Abstract

With consumers cautious of COVID-19, managers are forced to adapt to changes in consumer behavior, government regulations, and disrupted supply chains. Using Protection Motivation Theory, two studies investigate consumers’ attitudes toward, and perceptions of, the disease to better understand consumer behaviors during a pandemic. Study 1, assessing young adults and their parents, shows students’ attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors were riskier than their parents during the pandemic. Study 2 considers the influence of political affiliation, finding Democrats are more likely to take the threat seriously whereas Republicans were less likely to perceive COVID-19 as a threat; each modeled behavior that reflects their respective views. Practitioners must consider consumer’s protection motivation and business risk levels when contemplating changes to business practice during this time.

摘要

由于消费者对 COVID-19 持谨慎态度，管理人员被迫适应消费者行为、政府法规和供应链中断的变化。使用保护动机理论，两项研究调查了消费者对疾病的态度和看法，以更好地了解大流行期间的消费者行为。研究 1 评估了年轻人及其父母，表明在大流行期间，学生的态度、看法和行为比他们的父母更危险。研究 2 考虑了政治派别的影响，发现民主党人更有可能认真对待这一威胁，而共和党人则不太可能将 COVID-19 视为威胁；每个建模的行为都反映了他们各自的观点。