life” in early 2009. This campaign was designed to respond to the rising level of obesity in the UK. The overall aim of this social marketing campaign is to change the eating habits and activity levels of young children in England and Wales. Preliminary research conducted by the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) indicates that the Change 4 Life campaign is beginning to achieve its desired objectives. Tasks (1) Critically evaluate Fishbein and Ajzen’s (1980) Theory of Reasoned Action and then (2) Use this theory to analyse how the Change 4 Life campaign has succeeded in changing the eating behaviours and activity levels of young children in the UK. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. Fishbein and Ajzen’s (1980) Theory of Reasoned Action 3 2.1 Overview of Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory 3 2.2 Critical analysis and evaluation of Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory 5 3. Evaluation of Change 4 Life campaign – use of Fishbein and Ajzen’s Theory in order to analyse how the Change 4 Life campaign has succeeded in changing the eating behaviours and activity levels of young children in the UK 9 4. Conclusion 11 References 13 Appendix 15 1. Introduction The increase of consumption worldwide, as a consequence of the advances of technology and the following changes in the trends and patterns of social life, has led to a series of social and economic problems; the terms under which consumption is promoted are not always carefully monitored; moreover, no limits or rules have been set regarding the access of children to specific products and services. Additionally, in many cases, the rules of health and safety are ignored, even with involving in sectors, which are critical for public health, for instance the preparation of food. The implications of the above phenomena can be many. As an example, it has been proved that certain parts of the population, especially children, are more likely to develop unhealthy habits under the influence of advertising. Current paper focuses on the evaluation of the efforts of British Government to help towards the change of eating behaviour and activity levels to children – reference is made specifically to the ‘Change 4 Life’ campaign of the British government, a campaign introduced in 2009. The level at which the targets of the British government, as explained above, have been achieved is critically discussed using the theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein and Ajzen); the elements and the requirements are also presented using the literature published in the specific field. 2. Fishbein and Ajzen’s (1980) Theory of Reasoned Action 2.1 Overview of Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory In order to understand the role and the implications of the theory of reasoned action – referring especially to the potential use of this theory in evaluating a marketing project – it is necessary to refer to the conditions under which the particular theory was introduced. In other words, it is important to mention the gaps that the specific theory was asked to cover. Then, the analysis of the elements of the theory can help to understand whether this theory would be effective in modern social and financial environment. The theory of reasoned action of Ajzen and Fishbein (1980) has been introduced as a supplementary theoretical framework to the theory of planned behaviour (Berkowitz 1987). More specifically, the theory of reasoned action – as also the theory of planned behaviour – requires the willingness of a person for a particular action; without this prerequisite, i.e. the willingness of the actor, the theory of reasoned action cannot be used – neither the theory of planned behaviour; however, this seems to be the only common point between the two theories; after that point, the two theories are differentiated and are applied independently. The theory of reasoned action is based on the claim that ‘most behaviours of interest in the domains of personality and social psychology fall into the volitional category’ (Berkovitz 1987, p.48). In accordance with Berkowitz (1987) the development of the theory of reasoned action should be considered as unavoidable; it is explained that, because of its strict requirements, the theory of planned behaviour is not always applicable. More specifically, the theory of planned behaviour requires that the actor has the willing to do an action, in the terms that he sets the development of an action as a priority – i.e. the action expresses the strong willingness of the actor. However, if the actor is not particularly willing to do the action, then the terms of the theory of planned action are not fully met. In this case, ‘the theory of planned action reduces to the theory of reasoned action’ (Berkowitz 1987, p.48); the latter indicates just the existence of willingness of the actor, in the context discussed above. In other words, the theory of reasoned action is part of the theory of planned behaviour – in fact, it could be characterized as a form of the theory of planned behaviour in case that the conditions of an action do not met the requirements of the theory of planned behaviour. On the other hand, Hogg et al. (2008) note that in the theory of Reasoned Action is based on the following three