COGNITIVE DISSONANCE: A REVIEW OF CAUSES AND MARKETING IMPLICATIONS
Keywords:
Cognitive Dissonance, Post purchase Decision, Cognitions, Purchase DecisionsAbstract
Purpose - The aim of this study was to review the literature in the field of Cognitive Dissonance in the marketing context. This study explored how marketers used the theory of Cognitive Dissonance to explain the consumer behavior. The study tried to identify the underlying factors, which led to Cognitive Dissonance. The study also tried to understand how Cognitive Dissonance impacted individuals and businesses and what measures marketers adopted to reduce Cognitive Dissonance.
Design/ Methodology - The study carried out a thorough review of factors which the researchers in past studied to measure Cognitive Dissonance and its effects on individuals and organizations in the marketing context. The literature reviewed during research has been categorized in four different sections – causes of Cognitive Dissonance, effects of Cognitive Dissonance, measures to reduce the Cognitive Dissonance and scale development efforts by researchers.
Findings - The study found that there had been enough research done in past exploring about individual and socio-environmental factors leading to Cognitive Dissonance, however, limited studies were found which studied the organizational factors leading to Cognitive Dissonance. The past studies indicated substantial losses to organizations due to negative effects of Cognitive Dissonance in terms of loss of loyal consumers, negative word of mouth, and loss of trust and subsequent erosion of the brand.
Limitations- This study tried to focus on the past research in the marketing context, hence other aspects of management and psychology may have been not addressed. The categorization of the past studies done clearly brings out the areas which remains under explored and gives way for future research in the organizational contexts as well as industrial purchases. Organizational Culture and its effect on Cognitive Dissonance among its consumers may also be studied for the benefit of marketers. Enough studies pertaining to Indian context and emerging economies could not be found in the existing literature, which opens up various research avenues.
Practical Implications- The arousal of cognitive dissonance after the purchase decision taken can be a major concern for marketers as it can result in order cancellations, loss of trust for the brand and loss of loyal customers. The study can be helpful for marketers to adopt similar successful strategies in past to keep cognitive dissonance in control.
Social Implications- Marketers are responsible for Sales Volume as well as Profits for their organizations. However, they are also responsible for creating happy and loyal consumers for a win-win situation in a sales oriented transaction.
Originality - This study has done exhaustive review of past studies and has categorized the past studies on the basis of causes of dissonance, effects of dissonance and what measures marketers adopted in past to reduce dissonance among consumers. This study has further categorized the causes of dissonance under three dimensions - Individual Factors, Socio-Environmental Factors and Organizational Factors. This study also further categorized effects of dissonance under two dimensions - Effects on Individuals and Effects on Organizations. This study proposed a model defining the relationships between causes, effects of cognitive dissonance and the measures adopted to reduce cognitive dissonance.
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