Attitudes can include evaluations of people, issues, objects or events. Such evaluations are often positive or negative, but they can also be uncertain at times.To understand the relationship between the attitude and behavior of consumers of microwave oven we have construct two models of attitudes. These are stated below:
A. Tricomponent attitude model
1. The Cognitive Component: The cognitive component consists of a consumers cognition, which means, the consumers knowledge and perception acquired from direct experience and related information of the product from different sources.
Here in our project the women’s knowledge and perception about the microwave oven is acquired by their direct experience of consuming the product and the related information which they gather from various sources. These acquired knowledge and perception have built the consumers belief and attitude towards microwave oven. For example, we have found out that about 60% of the respondents have formed a negative opinion from their direct experience about the microwave oven because it has high electricity consumption. And about 60% of them have also realized that it is very important to take prior training before using it.
2. The Affective Component: The affective component of attitude focus on the consumer’s emotions and feelings about a particular product or brand. These feelings and emotion of consumers capture the individual’s direct or global assessment of the attitude object, here in our project which is different brands of microwave. According to affective component consumers decide weather the attitude object is favorable or unfavorable. From the data collected we have found out that 43% of the respondents said that it takes less time to cook, and about 28% said it is easy to heat and defrost in a microwave oven; these are the positive attributes for which the microwave oven is favorable by consumers. But its high electricity consumption has given it a negative impact among the consumers.
3. The Conative Component: Conative component of the tricomponent attitude model is concerned with probability or tendency that an individual will carry out a specific action or behave in a particular way with regard to the attitude object. The consumers of microwave oven also have a tendency or likelihood towards the purchasing of microwave oven. This theory describes the consumers’ intention to buy microwave oven. From the data collection we have seen that about 61.66% agreed that they will buy the brand of microwave they use, again in future. So it reflects their intention to buy.
B. Multiattribute attitude model:
1. The Attitude-Toward-Object Model: The attitude towards object model is especially suitable for measuring attitudes of consumers towards an attitude object such as a product or service category or specific brands. According to this model the consumers’ attitude toward a product or specific brands of a product is a function of the presence or absence and evolution of certain product specific beliefs and attributes. Here in our project we have seen that 50% of respondents generally have favorable attitudes towards those brands of microwave oven that they believe have variety of attributes and they have unfavorable attitude towards those brands which they feel, do have negative attributes, like high electricity consumption.
2. The Attitude-Toward- Behavior Model: The attitude toward behavior model explains the individual’s attitude toward behaving or acting with respect to an object rather than the attitude towards the object itself. It means a consumer might have a positive attitude towards an object but he will buy it only when the products meet his specifications and demands. In our research it has been seen that the consumers may like a particular brand but when they purchase a microwave they evaluate many attributes of it and then decide to buy it. If the attributes do not suit with their requirements the consumers do not buy the brand they usually prefer.