elements: ‘beliefs, intention and action’ (Hogg et al. 208, p.158); also, the specific model is characterized by four – major – components: a) subjective norm – the response of the environment towards a particular behaviour, or else, the perceptions of a person’s environment (especially family, friends) on the person’s planned actions, b) attitude towards the behaviour (referring to the perceptions – beliefs – of individual on the actions planned – meaning, the behaviour that the above individual has planned to adopt in regard to certain activities/ objects, c) the ‘behavioural intention’ (Hogg et al. 2008, p.158); this intention needs to be made clear by the individual – potential actor, d) the behaviour – reference is made to the action which has been completed, i.e. the realization of the planned activity. 2.2 Critical analysis and evaluation of Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory The theory of Reasoned Action is extensively used in social psychology in order to explain the relationship between the human behaviour and the intentions of the persons involved. The above theory has been given various interpretations, in accordance with the social conditions to which the theory is related each time. In accordance with Chang (1998) the most important element of the above theory is its emphasis on the existence of intention in human behaviour. In the context of the above interpretation, it is assumed that in cases that the intentions of a person to develop an action are strong, then the chances for the realization of the action are increased (Raoprasert et al. 2010, p.30). However, apart from the intention, the subjective norms are also considered as influencing the behaviour; the subjective norms reflect the view of the actor’s environment in regard to a specific action – or else, the behaviour that the actor has decided to develop (Breckler et a. 2006). If the environment of the actor (family or other part of a person’s social environment) supports the decision of a person to perform a specific action encouraging the actor, then it is more likely that the specific person will decide to proceed to the action, i.e. to develop the behaviour that his social environment expects from him to. As explained above, the theory of reasoned action emphasizes on the relationship between the human behaviour and a series of causal events – meaning the events that have led to the particular mode of human behaviour. Through an initial overview, the theory of reasoned action could be characterized as reflecting a common truth; however, since it sets the existence of a cause as an absolute criterion for the development of all actions (as aspects of human behaviour), its application may not feasible under all social or economic conditions (Gummeson et al. 1997). Indeed, the theory of reasoned action has been strongly criticized as of its limitations regarding certain social and economic activities. For example, concerns have been developed regarding the use of the theory of reasoned action in the consumer marketing research. These concerns are reflected in the study of Foxall (1983) who noted that the theory of reasoned action ‘can make only trivial contributions to the understanding and prediction of managerially-relevant aspects of consumer choice’ (Foxall 1983, p.232, in March et al. 2005 p.117). The above view needs to be taken into consideration when having to evaluate the ‘Change 4 Life’ Marketing Campaign of the British government – the campaign under examination in this paper. As noted above, because of its structure, the theory of reasoned action can be broadly interpreted in accordance with the conditions of each particular case – referring especially to the social environment, even if other factors, like the economy, may also influence the intentions of individuals to adopt a particular behaviour. In accordance with Van Hooft et al. (2005) in order for the theory of reasoned action to be applied on a particular case, it is necessary to understand ‘the transition from intention to behaviour’ (Van Hooft et al. 2005, p.238). It is also noted that, primarily, the existence of intention should be investigated; then, its transition to behaviour could be evaluated by referring to the conditions in which the behaviour was developed. The potential limitations of the theory of Reasoned Action when having to evaluate the reasons of human behaviour is also emphasized in the study of Peter and Olson (1999); the above researchers note that the relationship between intention and behaviour should not be considered as standardized; in fact, in accordance with Peter and Olson (1999) there are six points at which the above relationship ‘is weakened’ (Peter and Olson 1999, in March et al 2005, p.117): a) the time intervened between the planning of the action (point of time at which the intention existed) and its development (i.e. the point of time at which behaviour is expressed through specific actions), b) potential differences in the conditions of the environment between the time of planning (when the intention existed) and the time of action (when the behaviour expressed), c) potential appearance of events that cannot be foreseen (for example, a failure in the engine of the bus led to its delay and the cancellation of a planned visit), d) ‘degree of