The means-end approach to understanding customer values of a on-line newspaper

Customer value is understood as one of the constructs that best explains consumer decision making. Its proposal is to understand how consumers translate product or service characteristics and consequences of use into personal self-relevant values. The means-end theory is a way of systematically thin...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Leão, André Luiz M. de Souza, Mello, Sérgio C. Benício de
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2006
Country:Brasil
Institution:Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração (ANPAD)
Repository:BAR - Brazilian Administration Review
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs3.bar.anpad.org.br:article/41
Online Access:https://bar.anpad.org.br/index.php/bar/article/view/41
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:customer value research
means-end theory
laddering
on-line consumption
Description
Summary:Customer value is understood as one of the constructs that best explains consumer decision making. Its proposal is to understand how consumers translate product or service characteristics and consequences of use into personal self-relevant values. The means-end theory is a way of systematically thinking in this hierarchical representation. The most commonly used method to achieve means-end chains is laddering. This theory and method were used to understand customer values of an important on-line Brazilian newspaper, which is an innovative approach, since on-line laddering is uncommon. The findings indicate that values related to goals of a personal nature are the most important ones. However, other values indicate the increase of the public man pointing to an alternative vision of what is commonly thought of as the contemporary isolated and selfish human. Academic research could benefit from a broader understanding and use of the means-end theory and laddering on the Web. Future research for managerial practices is warranted in areas such as segmentation, satisfaction measuring and customer value reevaluation, in addition to copy tests.