CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

ASSIGNMENT BRIEF
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
DMT 2623
Question 1
Consumers behavior change over time the behaviors that marketers studied 5,10 and 20 years ago differ meaningfully from current behaviors . Therefore, marketing researchers should not emphasize historical research. Agree or disagree , and why?
Question 2
Sony is introducing a new 27- inch TV with a picture-in picture feature . How should the company position and advertise the product to:
a. Generation X consumer
b. Affluent Baby Boomers
Question 3

a. How do researchers identify and human motives? Give examples .
b. Does motivational research differ from qualitative research . Discuss.
c. What are the strengths and weaknesses of motivational research.

Question 1
Consumers behavior change over time the behaviors that marketers studied 5,10 and 20 years ago differ meaningfully from current behaviors . Therefore, marketing researchers should emphasize historical research I am Agree to marketing researchers should emphasize secondary data for their use now is not much different when data do like if marketers what about what Indian people like wear if we have some researchers do research about this 2 year ago the marketing can take this secondary data so marketing researchers should emphasize historical research which useful for them in marketing .
The field of consumer research developed as an extension of the field of marketing research focusing almost exclusively on consumer behavior rather than on other aspects of the marketing process. Just as the findings of marketing research were used to improve managerial decision making so too were the findings of consumer research. The initial reason for studying consumer behavior was a enable markets to predict how consumers would react to promotional messages and to understand why they made the purchase decisions they did. Markets assumed that if they could design marketing strategies and promotional messages that would influence the consumer in the desired way(i.e. to purchase the marketer product or service)>In the belief marketing was simply applied economics the economic man theory prevailed-the assumption that consumers are rational decision makers who objectively evaluate the goods and service avaible to them and select only those that give them the highest utility(satisfaction)at the lowest cost.
For example why researchers should emphasize secondary data is because secondary research sometimes provides sufficient insight into the problem at hand to eliminate the need for primary research. Most often, it provides clues and direction for the design of primary research. Government agencies , private population data firms, marketing research companies, and advertising agencies, private population data firms , marketing research companies, and advertising agencies are important sources of secondary market data. For example the U.S. Census of Housing and Population collects data on the age , education, occupation , and income of residents of areas as small as a city block . Additional information on rents, places of work, automobile ownership and patterns of migration is provided by the government in studies of census tracts within major metropolitan areas behaviorscan and the A.C.Nielsen company regularly supply subscribers such as General Foods, Nabisco, and Procter & Gamble with brand-by-brand sales data for products sold in food and drug stores. Other marketing information routinely published by syndicated market research firms shows key demographic changes by census tracts or breaks down such data by postal zip codes to marketing researchers should emphasize secondary data for their use now
The Modernist Era
The era in which the field of consumer research develop is known as the modernist era. Researchers who endorse the assumptions upon which modernism is based are called positivists.(Other terms used to describe the positivist research paradigm include logical positivism, logical empiricism, operationalism and objectivism)
The research methods used in positivist research are borrowed primarily from the natural sciences and consist of experiment, survey techniques and observation. The findings are descriptive, empirical and if collected randomly can be gene generalized to larger populations. The data collected are quantitative in nature and lend themselves to sophisticated statically analysis.The development of motivational research Despite their assumptions that consumers were logical problem solvers who engaged in careful thought processes (i.e., information processing) to arrive at their consumption decisions, researchers soon realized that consumers were not always consciously aware of why made the decisions they did. Even when they were aware of their basic motivations, consumers were not always willing to reveal these reasons.
).
Postmoderism
A number of academicians from the field of consumers behavior as well as from other social science discipline from which the consumer behavior field developed have become more intersed in the act of consumption than in the act of buying (i.e decision making).They view consumers behavior as a subset of human behavior and increased understanding as a key to reducing some of the ills associated with consumers behavior (the so-called “dark side” of consumers behavior),such as drug addiction, shoplifting alcoholism and compulsive buying behavior .Interest in consumer experiences has led to the term experientialism and the researchers who adopt this paradigm are known as experientialists, postmodernists or interpretive.(Other terms used to describe this approach to consumer behavior include naturalism, humanisms and post positivism.
Interpretivist Research Interpretivists engage in quality research. Among the research methodologies they use are ethnography, semiotics and depth interview .Ethnography is a technique borrowed from cultural anthropology in which the researchers place themselves in the society under study in an effort to absorb the meaning of various cultural practices .Ethnography lends itself easily to the study of all kinds of consumer behavior including how individuals buy product and services.(for example in shopping for a car, do consumers kick the tires or look under the hood? Do they bring the family with them?)Ethnography has been used in interpretivists are also very interested in semiotics to discover the meanings of various consumption behavior and rituals.It is important to understand the meaning that nonverbal symbols may hold for the target audience to be certain that the symbols enchance, rather than inhibits, the persuasiveness of the message. The underscores-the gracefulness of the watch that the marketer wishes to convey Depth interview are an important part of the interpretivist research process .However, interpretive research findings are often unique to the spectic researcher/consumer interaction, because sometimes the researcher plays an active role in the interview process .Both interpretive research and positivist research are often used to help make business decisions.
Question 2
DEFINITION OF AFFUENT BABY BOOMER
A baby boomer is someone who was born during the period of increased birth rates when economic prosperity arose in many countries following World War II. In the United States, the term is commonly used to refer to the generation which demographic popularizers have identified with birth years from the span 1946 to 1964.Baby boomers presently make up the lion's share of the political, cultural, industrial and academic leadership class in the United States. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, born within sixty days of each other in mid-1946, are the first and second Baby Boomer presidents, and their careers in office illustrate the wide, often diverging spectrum of values and attitudes espoused by this largest American generational group to date.
William Strauss and Neil Howe, in their book Generations, include those conceived by soldiers on leave during the war, putting the generation's birth years at 1943 to 1960. Howe and Strauss argue that persons born between 1961 and 1964 have political and cultural patterns very different from those born between 1955 and 1960 and fit into what those writers term the Thirteenth Generation or Generation X (also known as the Cold War generation) born between 1961 and 1981. As the influence of Strauss and Howe has grown, a smaller number of people still accept Baby Boomers as including those born after 1961, although there are some who put the dates at 1946 to 1963 because of the number of significant "Gen-X" figures born in 1964. There were over 79 million babies born during that generation.It can be argued that the defining event of baby boomers was the Vietnam War and the protest over the draft. Conscription in the United States ended in 1973 so anyone born after 1955 was not at risk. This argues for a ten year range 1946 to 1955 and this would fit the thirtysomething demographic covered by the TV show of the same name. This means that those born in the ten years 1956 to 1965 would be Generation X in the late 1980s and would be twenty something as a response.
By the middle of the first decade of the new millennium, the oldest Boomers are approaching retirement age. The younger members of the generation are still in their forties, and many have yet to "leave their mark upon history," a desire that drives most leaders of this generation. Patterns of history for Idealist generations suggest that Boomers will have a long tenure of political office and cultural influence, as was true for the Awakeners of Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Adams, the Transcendentals of Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman, and the Missionaries of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and George Catlett Marshall. Strauss and Howe's posited patterns of history indicate that Boomers will occupy the upper echelons of worldly power through a likely Crisis Era that will not end until about 2020. The best Idealist leaders demonstrate vision, decisiveness, and culture that allows them to lead in the best manner in the worst of times.A caveat applies: the arrogance, selfishness, and ruthlessness that Strauss and Howe attribute to an unusual degree in all prior Idealist generations can lead to factional strife (as during the American Civil War) or to outright despotism. Younger generations may need to rein in these destructive tendencies.
Leaders of this generation tend to reevaluate their lives in midlife, and many focus desperately on the successes and failures of their children. Increasingly, the tendency to "micromanage" the lives of their children is expressed in this generation to a significant degree; and this generation's tendency to regulate personal behavior (as in alcohol and drug use and the content of cultural creations) is arguably more stern than that of the "uptight" adults that Boomers knew during the "Consciousness Revolution" that Boomers experienced around 1970. As an example, Boomers may have not gone so far as Missionaries did in attempting to outlaw alcoholic beverages, they have been in the forefront of efforts to attack the pathologies (drunk driving, domestic abuse) of drunkenness and drug use. Boomer prosecutors have shown unusual willingness to impose severer sentences upon criminal offenders, including "three strikes" laws and the death penalty.
Boomers have played a strong (and surely unforeseen) role in attempts to make America more overtly religious. Many have turned to fundamentalist Christianity as a solution to what they see as social rot. Many prefer religion over science wherever any doctrinal conflict appears; thus one finds a rise in creationist dogma and the promotion of prayer in public schools to an extent not known since the time of the Scopes Trial. If not so religious, Boomers are also the ones who insist upon V-chips in television so that children not see 'adult' content that Boomers could hardly wait to indulge in when children; they are unusually swift to sanitize the culture that children see.
Boomers seek to improve society through children as their Silent next-elders seem to have failed (by Boomer standards) through excessive leniency. Such change will come with mixed blessings, particularly to those who must endure Boomer judgment, which becomes steadily harsher as Boomers supplant older (GI, Silent) adults.Boomers may have been best known for hippies and other counter-cultural types, but the conservatism that one associates with country music has become more the norm. But like other Idealist generations of the past, Boomers have strong passions for personal and social improvement, and although the expressions of such passion change, the intensity of that passion remains until they age out of prominence
Affluent Baby Boomers
Although it is debatable whether the baby boom generation actually forms a subculture , there are sufficient lifestyle similarities in huge generation of Americans born between 1946 and 1964 for us that this large impact on marketers and the economy as a whole. Fundamental change in the age characteristic of its population, principally because of dramatic changes in birthrates over the last half century. During the great Depression of the 1930 there was baby bust, as the number of children born to average woman during her lifetime. As the time passes boomers grow older, the bulge moves on, growing through the population like a melon being digested by boa constrictor. These consumers tend to affluent and have a new set of product needs wants. Once a person has qualified staff of effective followers, he or she needs to be a leader who can motivate and challenge each and every one of his or her workers. For example, given the influx of women into the workplace, more attention has been paid to attracting and retaining women. The swing generation was involved in the rebuilding of the United States after world war II.

