A Study on Acceptance of Selected FMCG Products among Women Managers in Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu

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1 A Study on Acceptance of Selected FMCG Products among Women Managers in Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu Dr.R. Kalpana Assistant Professor Department of Management Studies Thanthai Hans Roever College(Autonomous) Dr.N.S. Shibu Assistant Professor and Head Research Centre of Management Studies, Bharathidasan University College Perambalur District, Tamil Nadu Abstract--- Women are the symbols of workforce productivity in accordance with global economic development perspective in the recent years. Women can handle the office and household work equally without much role conflict. It is to be noted that they take right decision at the right time. A good manager is a person who possesses skills to motivate the employees, give them direction and maintain interest to work with employees in an efficient manner. In this context, women undisputedly rule the roost when it comes to communication at personal level. In order to understand the aforementioned aspect, the present study covered 250 respondents under stratified random sampling method, wherein AMOS 20, confirmatory factor analysis and path model has been used. The result analysis showed that women managers accepted and confirmed that price quality schema and prestige sensitivity are the prominent factors of their purchase decision involvement. Furthermore, based on the product, the factors influencing their decision would deviate from each other. However, women managers have purchase-decision involvement based on price consciousness. This decision making is not only to run their families, but also to use when involved in price fixation based on product quality at work. Keywords--- Women Managers, Consumer Behaviour, FMCG, Price Consciousness, Household, Price. Introduction Women can manage better than men. They have abilities as equal as men. They can also tackle the situation better than men. They can take right decision at the right time. They have good leadership qualities. Women are the best managers. Women can handle the office work as well as household work equally. They take right decision at the right time. A person is a good manager who has skills to motivate the employees, give direction and maintain interest to work with the employees in an efficient manner. Women undisputedly rule the roost in communication at personal level. A leader should and must have the ability to establish a crystal clear communication with their team members, clients and consumers. Women tend to be better listeners and that s what makes for a good leader. With good networking skills comes the ability to easily collaborate with colleagues, clients and workers across teams, functions and departments. Women are a better judge of their abilities. The study of DOI: /BP /18 100

2 consumer behaviour focuses on how individuals make decision to spend their available resources (time, money, effort) on consumption-related items (Schiffan & Kanuk, 1997). Consumers take decisions numerously. In real life situation, pricing is central to marketing in many ways. It communicates positioning to consumer and customer alike, and therefore must reinforce the competitive stance that marketer wishes to adopt. This study is based on women managers decision making on their buying behaviour of FMCG. Literature Review Women Manager-Related Reviews Metcalfe and Afanassieva found that women managers did not want to compromise on their family roles. The foremost challenge faced by women managers today is managing their twin role of executive managers and homemakers. Women are under tremendous pressure caused by either work burden or underload. Women's burden comes from the pressure to work harder to establish them. While Indian men do not mind having women as assistants, they disapprove them as bosses. Discontentment from assistants is a cause of concern for women managers, which they see as a challenge to tackle (Budhwar et al.,). Samia Kargwell indicates that female managers give first priority to their families and secondary importance to their job. Female managers in senior posts have struggled to maintain their two roles. Burke concluded that women give more emphasis on work and family and both are equally important for them, and both are the sources of their satisfaction. Nalini elaborates that primary conflict of a woman manager is balancing the multiple traditional roles. Managerial success demands self-confidence, assertiveness, taking up responsibility while the traditional female role suggests submissiveness, supportiveness and dependency. These totally opposite role expectations often block a woman's career progress, whereas for a man there are no such deviations in role expectations. For instance, Chauhan explained that women managers face challenges of balancing work and life when time and energy demands; different roles cannot be proficiently met, and as a result, contribution to one role is made all the time by compromising the other. Hence, women managers decision making is very essential for their career. Consumer Buying Behaviour-Related Review Kalpana & Shibu took effort to unravel the consciousness, attitude and awareness about price of consumer buying behaviour. The researcher concluded from the study that Prestige Sensitivity (PS), Price Quality Schema (PQS), Local Retailer Shop Loyalty (LRSL), Value Consciousness (VC), Price consciousness (PC), Coupon Proneness (CP), Sales Proneness (SP) are factors for buying behaviour of consumer, and these factors highly influenced on consumer buying behaviour. Statement of Problem In case of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), not too many attributes are used to make decisions. Often price is the main factor to determine the sale of branded product goods, but in these types of goods how far the women manager takes decision to purchase FMCG for their use is predicted based on work-life balance. DOI: /BP /18 101

3 Limitations of the Study 1. The study concentrated only on the application of Personal Care, Cosmetic & Toiletries and Household Cleaners in FMCG. 2. The outcome of the study will be applicable only to these area and respondents, so the results cannot be generalized. 3. The information provided by the respondents is purely based on their perception only. Objective of the Study To explain the women managers buying behaviour by finding out the decision making across selected product categories in FMCG based on work-life balance Methodology Area of Study The area of study will be Trichy Corporation. The city of Trichy has people from various parts of Tamil Nadu working and residing there, hence Trichy can be considered as representative of Tamil Nadu. Most companies prefer to launch their products in Trichy also when they decide to launch in Tamil Nadu. Period of Study This study covers a period of three months from April to June Sample Size The product categories selected for study are Cosmetics & Toiletries, Personal Care and Household Cleaners under FMCG. These kinds of products are mainly used in families for their personal use. Sampling Technique Two hundred and fifty respondents were taken up under stratified random sampling method. They belong to different income categories working in Sales & Marketing, Information Technology, Banking Sector, Educational fields and others working as women manager in Trichy District. Data Collection Method Primary data were collected from respondents by administering a structured questionnaire dealing with various aspects of workplace sequences. This study was carried out through a survey method using questionnaires as the main instrument. Statistical Tools Primary data were collected and tabulated. A pilot study was carried out to revise the questionnaires and for item analysis. The validity and reliability of the questionnaires was measured. The internal consistencies of scale were assessed through computing Cronbach s Alpha. The analysis was done using AMOS 20, confirmatory factor analysis and path model. DOI: /BP /18 102

