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Retail Business Environment

Notes (Tension). Approach–approach conflict is believed to be unstable and due to this reason a slight
tendency to accept one alternative can solve the conflict quickly. For example, a timely
advertisement favouring one or the other action such as some incentive for buying now could
resolve such a conflict.

Approach-Avoidance Conflict

This type of conflict occurs when a consumer is facing a purchase choice that has both positive
and negative consequences. Such a situation may arise when the consumer is making a purchase
or consumption decision on a single product in which both positive and negative aspects are
involved. This type of conflict tends to be stable. The theory of cognitive dissonance is based on
the premise that people have a need for order and consistency in their lives and they experience
a state of tension when their beliefs or behaviours conflict with one another. For example, a
consumer may be fond of soft drinks but may also be concerned about not consuming extra
calories. The person concerned wants the taste and emotional satisfaction associated with
consuming the soft drink (approach) but does not want the intake of extra calories (avoidance).
Pepsi and Coke spotted this opportunity and have introduced diet drinks.

Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict

This involves deciding between two or more alternatives which are perceived as undesirable.
Such situations are somewhat stable and consumers tend to vacillate between the undesirable
choices. For example, if the car is badly damaged in an accident, the alternatives may be a hefty
repair bill or a substantial expense of buying a new one. Comprehensive insurance cover and
also the availability of low-interest auto finance schemes are ways of reducing this motivational
conflict.

9.3 Motivational Intensity

Motivational intensity represents how strongly individuals are motivated to satisfy a particular
need. Sometimes the need to satisfy a particular motive may be very strong and at other times
the intensity may be only modest. As the felt deprivation of need increases, need recognition
becomes more acute and motivational intensity becomes stronger. Motivational intensity also
depends on the felt need’s importance and needs perceived as most important by an individual
are pursued more vigorously. For instance, if a person is kept awake for three or four days at a
stretch, she/he will experience greater sense of urgency to get sleep. Motivational intensity will
also depend on an individual’s involvement in some object or behaviour of great personal
relevance that is perceived to satisfy important needs. For example, individuals motivated to be
attractive to opposite sex, will be more involved with products and services perceived as
satisfying this need compared to those who are not much motivated about being attractive to
the opposite sex.
Consumer involvement and motivational intensity are important factors because they determine
the extent of effort consumers are likely to undertake in satisfying their needs. As the degree of
involvement and motivational intensity increase, individuals put in more efforts to satisfy their
needs. They become more attentive to relevant information from different sources, allocate
more cognitive resources, search activity is greater, and more alternatives are likely to be
evaluated to accomplish the need satisfaction.

Frustration and Defence Mechanisms
Failure to achieve a goal often gives rise to feelings of frustration. Probably there is nobody
who has not experienced frustration that comes from the inability to achieve some goal.

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