There is little doubt that the impact of the Baby Boom's generation has never been underestimated. The cohesiveness of this cohort, however, has perhaps been grossly overestimated. Although commonly viewed as a monolith, the idea of the Baby Boomers as a homogeneous group is more myth than reality. With its members spanning nearly 20 years of life, Baby Boomers are represented by a wide range of life stages, life experiences, and life values. The temptation to generalize about this generation is likely driven by a compelling need to understand how this huge segment of society will shape the future. Yet, one of the key characteristics of the Baby Boom cohort is its diversity.
For policymakers and business leaders, the diversity of the Baby Boom generation presents major challenges as we prepare for a new millennium and a new type of retirement. This diversity will, in fact, become more pronounced as Baby Boomers move en masse into their fifties. To tap into the wide range of values, attitudes and behaviors that Baby Boomers will bring to their retirement in the new millennium, in 1998 AARP embarked upon a major research initiative with Roper Starch Worldwide Inc. AARP undertook this research with the goal of understanding this generation in all its complexity. The result is a definitive and comprehensive portrait of this massive group as it prepares to enter later adulthood. Baby Boomers Envision Their Retirement: An AARP Segmentation Analysis underscores the heterogeneity of today's 33-to-52 year-olds as it relates to their retirement planning and preparation and their hopes and expectations of the future.
Segmenting the generation into five key attitudinal and behavioral groups, this research provides a road map to the retirement of the largest generation in the nation's history. From the Self Reliants and Enthusiasts, groups who are well-prepared for the retirement road ahead, to the Strugglers and the Anxious, those who are more pessimistic about the future, to Today's Traditionalists who expect a traditional retirement that also includes work, the following report provides keys to better understanding and communicating with the next generation of American retirees.
INTRODUCTION


