Abstract:
The research problem was identified as a lack of means - end
theory linking choice behaviour to values. The aim of the
study was, therefore, to determine whether or not the means-end theory could be extended to linking choice behaviour to
values. The research was focused on the following two
research questions: ( 1 ) what , if any, are the conceptual
categories in the means-end theory linking choice behaviour
to values? (2) How, if at all, are the conceptual categories in
the means-end theory linking choice behaviour to values
connected together?
A case research method was adopted for the empirical
investigation of the study, focusing on food choices in the
family context. The fieldwork, carried out in the UK, was
done in two phases, i.e. the pilot study and the main study.
The research findings suggest that the conceptual categories
linking choice behaviour to values consist of the following
conceptual categories: choice behaviour, attributes of
choices, consequences, and values. In addition, the research
findings indicate more dominant direct linkages between the
adjacent conceptual categories than between the nonadjacent
conceptual categories. The dominant direct linkages between
the adjacent conceptual categories suggest that the
conceptual categories linking choice behaviour to values are
hierarchically connected together. The main implication of
the research findings is that researchers can establish
linkages between choice behaviour and values on the basis of
actual choices in specific social contexts, instead of using
cognitions as a surrogate for choice behaviour.