voluntary control’ (March et al. 2005, p.117), i.e. the level at which the actor has the discretion to act differently, e) ‘stability of the intentions’ (March et al. 2005, p.117) – reference is made to the difference between strong and weak intentions, f) ‘new information’ (March et al. 2005, p.117); the specific detail is extremely important since emphasis is given on the ability of the consumer to change his intentions in regard to a particular product/ service. It is implied that in the context of new information the consumer can adopt a different behaviour compared to that initially existed; based on the above fact, marketers would have the chance to persuade the consumers to change their mind on a particular activity/ behaviour under the terms that new information is provided to them regarding the activity/ behaviour under discussion (Westaby 2005). The above view of March et al. (2005) could be valuable for explaining the success of the ‘Change 4 Life’ Marketing campaign of the British Government. In any case, when using the Theory of Reasoned Action in order to explain a particular behaviour, it would be necessary to check whether all requirements of the above theory are met. On the other hand, it is possible that the components of the theory – as presented above – have different power to influence the behaviour under evaluation. As an example, in the research developed by Lee et al. (2007) it was revealed that travellers are likely to develop different behaviour in regard to online shopping being influenced by their perceptions on innovation; those who consider innovation as an indispensable part of social and economic activities, they are most likely to prefer online shopping compared to those, the perceptions of whose on innovation are negative. The above issue has to be taken into consideration in the case under evaluation. The assumptions developed in regard to the effectiveness and the value of the ‘Change 4 Life’ Campaign of the British government. It is possible that the application of the theory of Reasoned Action on the evaluation of this campaign to lead to contradictory assumptions. This would be related to the different perceptions on the terms of intention, as a component of behaviour. 3. Evaluation of Change 4 Life campaign – use of Fishbein and Ajzen’s Theory in order to analyse how the Change 4 Life campaign has succeeded in changing the eating behaviours and activity levels of young children in the UK The introduction of the he Change 4 Life campaign, by the British government, in 2009, aimed to help towards the change of the eating behaviour and the activity levels of young Children in UK. The level at which this target has been achieved will be evaluated using the Theory of Reasoned Action (of Fishbein and Ajzen), as analysed above. Primarily, the reference to the structure/ characteristics of the above campaign would be necessary – in order to identify the criteria on which its evaluation – using the Theory of Reasoned Action – could be based. The identification of the targeted group – those that the campaign would primarily address – has been among the priorities of the campaign’s planners. The criteria on which the Change 4 Life campaign has been based are the following ones: a) the families with children aged from 5-11 years who face obesity-related problems are the group targeted – in a first phase – from the campaign, b) the families chosen have been divided into groups, named as clusters, in accordance wit the level of risk involved, c) the initiatives developed in the context of this campaign are rather ‘preventative and not remedial’ (Department of Health, Report on Change 4 Life Campaign, 2010, p.15), d) in the context of the campaign, eight different eating behaviours are suggested to the children; parents are strongly encouraged to promote these eating behaviours to their children; these eating behaviour have been developed with the advice of a group of professionals (DH, Report on Change 4 Life Campaign, 2010). At this point, it should be noted that the planners of the campaign emphasized on the lack of an existing model for promoting the change of eating behaviours to such number of people (p.15 of the report), a fact that should be taken into consideration when evaluating the campaign using the Theory of Reasoned Action. An important advantage of this campaign is the fact that it is not structured using a top-down approach; rather, everyone who might be benefited or who has ‘an interest in preventing obesity’ (p. 15 of the report) has given the chance to participate. The campaign has been based on a series of marketing strategies, including ‘paid for advertising, direct and indirect relationship marketing and public relations’ (p.16 of the report). In accordance with the statistics related with the logo awareness of the campaign (see Graph 2, Appendix) and the perceptions of the mothers of 5-11 (targeted group) on the project (see Graph 1, Appendix), but, also, the comparison between the targets and the achievements in regard to all the campaigns’ phases (see Table 1, Appendix) it seems that the campaign has reached its targets. In fact, the performance of the campaign can be characterized as quite satisfactory – taking into consideration especially the statistics in Table 1, Appendix. The evaluation of the