Consumer Behavior Research: A Synthesis of the Recent Literature

Peighambari et al in 2016 carried out a study in which they have comprehensively surveyed
research article on consumer behavior. Time period under consideration ranges from 1998 to
2009. Consumer behavior is a topic of immense interest and for researchers in business and
management studies. Social scientist also regards great significance to consumer behavior.
Consumer behavior is consumers’ response in decision making regarding their needs, desire
and wants and they way they satisfy their desires and needs.

Human behavior is subject to change. Desire for more and new and unique demands
researchers to work differently, thus creates more room for business as well. Importance of
studying and research on consumer behavior cannot be overlooked. Hence, social scientists in
the period under consideration have realized the importance and witnessed the changing
consumer behavior. 66 research articles are written on consumer behavior while 156 research
studies are carried out in 2009. It is worth mentioning here that these numbers are taken from
five reputed international journals. These journals are: Journal of Advertising, Journal of
Advertising Research, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing and Journal of
Marketing Research.

Purpose of this research is to analyze academic contributions to consumer behavior providing

insightful directions and pattern that how the consumer behavior evolved over time. Authors
have used the content analysis approach and its application in brief. Articles are classified on
the basis of topic in order to assess major trends in consumer behavior studies. Furthermore,
methodology consists of ranking of topic published, typology, analysis techniques and type of
research method.

Articles are thus evaluated on the basis of purchase process of human behavior, internal
characteristics, external characteristics of consumer and miscellaneous features. In other
words, 43% of the articles reviewed, have found that consumer behavior is subject to internal
characteristics of consumer. Purchase process remained the area of focus of 26% of studies.
Twenty six percent articles explored consumer behavior as external factors such as culture and
norms, social exposure of the consumer, level of communication, demographic characteristics,
decision process in family, group influences, innovations, stratification in the society,
segmentation, demonstration effect and opinion leader etc. Consumer behavior studies on
miscellaneous features are eight percent.
Qualitative methods of research is used in 76% of the articles reviewed, quantitative method of research
is used in 11% articles and 13% articles used both quantitative and qualitative method of research. Data
analysis technique used in most of the papers is ANOVA, followed by descriptive and multivariate
analysis. Other major techniques are bivariate and multiple regression, other methods, structural
equation modeling, correlation etc.

This research has different implications to researcher related to consumer behavior in any regard. The
study not only evaluated the articles under consideration but also portrayed the evaluation in the
consumer behavior research. This study also provides the direction of the research in this field. The
synthetic analysis of the papers directs the researcher towards the topic, trends and techniques to work
at and get published.

Outcomes of this article also provide guidance to journal editors, reviewers a perspective related to
trends in publication, themes, methods, topics in consumer behavior research.

Concerned authorities and policy makers in the field can take advantage of this study to reach out the
journals with most citations and publications to know about recent and current trends in human
behavior. This will make the process of decision making easy for businesses keeping an eye on change in
consumer behavior.