Personal values and complaint behaviour: The case of Singapore consumers

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between personal values and complaint behaviour in an Asian setting. The List of Values developed at the University of Michigan was used as the basis for measurement. Respondents choosing these values were regrouped into those who were either group-oriented or self-oriented. It was confirmed that these two groups differed in terms of demographic and psychographic characteristics. In addition, they were also found to exhibit different complaint behaviour when they were dissatisfied with a product purchased. Group-oriented consumers were found to resort to private action, while their self-oriented counterparts were more prepared to opt for public actions. Finally, a discriminant analysis using psychographics was employed to differentiate the two groups of respondents. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.