Thousands of the seventy-five million American baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 celebrate their 50th birthdays every day. The graying of the United States, which is occurring as well in other industrial nations, constitutes a demographic revolution and presents the most critical public policy issue of our times. While many experts, popular pundits and the press have made predictions about how the aging of the baby boomers will affect the United States, in actuality, no one really knows with any certainty what will happen. What is clear is that the policy implications and ramifications are unprecedented in history. America’s graying will transform politics, retirement systems, health care systems, welfare systems, labor markets, banking and stock markets. It will force a re-thinking of social mores and prejudices, from issues of age/gender discrimination in the job market to end-of-life care. Whether that transformation is positive or negative will depend on planning and preparation that must begin today.

To prepare our country, we must start now to develop a radically new vision which transcends outdated policies and generational/institutional biases. Now is the time to encourage and institutionalize intergenerational, “out of the box” thinking, creative “systems” policy development and innovative multidisciplinary research which will effectively address the challenges our nation will face with the aging of our baby boomers. Creating a bold, new intergenerational paradigm to address the aging of the boomers will not be easy, but it is not impossible and will be one of our nation’s greatest achievements.

Baby boomers will be living younger longer. They will provide leadership and solutions to many of the issues relating to their aging and wonderful opportunities will flow to our country because of their efforts. The work the 2005 White House Conference on Aging Policy Committee is doing in this area is of critical importance to harnessing our national goodness and vibrancy to initiate a constructive process of national intergenerational policy dialogue, development and implementation. So first, let me thank and commend you madam Chairperson and the Committee for inviting me to speak and for providing the critical national leadership.

II. OVERVIEW AND DEMOGRAPHICS

In 1995, the White House hosted the 1995 White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) entitled: “The Road to an Aging Policy for the 21st Century”. Subsequently, recognizing the demographic revolution the country will be facing with the aging of the baby boomers, the 1996 Executive Summary of the Conference concluded and cautioned:

“A strong sentiment conveyed by many of the thousands of people throughout America who participated in the 1995 WHCoA was that change in our national aging policy is needed now to lay a strong foundation that will serve us in the 21st century. The national policy should be intergenerational, and it should embody a sense of community, with shared rights, responsibilities and values.”(1)

“The window of opportunity for developing and implementing a compassionate, comprehensive, cost-effective national aging policy is closing rapidly. By the year 2000, there will be 26 times as many Americans over the age of 85 as there were in 1900. Also, in the year 2000, there will be almost 76,000 Americans at least 100 years of age. In contrast, more than one million of the Baby Boomers will live to be 100 years old, with women significantly outnumbering men. Delays in planning for our national population will result in greater demands upon our nation and its people.”(2)

The seriousness of this warning can best be put into perspective by understanding the major demographic trends and changes the aging boomer cohort brings, along with some of the major implications of these changes:

· In 2006, the baby boomers will begin to turn sixty and in 2011, sixty-five. In the coming decades, there will be a significant increase in the number of elder boomers and in their proportion to the total population. By 2030, the boomers’ proportion will increase to 20% of the population up from a current 13%, and the number of elderly will double. (3) Put in different terms, from 2010 to 2030, the 65+ population is projected to “spike” by 75% to over 69 million people.(4) Then from 2030 to 2050, the growth rate is projected to grow about 14% with the number of elderly totaling about 79 million. (5)

· The 85+ population is the fastest growing segment of the older population. The most rapid increases in the number of persons 85+ will take place between 2030 and 2050, when the baby boomer cohort reaches these ages. By 2050, the 85+ group will rise from a current 1.4% to comprise about 5% of the population.(6) There will be a significant increase in the number of centenarians within this group.

· Women will predominate among the elderly, especially among the oldest old. By 2050, it is projected that women 85+ will outnumber men 85+ by about four million, accounting for about 61% of the 85+ population. (7) Most of the 85+ will be widowed women. “The imbalance of the sexes and the low percent of married women have been associated with reduced income, greater poverty, poorer health and greater risk of institutionalization of older women.” (8)

· Even though the notable increase of the oldest old and the elderly in general is good news in terms of our attempts to lengthen the lifespan, there is a downside. There will be large increases in some very vulnerable groups such as the oldest old living alone, with an unacceptably high percentage of individuals living in poverty or with low incomes. They will require a much greater share of public/private support and services.(9) By 2030, there will be sizeable increases in the number of people requiring services in health care, nutrition, housing, transportation, recreation and education. (10)

· Within the general elderly population, minority elderly populations are projected to increase substantially for the next three decades. While the white 65+ population is projected to increase by 95% between 1995 and 2030, older minorities will increase at a greater rate, including a 154.6% increase for Blacks, a 417.1% increase for people of Hispanic Origin and a 380.1% increase for people of Other Races (Asian, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Eskimos and Aleuts). (11) The rapid growth of these minority elder groups will greatly impact the demand for targeted supportive services.

