Mothers Perception of the Adolescent's Influence in the Purchase Decisions of Mobile Phone and Computer in the Family

The adolescent is considered as an active element in family purchases, especially in the purchasing decision phase. However, several researchers have focused their attention on purchases for use by adolescents, but neglecting technological products. Therefore, the main objective of this research is the study of the relative influence of the adolescent in the decisions of purchase of mobile phone and computer in the family. In the empirical phase, several high-schools were contacted in the districts of Lisbon, Setbal, Portimo and Beja, considering a convenience sample. During this stage, 3, 150 questionnaires were delivered by teachers in the classroom during May 2015. The adolescents were instructed to submit the questionnaires to their mothers and to return them, fully completed, later. This decision stems from the fact that the mother is pointed out in many studies as the most reliable informant in determining the adolescents influence.916 validated questionnaires were returned. The results of the logistic regression analysis point to the age of the adolescent and the product knowledge as the relevant explanatory variables in the purchases considered. The results also point to the relevance of considering the product category as a moderating variable. The present research offers a contribution to the companies by providing evidence of the adolescents influence in the purchases of mobile phone for own use and of computer for family use. Given the adolescents relevance within family decisions, it is important that marketers focus their efforts on adolescent satisfaction, adopting strategies adjusted to the families.