An attempt to extend means-end theory: An investigation of the linkages between choice behaviour and values

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.