· In the near future, the baby boomers will be the recipients of the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth in the history of this country if not the world. More than ten trillion dollars will be transferred from the boomers’ aging parents. While this transfer bodes well for the finances of a number of boomers, a significant number of less well off boomers will be unaffected and the wealth differentials which exist today will follow the baby boomer generation. These “wealth disparities” will determine the life style options for many aging boomers and will limit the choices of millions of Americans (especially women and minorities) in quality of health care, housing and numerous other areas. (12)

Almost ten years have passed since the 1995 White House Conference on Aging issued its warning, and no comprehensive policies dealing with the aging of the nation’s baby boomers have been formulated to address the coming demographic and societal challenges.

There is a clear indication that with continuing advances in the social and physical sciences, significant segments of the baby boomer and other generations will be living a lot longer than currently projected. Given this fact, many age-related public policies involving diverse areas may be inadequate to address future needs because of the unreliable underlying longevity data projections. Indeed, if boomers and the other younger aging cohorts live significantly longer than currently projected and in better health, then many national policies dealing with practically every area of our society will have to be revisited, researched and refined to address these revolutionary demographic changes.

2. Internet Usage: Tech-savvy baby boomers, who grew up with television and radio and adopted cell phones, vcrs, microwave ovens, and computers as they aged, are set to put their stamp on the Internet as they gray and move on to a wired retirement. Boomers will be far better connected than retirees today. Only 17.7 percent of households with members over 50 have Internet access, about half the rate of society at large. Boomers, by contrast, have about the same Internet usage as Generation Xers who follow them. Boomers tend to be wealthier and better educated than generations before them thus leading to a higher Internet usage. They have also been forced to adopt to technology in the workplace, which spills over to their home life. To the extent that financial pressures on the U.S. retirement system extend the boomers’ working life, those extra years in the workplace will also likely extend boomers’ Internet usage. Other potential factors enhancing boomer technology usage include age-related disability, staying connected to family, loved ones, children, grandchildren and institutional factors such as the trend to move government, health care and other services online. Most likely, changes within private sector such as banks, nursing homes and religious institutions will have a greater affect on Internet use by aging boomers than will any government-sponsored initiatives. Given the great economic and social opportunities of the baby boomers increased use of the internet, this issue needs closer scrutiny and examination.

3. Economic Growth: To sustain economic growth, in addition to continuing the great strides we have made in productivity, we will still need an expanding work force. This is a challenge for our nation since by 2011, when the first boomers turn 65, it is estimated that millions of jobs which need to be filled will outnumber available workers.
4. Retirement Trends and Planning: As a follow-up to the prior section, many questions arise about the baby boomers’ retirement and work force plans and the effects they will have on our society and its economic well being in the coming years. As with many Americans, boomers historically have been “low savers”. Many boomers look to the equity in their houses as their savings. Very few boomers have made realistic plans to replace the income they will lose when they retire. Given these circumstances many issues arise and should be examined:

Will the baby boomers have retirement plans similar to those of current retirees? Will they change current notions of retirement? Will boomers become “bored” with traditional retirement? Will they work longer or will retirement be viewed as a gradual process where over a period of time, the employed boomer cuts back on the time she/he spends at work? To sustain economic growth, government policies will need to provide incentives to encourage boomers to remain at work into their elder years, do more retirement planning and increase individual savings. But how can we formulate realistic policies if we do not know the boomers’ intentions?

Some boomers will have more than one career and take a new career for a challenge or pleasure. Others, especially single women and minorities, will not retire because they cannot afford to do so. Twenty years from now, it is projected that women and minority men will constitute about two-thirds of the workforce. (16) If there are no significant policy changes and a significant portion of the boomers, especially women and minorities, keep working in their older years to just “make ends meet”, what will be the effects on our culture? While women constitute a majority of the elder retiree population and boomer women play a major role in our work force and in the care of our children/elders, our pension and retirement policies are generally gender biased towards men. Will our policies have to be refocused to reflect the unique retirement needs of women?

Economics influence the retirement and health care options for individuals which, in turn, impact their quality of life and life expectancy. A number of boomers will be more affluent than today’s retirees. It is postulated that the older baby boomers may be better off financially then the younger boomers because the older boomers may have experienced a healthier economy as adults and some inherited greater wealth. Many agree that, at current trends, there will be a growing gap between the rich and poor boomers. How will policies address this growing gap?
Definition Generation x
Born between 1965 and 1980, Generation x (‘the baby busters’) is small, but possesses of discretionary income. Given a variety of names, Such as “afterboomers” and ‘flyers” ,the group is noted for valuing religion, formal rituals, and materialism, and has more negative attitudes toward work and getting ahead than the boomers had their age. Because of the group small size, employers must compete for them in the job market. Until recently Generation x was ignored by marketers. But one marketers. But, as one executive pointed out, “as baby boomers enter middle age, marketers are being forced to confront Generation x. These people will fuel the growth for products categories from fast food to liquor to apparel to soft drinks. Because of its spending power, Generation x is being taken seriously by marketers. The Generation x Market
This age grouping often referred to as Xers, busters or slackers(as opposed to boomers);and twenty somethings, consists of approximately 46 millions 18- to 29-year-olds who spend about $125 billion yearly. Ironically, they do not like labels and do not want to be singled out and marketed to.
Unlike their parents, Who are frequently baby boomers they are in no rush to marry start a family. or work excessive hours to earn high salaries. For Generation X Consumers, job satisfaction is typically mush more important than salary Xers reject the valus of older co-workers who may neglect their families while striving to secure higher salaries and career advancement. For Generation X it is more important to enjoy life and to have a lifestyle that provides freedom and flexibility. Many Xers are much more interested in tennis shoes, furniture for their apartments and camping equipment than in BMW or oceanfront condos. Owning one own home is often considered a negative that reduces an individual’s flexibility. Although upward mobility has traditionally been the American dream ,Xers often find good jobs either difficult or impossible to find.
Appealing To Generation X Members of generation X often pride themselves on their sophistication. Although they are not necessarily materialistic they do purchase good brand names (e.g Sony) but not necessarily designer labels .They want to be recognized by markets as a group in their own right and not as mini-baby boomers. therefore advertisement tarteged to this audience must focus on their style in music ,fashions and language (see Figure 15-6).One key for marketers appears to be sincerity .Xers are not against adversiting but only opposed to insincerity .Baby boomers media does not work with Generations X members .For example 18 to 24 years olds have the lowest percentage of daily newspaper readership of all age groups. Xers are the MTV generation and while the three major united states TV networks attract cent of its viewers are in this age group. The success Fox has had with Xers may be due to such programs as “Married with children”, The simpsons In living Color and “bevearly Hills 90210.Furthermore a number of cable TV networks such as Mtv Comedy Central and E! have been very successful in reaching this audience .It appears that a low key approach works best in reaching this market segment.

