An Examination of Urban Chinese Children’S Relative Influence in Family Decision-Making

ABSTRACT - In the People’s Republic of China, strict population control measures and the movement toward a more open economy have combined to create a unique environment in which to study the influence of children in family decision-making. The objectives of this study are to examine the relative influence of family members in purchase decision-making and to explore demographic factors thought to explain variation observed across family members. A survey of 286 urban Chinese families was examined, with the parent-child pair constituting the unit of analysis. The analysis found that the influence of family members varied by product category and by the character of the purchase decision. An additional finding was that, in contrast to American children, Chinese children attributed less purchase influence to themselves than did their parents. The findings offer insight into how the purchase influence of children varies according to cultural and economic conditions.

Citation:

Laura A. Williams, Ann Veeck, and Naihua Jiang (2001) ,"An Examination of Urban Chinese Children’S Relative Influence in Family Decision-Making", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 28, eds. Mary C. Gilly and Joan Meyers-Levy, Valdosta, GA : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 214.

Advances in Consumer Research Volume 28, 2001     Page 214

AN EXAMINATION OF URBAN CHINESE CHILDREN’S RELATIVE INFLUENCE IN FAMILY DECISION-MAKING

Laura A. Williams, Louisiana Tech University

Ann Veeck, Western Michigan University

Naihua Jiang, Yangzhou University

ABSTRACT -

In the People’s Republic of China, strict population control measures and the movement toward a more open economy have combined to create a unique environment in which to study the influence of children in family decision-making. The objectives of this study are to examine the relative influence of family members in purchase decision-making and to explore demographic factors thought to explain variation observed across family members. A survey of 286 urban Chinese families was examined, with the parent-child pair constituting the unit of analysis. The analysis found that the influence of family members varied by product category and by the character of the purchase decision. An additional finding was that, in contrast to American children, Chinese children attributed less purchase influence to themselves than did their parents. The findings offer insight into how the purchase influence of children varies according to cultural and economic conditions.

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