4 Findings Table 1: Reported Values of Model Fit for the Measurement Model Absolute fit measures Incremental fit measures Parsimony fit measures χ2 Df χ2/df GFI RMSEA RMR NFI CFI AGFI Criteria < < 0.08 < Obtained Note: χ2: Chi-square; Df: degree of freedom; GFI: Goodness of fit index; RMSEA: Root mean square error of approximation; NFI: Normated fit index; CFI: Comparative fit index; AGFI: Adjusted goodness of fit index; RMR: Root Mean Square Table 2: Results of Path Model Regression Weights Standardized Loadings Standard Error t-value P PDI <--- PQS NS PDI <--- PS *** Path Model Analysis of Purchase-Decision Involvement for Cosmetics and Toiletries Table 3: Reported Values of Model Fit for the Measurement Model Absolute fit measures Incremental fit Parsimony measures fit measures χ2 Df χ2/df GFI RMSEA RMR NFI CFI AGFI Criteria < < 0.08 < Obtained Note: χ2: Chi-square; Df: degree of freedom; GFI: Goodness of fit index; RMSEA: Root mean square error of approximation; NFI: Normated fit index; CFI: Comparative fit index; AGFI: Adjusted goodness of fit index; RMR: Root Mean Square Table 4: Results of Path Model Regression Weights Standardized Loadings Standard Error t-value P PDI <--- PQS ** PDI <--- PS NS DOI: /BP /18 103

5 Path Model analysis of Purchase-Decision Involvement for Household Cleaners Table 5: Reported Values of Model Fit for the Measurement Model Absolute fit measures Incremental fit measures Parsimony fit measures χ2 Df χ2/df GFI RMSEA RMR NFI CFI AGFI Criteria < < 0.08 < Obtained Note: χ2: Chi-square; Df: degree of freedom; GFI: Goodness of fit index; RMSEA: Root mean square error of approximation; NFI: Normated fit index; CFI: Comparative fit index; AGFI: Adjusted goodness of fit index; RMR: Root Mean Square Table 6: Results of Path Model Regression Weights Standardized Loadings Standard Error t-value P PDI <--- PQS *** PDI <--- PS *** Path Model analysis of Purchase-Decision Involvement for Personal Care DOI: /BP /18 104

6 Findings and Discussion of Result Confirmatory Factor Analysis (Measurement Model) The measurement model was evaluated by using the maximum likelihood (ML) estimation techniques provided by the AMOS Table No.1, 3 & 5 provides summarized results of the CFA. Results of the respective measurement model indicates absolute fit measures GFI, RMR and RMSEA, incremental fit measures NFI and CFI respectively and parsimony fit measure AGFI. All these measures surpassed the minimum recommended values. Furthermore, the Composite Reliability and Average Variance Extracted in respect of all items included in the model exceeded 0.5. In addition to these indices, the ratio of χ2/ df was within the acceptable threshold level (i.e., 1.0 < χ2/df< 5.0). Thus, fit statistics confirmed that measurement model showed adequate fit of data, indicating no further modification in the model was required. Hence, the unidimensionality of the model is established (Byrne, 2010; Hair et al., 2013). An investigation of the solution presented in Table demonstrates that: all parameter estimates exhibit the correct sign and size; standard errors were not excessively small or large; all the (critical ratios) t-values were greater than 1.96 and were significant at the 1% and 5% level. Hence, all estimates were considered to be both reasonable and statistically significant. According to Hair et al., (2013) the factor loading should exceed 0.5 levels of all individual items. Similarly Fornell and Larcker (1981) suggested composite reliability (CR) value to be over 0.60 of all constructs and average variance extracted (AVE) value to be greater than 0.50 in each dimension. Indicators specified to measure a common underlying factor had relatively high standardized loadings on that factor. Path Model Based on the results of path model table no. 2 & 4, Price Quality Schema has an impact on purchase-decision involvement for cosmetics & toiletries, household cleaners of FMCG. Table no. 6 shows path model results for personal care products of FMCG. The result shows that prestige sensitivity and price quality schema positively influenced the purchase-decision involvement. Conclusion Consumer is a king of marketing. Buying behaviour is based on consumers attitude and their judgment. Nowadays, managerial decision has a positive influence on any kind of product launching. Being women manager, they take a decision making based on their consciousness of price for purchase-decision involvement in a selected FMCG product. Based on the analysis result, women managers accepted and confirmed that price quality schema and prestige sensitivity are the factors of their purchase-decision involvement, but based on the products influencing factors deviate from each other. The women managers take their decisions with a consumer s perspective. However, women managers have purchase-decision involvement based on price consciousness. This decision making is not only to run their families, but also to use when involved in price fixation based on product quality at work. DOI: /BP /18 105

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