Customer-company identification and the influence of family member involvement

Abstract

This topic researched in this paper refers to the relationship a consumer has with a family-owned company. Moreover, the identification between customers and companies is known to be the portrayal of a bond between an organisation and the individual’s sense of self. A gap in literature is addressed, whereby the study aims to measure how significant the involvement of family members is in companies such as coffee shops. The main objective of this research is to obtain a profound understanding upon whether family concerns are perceived in a better light than non-family concerns, in relation to coffee shops. Additionally, consumers relate to several indicators that lead them to identify with a company and hence, this research aimed at rigorously understanding what these indicators are. Quantitative research was conducted through the use of an online survey to understand the reasons why consumers choose a business type, over another. The online questionnaire circulated to answer the research questions put forward for this study as well as to discover whether or not the hypothesised statements were supported or not. The questions in the survey focused on studying specific factors such as trust, prestige, quality and creativity, concerning coffee shops. Interestingly enough, the results collected throughout the data collection process were varied, and therefore after analysing them, very intriguing findings were discovered. The results gathered showed that whilst consumers considered specific attributes to be necessary, quality always proved to be the most valuable amongst all. Furthermore, concerning which business type consumers perceive to be more dependable, family-owned coffee shops were regarded as more trustworthy than non-family owned coffee shops. Through the results, it was noticeable that whilst most people did not have a particular preference concerning the coffee shop type, there was an inclination towards family-owned coffee shops.