Timestyle profiles - a quantitative study exploring consumer segmentation based on timestyle dimensions
Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Timestyle profiles - a quantitative study exploring consumer segmentation based on timestyle dimensions\n\nPurpose of the study:\n\nTimestyles - the unique ways in which people perceive and use time - have a significant\nimpact on various aspects of consumer behaviour. However, research on the topic has been\nscarce and usually focused on studying one timestyle dimension at a time. The objective of\nthis study is to contribute to the understanding of timestyles by exploring consumer\nsegmentation based on multiple timestyle dimensions. An existing scale is used as a basis to\nidentify the dimensions of timestyles and to study their interaction. Based on these\ndimensions, individual timestyle profiles will be created and their differences will be\ninvestigated in terms of demographics and Internet usage behaviour.\n\nMethodology:\n\nThe data for the study was collected in 2011 using an online questionnaire. A total of 4227\nresponses were obtained and the data was representative of both genders and ages between\n15 and 64. The data was analysed with quantitative research methods including correlation\nanalysis, principal component analysis, cluster analysis, cross-tabulations, t-test and analysis\nof variance.\n\nFindings:\n\nThe findings of the study validate the eight dimensions of the Timestyle Scale and suggest\nthat an additional dimension measuring polychronic time attitude could be added to the scale.\nBased on these nine dimensions four timestyle profiles were created, representing consumer\nsegments that have different timestyles; analytical schedulers, active achievers, spontaneous\ndwellers and traditional task-oriented. The timestyle profiles were found to be related to age\nand initial support was found for their ability to predict Internet usage behaviour related to\nexploratory Internet use, entertainment use and mobile Internet adoption. The study argues\nfor the importance of studying timestyles as comprehensive constructs and supports the idea\nthat timestyles can provide a meaningful way of segmenting consumers to understand\ndifferences in media use and consumer behaviour.\nKeywords\nTimestyles, time perception, temporal orientation, Internet use, media use, consumer\nbehaviour, quantitative research, consumer segmentation
Source: Aaltodoc (Aalto University)
Author: Tuuli Kilpi
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2181840975