ABSTRACT

Cultural convergence continues to transform the marketplace as borrowing among cultures accelerates. It is valuable to evaluate groups of residents of different nations to identify generational similarities and/or differences. This work presents the results of a pilot study comparing Generation X in the United States and South Koreans who fit the age requirements for membership (borne between 1961-1981). The focal points for the study include: education, occupation, and financial wealth. The areas of agreement and disagreement are identified, results interpreted, and implications for marketers explored.

INTRODUCTION
Much has been written about Generation X and the challenges they present. Analysis of previous research, the bulk of which appears piece-meal in general business and trade publications, reveals some alarming contradictions (Mitchell and Orwig 1998). Marketers find this consumer group to be highly individualistic and diverse -- ethnically, culturally, and attitudinally (Ritchie 1995).
Cultural convergence continues to occur throughout the world as technological advances makes physical distances easier to span and cross-cultural norms more quickly diffused (Czinkota and Ronkainan 1998). Indeed, telecommunications technology, broadcast technology, inexpensive long-distance travel, and other innovations make cultural borrowing more likely. Given the continued globalization of markets, the convergence of cultures, the speed of communications and diffusion of consumerism throughout the world, it is of value to compare generations of Americans with their counterparts from other nations.
Since the early 1950s, the U.S. and South Korea have been inextricably linked, thanks to the Korean War. (Such a statement may be valid of the relationship between the U.S. and communist North Korea.) The U.S. has maintained a military presence in Korea (approximately 50,000 strong) to ensure peace in the region. As such, American young people have (knowingly or unknowingly) helped to diffuse the American culture throughout the region. Further, many Korean students elect to study in the United States, particularly at the graduate level. These two factors, along with technological advances and the ease of inter-continental travel, have made cultural borrowing between the two nations more likely.
The Pacific Rim contains 56% of the world's population. Further, the region accounted for approximately 33% of global income in 1997. Newly industrialized economies such as South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong are expected to continue their histories of strong economic growth fueled by foreign investment and export-driven industrial development (Keegan and Green 2000). For this reason, an examination of possible generational similarities/differences between these two cultures is particularly timely.
The purpose of this work is to present a pilot study of the generational similarities and differences between the American generation known as “Generation X” and South Koreans who fit the age profile for group membership. Three areas of focus are presented: (1) Education, (2) Occupation, (3) Financial Wealth. First, background on Generation X in the United States is presented. Second, South Korean culture is examined to determine the probable similarities and differences in the cultures of these two nations. Third, the study methodology is presented. Finally, the results are presented and interpreted.

