Consumption attitudes and adoption of new consumer products: a contingency approach

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to further current understanding of the relationship between consumption attitudes and new product adoption and how the relationship may be contingent upon consumers' other characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a contingency framework, five consumption attitudes derived from Schwartz's value systems framework were examined, along with demographic variables, for their associations with consumer new product adoption (NPA). Negative binominal regression models were estimated using syndicated data from a large urban Chinese consumer sample to test the main and interactive effect hypotheses.

Findings

Consumption attitudes have significant effects on NPA. Consumers' adoption of market innovations is associated negatively with their attitude toward existing products and positively with independent decision making and preference for high‐tech products. Further, the magnitude of the effects of consumption attitudes depends on consumers' demographic characteristics. The effects are stronger among consumers who are older and have lower income.

Originality/value

Using syndicated data from a large random sample of urban Chinese consumers, this study offers a deeper understanding of the attitudinal and personal antecedents of consumer new product adoption.

Citation

Wang, G., Dou, W. and Zhou, N. (2008), "Consumption attitudes and adoption of new consumer products: a contingency approach", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 42 No. 1/2, pp. 238-254. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560810840998