BUS602: Marketing Management

In order to understand how consumers make actual buying decisions, the marketers must identify who makes the buying decisions. They should also constantly be watchful of what types of buying decisions are made and the steps involved in consumers' decision making process in a social unit (family). Consumers' decision making varies with the types of buying decision and the nature of products. The decisions to buy soap, a cricket bat, a television and a new car are all very different. Hence, complex and expensive purchases, especially of durables, are comparatively to involve more buyer deliberations and more participants. Even the degree of differences among brand preferences of the products do mostly rest on the degree of buyers' involvement and influence in the decision making process within the family. Besides, it is also very essential to investigate why the consumers buy durables and what are the factors inducing them to make such purchases. On one hand, this analysis will lead the marketers to precisely comprehend the needs and tastes of the target market and signal the manufacturers to manufacture such products suitably. On the other hand, it is also equally important to study the role of family members, especially the husband and wife, including the children. In Indian contemporary society, though the women population constitutes more than half of the total population, yet many research studies reveal that male members are more dominant in a family than females. This scenario, thus, necessitates the researchers to sharpen their contemplations towards the role of women within a family in multifaceted decision making processes. Of such important household decisions, the role and influence of women in making purchases of durable goods in a family have, thus, become a focal point for a systematic and scientific inquiry.

In the North Eastern Region, the State of Nagaland does not conform to the general perception of women's status in India. Apart from traditional practices that have generally cared for women and the girl child, the State has successful achievements in the fields of literacy, increasing sex ratio, health and entrepreneurship development. This scenario also does stimulate the researchers to undertake investigations on this front. Hence, this present study will certainly ascertain the truth to prop up better understanding of the roles of women in diverse household decision making processes, especially in purchase of durables. Simultaneously, in turn, the marketers will be able to develop and distribute an appropriate marketing mix to suit the tastes and preferences of the consumers in the State.