UNDERSTANDING GENERATION X IN THE UNITED STATES
Coming on the heels of the well-known Baby Boomers (those born between 1946-1964), Generation X represents over 50 million Americans born between 1965 and 1978 (Jones 1980). Some demographers contend this period should be expanded to include 1961-1981 in order to encompass those with similar life experiences (Strauss and Howe 1991). When using this classification system, we realize that Xers outnumber the Baby Boomers, and have done so since 1980 (Ritchie 1995).
Generation X, borrowing the name from the title of the 1991 Douglas Coupland novel (1991), has been witness to, participants in, and the result of, a great deal of change within American society. Xers grew up during the era of the Pill and legalized abortion, liberalized divorce, and the influx of women into the labor force. Further, they came of age during a period of increasing diversity and the blurring of gender roles (Dunn 1992).
This generation, the thirteenth generation since the founding of the republic (Ratan 1993), is the first generation to grow up with VCRs and video games. Xers are very technologically savvy, having experienced the integration of personal computers into the school systems, the advent of home computing (Ratan 1993), and the growth of interactive media (Ritchie 1995). This is the first generation to extensively experience a dual-income household (with all the advantages and disadvantages thereof). They learned independence at day-care so they're used to being on their own. Finally, they are more comfortable with women and minorities in leadership roles since most of their mothers worked outside the home (Murphy 1991) and they themselves are so racially diverse.
This is the best-educated generation in United States history (as evidenced by college and university enrollments). In fact, the enrollment of high school graduates into higher education continues to hit record numbers, a trend initiated in 1980 (the beginning year of Xer graduations) (Ritchie 1995). Xers seem to be pursuing education for pragmatic marketplace returns rather than the intrinsic value of education.
Resentment and rebellion are two words commonly associated with Generation X. Busters resent being saddled with (what they believe to be) the outcomes of irresponsible behaviors by previous generations: a cumbersome national debt; America's declining global competitiveness; environmental issues; racial strife; homelessness; AIDS; and divided families (Richardson and Sago 1993).
Further, many Busters believe that Baby Boomers are "getting a much better deal" than their generation will receive. This well-educated group enters the workforce at a time of great downsizing of traditional entry-level positions and limited promotional avenues for their skills (unlike generations before them). Some analysts (particularly Baby Boomers) believe Generation X may be the first group in U.S. history unable to achieve a higher standard of living than their parents (Miller 1992). As such, there is resentment of having opportunity seized from their grasp.
Generation X grew up during a relatively peaceful era in U.S. history. Their strongest impressions are of family, friends, and school. The lack of a unifying event (such as the military actions of WWII, Korea, or Vietnam) may have stymied their evolution into a relatively homogeneous group (Richardson and Sago 1993). Frustrated by bleak economic and career prospects, Xers have spurred a rebellion of sorts with today's workplace providing the "battleground" and Boomer managers and co-workers as the targets of their hostilities (Ratan 1993). It is interesting to note that Fortune ran a cover story in October 1993 titled, "Generational Tension in the Office: Why Busters Hate Boomers" (Ratan 1993).
The outgrowth of this resentment and rebellion is a rather pragmatic approach to life among Xers. Many Xers view their role as the renovators of the American dream and values (Time 1990). They reject accumulation of material possessions in favor of the accumulation of experiences and other intangibles -- a rich family or spiritual life, a rewarding job, the chance to assist others, and the opportunity for intellectual enrichment (Richardson and Sago 1993). One's work is viewed as a vehicle to provide for leisure, family, lifestyle, or experiential learning (Deutschman 1992).
Beaudoin (1998) argues that Generation Xers are serious spiritual seekers, and their popular culture proves it. The author points out four underlying themes to the theology of this generation:
1. 1. All institutions are suspect – especially organized religion. As such, many in this generation have taken religion into their own hands and away from the structured institutions.
2. 2. Xers want to experience everything. And, any experience may have a spiritual nature, not just those of organized religion.
3. 3. Suffering is a spiritual occurrence, akin to the images of a suffering Jesus.
4. 4. This generation embraces doubt. Arguably, faith is about a lack of doubt in teachings. As such, an inherent conflict is created between many Xers and organized religion and faiths.


Target Positioning
Beyond deciding which segments of the market it will target, the Sony company must decide the position it wants to occupy in those segments that will attract Generation X and Baby Boomers. A product’s position is the way the product is defined by consumers on important attributes the place the product occupies in consumers minds relative to competing products.
Positioning involves implanting the brands unique benefits and differentiation in consumers minds. If the Sony company want to sell 27 inch Television to Generation X and Baby Boomers particularly it must concerned with how to reach them. The company can easy to influence Generation X because this group is moving into the time to time of life when its members are interested in purchasing autos, houses and other product so here the company can earn profit from selling 27 inch Television.
Beside this, the company also can advertise Television to baby Boomers because of this generation tend to be affluent and have a new set of product needs and wants. Consumers are overloaded with the information about the products and services. They cannot reevaluate products every time they make a buying decision. To simplify the buying the process, consumers organize products, services and companies into categories and position them in their minds.
Consumer position products with or without the help of marketers. But marketers do want leave their products’ position in complex set of perception, impressions, and feelings that consumers have for the product compared with competing products. Some firms find it easy to choose their positioning strategy. So the Sony have to choose it own target marketing to approach to the two generation.
To advertise the Television the Sony company have to know about the budget that they will spend. According to this case, the company also must create their own idea to advertise the 27 inch Television and choose the prime time to consumer watch the advertisement. The company must alert about the needs of the two generation that will purchase the Television.

There are four marketing concept that the Sony company have to know:
§ Production concept the idea that consumers will favor products that are available and highly affordable.
§ Product concept the idea that consumers will favor products that offer the most quality, performance, and features and that the organization should therefore devote its energy to making continuous product improvements.
§ Selling concept the idea that consumers will not buy enough of the organization’s product unless the organization undertakes a large scales selling and promotion effort.
Marketing concept the management philosophy that holds that achieving organizational goals depends on determining the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfaction more effectively and efficiently than competitor
Conclusion is generation X consumer and Affluent Baby Boomers are very different they are different form age , work , interest all so this the conclusion
QUESTION 3
a)how are motives identified ? how are they measured ? how do researchers know which motives are responsible for certain kinds of behavior ? These are difficult questions to answer because motives are hypothetical constructs that is they cannot be seen or touched, handled, smelled, or otherwise tangibly observed. For this reason , no single measurement method can be considered a reliable index. Instead, researchers usually rely on a combination of observation and inference , self-reports, and projective techniques to try to establish the presence and/or the strength of various motives. Obviously the identification and measurement of human motives is an inexact process. Some psychologists are concerned that most measurement techniques do not meet the crucial test criteria of validity and reliability ( remember, validity ensures that the technique measures what it purports to measure reliability refers to the consistency with which the technique measures what it does measure).
projective techniques methods are highly dependent on the analyst ; they focus not only on the data themselves but also on what the analyst thinks they imply . Therefore , many consumer behaviorists are reluctant to rely on projective techniques alone . However , by using a combination of assessments ( i.e , triangulation) based on behavioral data (observation), subjective data (self-reports), and projective tests, many consumer researchers fell more confident of achieving valid insights into consumer motivations than they would by using any one technique alone. Though some marketers are concerned that such research does not produce hard numbers that objectively “prove” a point under investigation, others are convinced that qualitative studies can be just as revealing as quantitative studies. However, there is a clear need for improved methodological procedures for measuring human motives

