A critical analysis of the 'intention-behaviour gap' amongst newspaper readers in UK
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- Title
- A critical analysis of the 'intention-behaviour gap' amongst newspaper readers in UK
- Creator
- Katie Duncan
- Date
- 2012
- Abstract
-
This study aims to examine if, following the phone hacking scandal in the UK, an intention-behaviour gap exists between negative consumer attitudes towards newspapers and an inability for these consumers to transfer their negative attitudes into their purchasing behaviour. The data was collected in Bristol in the UK using mixed methodology in the form of a focus group and 152 questionnaires. All primary research tested the 'intention-behaviour gap' theory of a gap between ethical intentions and ethical purchasing. Consumer perception of current newspaper brands was also recorded using newspaper logos to capture positive or negative perception levels. Likert scales were used in the questionnaires to identify individuals' view of their own role in the media industry, as well as the role of the newspaper publisher, local and international concerns and ethical issues surrounding the media as well as understanding reasons behind the intention-behaviour gap.
Using a regression equation the results have shown that an intention-behaviour gap exists between negative consumer attitudes towards UK newspapers and an inability to translate these attitudes into a non-purchase. Almost all individuals, despite viewing major tabloids negatively, admit to having an interest in the private lives of celebrities, and this hankering interest in celebrities is one of the reasons behind the gap. Other reasons found include self-doubt of the consumer to feel they can make a difference, unavailability of preferred alternatives and social and family pressures. Among those most likely to follow through with their ethical intentions were mostly working professionals, sometimes those with a religious background, and more women than men. However, although more women than men were self-considered ethical consumers, the Chi-square tests revealed their frequency was not as high as was anticipated and as had been found in previous research.
This study can not only add to academia on the little understood phenomenon of the intention-behaviour gap in ethical consumerism but can also aid those working in the media and newspaper industries. Those newspaper publishers in current or future brand crisis management could use this study to help add to their understanding of current consumer perception. This study has highlighted the importance of not only brand image but also how CSR is communicated to the public, which could be considered by marketers in the media and newspapers industries. This is a rare study that has become more relevant due to the recent developments in the UK newspaper industry. It also adds weight to the poorly understood intention-behaviour gap within ethical consumerism. The research captures the responses of individuals from a variety of professional, religious and ethnic backgrounds. This study could also potentially be developed on an international level in future, as media ethics appears to become a global concern. - Subject
- Consumer behaviour
- Extent
- 101 pages
- Format
- Publisher
- Regent's University London
- degree
- MA Management (International Marketing pathway)
- Language
- English
- Date Issued
- 2012
- Type
- Report
- Rights Holder
- Katie Duncan and Regent's University London
- Item sets
- Theses or Dissertation