THE CHOICE PROCESS OF PRODUCTS IN CONTINUOUS INNOVATION: INNOVATIVENESS, OBJECTIVES OF CONSUMPTION AND PERCEPTION OF INNOVATION

Abstract

This qualitative and exploratory study, taken with owners of products in constant innovation, analyses the relationship between innovativeness and perceived characteristics of innovation, during the consumers decision-making process. The main contribution of the study is relate the innovation adoption theory with the behavioral aspects of the consumer choice theory, providing a better understanding of the adopters profile and the way they make their decisions for the selection of an innovative product. The results indicate that the degree of innovativeness influences in the way the interviewed achieve their goals during the choice process. The relationship between the consumer goals with different degrees of innovativeness and the innovation perception, allows to observe that these perceptions are a source for those consumers goals to minimise the possibility of a negative experience arising from the decision, especially as regards to avoid regret the decision and the justifiability of the decision for themselves and for others. Understanding these differences suggests behavioral aspects that should be considered relevant to analyse the adoption of such products.