Depth Interviews
A depth interview is a lengthy (generally 30 minutes to an hour), nonstructured interview between a respondent and a highly trained interviewer , who minimizes his or her own participation in the discussion after establishing the general subject to be discussed .( however, interpretative researchers often take a more active role in the discussion) Respondents are encouraged to talk freely about their activities, attitudes, and interests, in addition to the product category or brand under study . Transcripts, videotapes, or audiotape recordings of interviews are then carefully studied, together with reports of respondents’ moods and any gestures or “body language” that they might have used to convey attitudes and motives this way the researchers identify and measure human motives .
Projective Techniques
Projective Techniques are designed to tap the underlying motives of individuals despite their unconscious rationalizations or efforts at conscious concealment. They consist of a variety of disguised tests that contain ambiguous stimuli, such as incomplete sentences , untitled pictures or cartoons , ink blots, word-association tests, and other-person characterizations. The respondent is asked to complete , describe , or explain the meaning of various stimuli . The theory behind Projective Techniques tests is that respondents’ inner feelings influence how they perceive ambiguous stimuli. The stories they tell or the sentences they complete are actually projections of their inner thoughts, even though subjects may attribute their responses to something or someone else. Thus, their responses are likely to reveal their underlying needs, wants , fears , aspirations, and motives, whether or not the respondents are fully aware of them . For example , if a subject looks at a picture of a mature woman speaking to a teenager and describes her as lecturing or scolding the girl , the analyst may infer that the subject is resentful of parental or adult control this is also the way researchers identify and measure human motives .Researchers are difficult to answer because motives are hypothetical construct. They cannot be seen or touch, handled, smelled, or otherwise tangibly observed.
Motivation refers to an activated state within a person that leads to goal directed behavior. It consists of the drives, urges, wishes, or desires that initiate the sequence of events to a leading behavior. The model identifies five key concepts of motivation:
Ø Need recognition occurs when the person perceives that there is a discrepancy between an actual and desired state being.
Ø Drive is an affective state in which the experiences emotions and physiological arousal. The arousal can be measured in different ways : by paper and pencil surveys.
Ø Goal directed behavior consists of action taken relieve the person’s need state consumer context, examples are searching for information, talking to other consumer about a product, shopping for the best bargain, and purchasing products and services.
Ø Consumer incentives are the products, services, information, and even other people consumer perceive will satisfy need. Incentive objects are similar to in forcers, and consumer will direct behavior to obtain them to fulfill needs.
Ø Affect or feelings can be defined as a class phenomena uniquely characterized by consciously experienced, subjective feeling state commonly accompanying emotion and moods.
METHODOLOGY
This manuscript is part of a comprehensive attitudinal research study of Generation X currently underway throughout the world (but, with its impetus in the United States). The focal areas for the pilot study reported here include: (1) Education and (2) Occupation. A self-administered questionnaire was developed in the United States. It consisted of a series of attitudinal statements such as,
"Your level of education determines your income."

A common Likert-scale was used for all questions/variables, namely:
1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Indifferent or Neutral
4 = Agree
5 = Strongly Agree


Finally, demographic information (age, gender, level of education, and marital status) was included in the instrument to assist in a profiling of respondents. This pre-tested and refined instrument was administered in the southeastern United States. Later, the questionnaire was translated to Korean using a translation/de-translation procedure to assure accuracy of translation. The questionnaire was then administered at a South Korean public university by faculty participating in a University exchange program.

Sample Description
As noted earlier, different birth year classification systems have been proposed for Generation X in the United States (1964-1978 or 1961-1981). For this study, respondents were born between 1961 and 1981. A total of 291 usable responses from the United States were collected. A total of 194 usable responses from South Korea were collected. A profile of sample respondents for each group is provided in Table One.