campaign using the Theory of Reasoned Action could explain the reasons of its success but also its potential effectiveness in the long term. Using the theory of Reasoned Action, the Change 4 Life campaign would be evaluated as follows: a) in the terms of the subjective norm, the campaign can be characterized as quite successful having the support of the public; in fact, people of all ages and background are expected to support the particular initiative having in mind that it aims to protect the interest of children; therefore, as of the existence of subjective norm, the specific campaign is expected to face no problem; indeed, up to now, the campaign has been quite successful (as analysed above); based on its subjective norm, it could be stated that in the future also, the prospects of the campaign are quite positive, b) in terms of the attitudes of the actor towards the behaviour (Hogg et al. 2008, p.158) the campaign is characterized as having many chances for success; since the campaign involves children it would be difficult to state that their attitudes towards the suggested behaviour are positive – on the contrary; however, since the children follow the suggestions of their parents, who are extremely supportive to the campaign, any weakness of the campaign in regarding its second component can be eliminated, c) in terms of its third, component, the intention to act (Ashford et al. 2009, p.110), the campaign could be also characterized as ineffective – again, the intentions of children to change eating behaviour would be quite difficult to declared, even to exist; again , the fact that children are supported and encouraged by their parents could eliminate any problem of such kind, d) the fourth element of the theory of Reasoned Action, the action seems to exist. Indeed the change in eating behaviour, a key target of the campaign has been achieved – in accordance with the statistics in Table 1 (Appendix). 4. Conclusion The use of theoretical models, as the Fishbein and Ajzen’s (1980) Theory of Reasoned Action, when having to evaluate the effectiveness of social initiatives, like the ‘Change 4 Life’ campaign, can help to resolve the following two problems: legislators and strategic planners of the government are not likely to take into consideration all aspects of a planned activity – at least, such perspective cannot exist due to the high volume of tasks that these individuals have to perform on a daily basis; on the other hand, the problems that the project planned by the government or by the local authorities are likely to change – as of their form or, even, of their requirements (an issue analysed above). The theory of reasoned action could help to foresee such difficulties and promote the solutions necessary for the limitation of the relevant risks. Most important, the theory of reasoned action could help to identify the criteria adopted by the planners of a social plan – reference is made to conditions related to the case under examination. At this point, the following question appears: even if a theory, like the Theory of Reasoned Action, is used for the evaluation of a social project, who would have the responsibility to set the terms under which the control over the specific project will be developed? Also, in terms of time, what time period would be considered as most appropriate for producing credible assumptions on the project’s effectiveness? The use of the Theory of Reasoned Action for evaluating the particular campaign has led to the following assumptions: a) the campaign has managed to change the eating behaviour of children in UK; however, the level at which this target has been achieved is not, yet, clear – probably because the time intervened between the establishment of the campaign and its evaluation is not adequate, b) the introduction and the development of marketing campaigns in regard to various social problems should be more effectively planned; in the case under examination the information related to the progress of the campaign has been limited and not appropriately updated; although the introduction of the campaign has been proved to be justifiable – using the Theory of Reasoned Action – still, its development needs to be better organized; the failures in the realization of the plan could negatively affected the whole campaign, which has been, in any case, found to be successful in terms of the achievement of its targets, i.e. the change of eating habits and activity levels of children in UK. 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(2005) Bridging the gap between intentions and behavior: Implementation intentions, action control, and procrastination. Journal of Vocational Behavior, Volume 66, Issue 2, pp. 238-256 Westaby, J. (2005) Behavioral reasoning theory: Identifying new linkages underlying intentions and behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Volume 98, Issue 2, pp. 97-120 Appendix Figure 1 – Perceptions of mothers of 5-11 years old on the campaign (Source: Department of Health (2010) Change 4 Life campaign, p.20) Figure 2 – Change 4 Life campaign – Logo awareness (Source: Department of Health (2010) Change 4 Life campaign, p.19) Table 1 – Change 4 Life campaign – Targets v Achievements for first year (Source: Department of Health (2010) Change 4 Life campaign, p.23) Read More