.b) Does motivational research differ from qualitative research . Discuss

Motivational research and qualitative research are not differ because motivational research and qualitative research hypothetical constructs that is they cannot be seen or touched, handled, smelled, or otherwise tangibly observed. For this reason , no single measurement method can be considered a reliable index. Instead, researchers usually rely on a combination of observation and inference , self-reports, and projective techniques to try to establish the presence and/or the strength of various motives.. Motivational research and qualitative research are same they cannot see cannot be touched so they two not differ.
Qualitative research in selecting the appropriate research format for a qualitative study , the researcher takes into consideration the purpose of the study and the type of data needed. The choice of data collection techniques for qualitative studies includes depth interviews, focus groups, and projective techniques. Although these research methods may differ in composition, they all have roots in psychoanalytic and clinical aspects of psychology, and they stress open-ended and free –response types of questions to stimulate respondents to reveal their innermost thoughts and beliefs . These techniques are regularly used in the early stages of attitude research to pinpoint relevant product –related beliefs or attributes and to develop an initial picture of consumer attitudes this is qualitative research
The term motivational research which should logically include all types of research into human motives, has become a “term of art” used to refer to qualitative research designed to uncover the consumer’s subconscious or hidden motivations . Based on the premise that consumers are not always aware of the reasons for their actions ,motivational research attempts to discover underlying feelings , attitudes , and emotions concerning product , service , or brand use .
Motivational research is qualitative research designed to delve below the consumer’s level of conscious awareness. Despite some shortcomings , motivational research has proved to be of great value to marketers concerned with developing new ideas and new copy appeals The three major motivational research techniques are observation, focus groups, and depth interviews. Observation can be a fruitful method of deriving hypotheses about human motives. Anthropologists have pioneered the development of this technique. All of us are familiar with anthropologists living with the “natives” to understand their behavior. This same systematic observation can produce equally insightful results about consumer behavior. Observation can be accomplished in-person or sometimes through the convenience of video. Usually, personal observation is simply too expensive, and most consumers don’t want an anthropologist living in their household for a month or two.It is easier to observe consumers in buying situations than in their homes, and here the observation can be in-person or by video cameras. Generally, video cameras are less intrusive than an in-person observer. Finding a representative set of cooperative stores, however, is not an easy task, and the installation and maintenance of video cameras is not without its difficulties. In-store observers can be used as well, so long as they have some “cover” that makes their presence less obvious. But, observation by video or human eye cannot answer every question. Generally, observation must be supplemented by focus groups or depth interviews to fully understand why consumers are doing what they do.
Qualitative Research
In-person or face-to-face interviewing is the gold standard. It is often the best way to behavior focus groups and depth interviews. We employ the following in-person qualitative techniques:
Focus Groups. The characteristic focus group consists of 8 to 10 respondents (although smaller groups are possible) and a moderator. Each session lasts from 90 to 120 minutes. The moderator creates a relaxed, open, tolerant ambiance so that the participants feel free to state their view and approach honestly. More often than not, center groups are conduct in rooms with one-way mirrors to allow clients to watch. center groups are ideal in the near the beginning stages of research; they can be used as a problem-reduction "filter" when the questions and issues are so many that quantitative researches is not yet feasible. The focus group is an ideal exploratory method because of the liberty, inspiration, and impulsiveness inherent in group relations.
Sensitized Groups. Focus groups can sometimes yield richer and more insightful answer if respondents have time to consider about a topic. For a sensitized group, respondents are in a number of way sensitized in advance to allow time for reflection upon the topic. For example, respondents might be given a list of questions more than a few days before the group conversation, or respondents might be asked to use a specific product or visit a store before the collection discussion. These "sensitized" respondents typically give better depth of in order and more imminent than normal focus groups.
Dyadic And Triadic Interviews. In dyadic and triadic interviewing, two or three respondents are interviewed at the same time. This approach provides some of the interpersonal stimulation afforded by groups, yet allows the interviewer to cover topics in a number of depths. The dyadic or triadic design lends itself to "confrontation" techniques-users can be paired with nonusers, believers with nonbelievers, antagonists by means of protagonists-to expose underlying move toward and motives.
Motivational research often suggests new ways for marketers to present their products to the public. For example in using figure sketches to determine consumer’ differing perceptions of American express gold card and green card holders , researchers found that the gold card user was perceived as a broad –shoulddered man standing in an active position, while the green card user was perceived as a “couch potato” in front of a TV set . Based on this and other research, American Express decided to market the gold card as “ a symbol of responsibility for people who have control over their lives and finances.
As early as 1939, a Viennese psychoanalyst named Ernest Ditcher began to use Freudian psychoanalytic techniques to uncover the hidden motivates of consumers. By the late 1950.his research methodology which has come to be known as motivational research was widely adopted by marketers and advertising agencies. Motivational research methods consist of projective techniques and depth interviews discussed later in the chapter).Motivational research requires highly trained interviewer-analysts to collect data and to analyze research findings. Because sample sizes are necessarily small, findings cannot be generalized to larger populations. Motivational research findings are highly subjective because they are based on analyst interpretation. Used primarily to obtain new ideas for promotional campaigns, motivational research is considered to be qualitative research the uses and limitations of motivational research in greater
Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Research for strategic Marketing Decisions. Aware of the limitations of motivational research findings , some marketers use a combination of quantitative and qualitative research to help make strategic marketing decisions. They use qualitative research findings to discover new ideas and consumer insights , and quantitative research findings to predict consumer actions based on various promotional inputs. Sometimes ideas stemming form qualitative research aare tested empirically.(i.e they become the basis for the design of quantitative studies
c.)What are the strengths and weaknesses of motivational research
Despite these criticisms, motivational research is still regarded as an important tool by marketers who want to gain deeper insights into the whys of consumer behavior than conventional marketing research techniques can yield . There is new and complling evidence that the unconscious is the site of a far larger portion of mental life than even freud envisioned .Research studies show that the unconscious mind may understand and respond to nonverbal symbols , from emotional responses and guide actions largely independent of conscious awareness. The new science of semiotics is concerned with the conscious and subconscious meanings of nonverbal symbols to consumer These insights are usually obtained through motivational research .
Use of motivational research since motivational research .often reveals unsuspected consumer motivations concerning product or brand usage , its principal use today is in the development of new ideas for promotional campaigns , ideas that can penetrate the consumer conscious awareness by appealing to unrecognized needs
motivational research also provide marketers with a basic orientation for new product categories and enables them to explore consumer reactions to ideas and advertising copy at an early stage so that costly errors can be avoided . Furthermore , motivational research provides consumer
Motivational research has also been used to great advantage by nonprofit organizations. For example , Dichter found that people subconsciously resist making charitable donations because they feel that once they have given, they will no longer be the objects of attention . Using that insight , many large charities now spend almost as much time keeping donors advised of accomplishments as soliciting new donations in order to generate good will for future campaigns.
Motivational research continues to be a useful tool for many marketers who want to know the actual reasons underlying consumer behavior . For example in trying to discover why women bought traditional roach sprays rather than a brand packaged in little plastic trays , researchers asked women to draw pictures of roaches and write stories about their sketchs . They found that , for many of their respondents , roaches symbolized men who had left them feeling poor and powerless this is the strengths and weaknesses of motivational. Also the weaknesses of motivational is they don’t do the data collection methods like Observational research , experimentation, surveys and collection instruments like Questionnaires , Personal inventories last attitude scale .