Panel Study On Key Aspects Of Writing Consumer Behavior

Consumer Behavior Patterns on the Choice of TransportNamesInstitutional AffiliationInstructor’s NameDue DateTable of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u 1.0Introduction PAGEREF _Toc16359078 \h 22.0Consumer Behaviors Affecting the Adoption of Private Means of Transport PAGEREF _Toc16359079 \h 22.1Utility Function in the Consumer Theory PAGEREF _Toc16359080 \h 22.2Routine Behaviors/ Heuristics PAGEREF _Toc16359081 \h 33.0Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc16359082 \h 43.1Raising Awareness through Campaigns PAGEREF _Toc16359083 \h 43.2Development of Infrastructure for the BRT Transport Systems PAGEREF _Toc16359084 \h 44.0References PAGEREF _Toc16359085 \h 5
1.0Introduction
Whether to use public or private transport is often one’s personal decision. In the recent times, policies have been adopted in different countries encouraging people to consider the use of the public means of transport since it is relatively cheaper and environmental-friendly as compared to use of the private cars. On the other side, people using cars argue it is much more convenient even though it consumes high amounts of energy for each of the passengers. The high population density and congestion in urban areas is still an issue in most countries. Many countries such as New Zealand have been at the forefront in advocating the use of public means of transport, which has led to many changes. Between 1996 and 2006, most of the people in New Zealand preferred the use of private cars while traveling CITATION Min15 \l 1033 (Ministry of Transport New Zealand, 2015). However, things have changed for the better since the Ministry of Transport and Transit in New Zealand adopted policies to encourage the use of public transport. Currently, about 42% of the people staying in urban areas use public transport to get to their destination CITATION Min15 \l 1033 (Ministry of Transport New Zealand, 2015). The ministry started by adopting the use of appropriate policies in major cities in New Zealand, such as Auckland and Wellington. The government has also invested heavily into the use of the sub-rail in major towns in New Zealand such as Auckland and Wellington.
All these efforts are carried out by the government as a way of promoting sustainability. Zhang and Huan (2018) define sustainability as the development that meets the needs of the people without necessarily compromising on the ability of the future generations to meet their needs CITATION Zha18 \l 1033 (Zhang & Li, 2018). A number of detrimental effects associated with the use of the transport system have been publicized recently. They include the emission of hydrocarbons that pollute the air and noise pollution. According to WHO, the transport industry contributes to 22% of the carbon emissions CITATION WHO15 \l 1033 (WHO, 2015). The report further points out that carbon emission from urban transport accounts for 40% of end-use energy consumption. Carbon dioxide can also stay in the atmosphere for a long period of time up to a century CITATION WHO15 \l 1033 (WHO, 2015).
Consumer behaviors in the transport industry are often determined by the alternatives available. The qualities and attributes associated with private and public means of transport will determine the decision of the consumer. It is also challenging to analyze the reasons for these patterns of behavior. The purpose of this paper is to identify the consumer behaviors concept that makes people to still rely on the private means of transport despite the highly-publicized benefits of public transportation.
2.0Consumer Behaviors Affecting the Adoption of Private Means of Transport
2.1Utility Function in the Consumer Theory
The consumer theory is used on most occasions to explain the behavior of someone who consumes goods and services that have been produced. In most cases, the consumer theory draws the relationship that exists between the consumer preferences, the consumer indifference curves, and the budget constraints as the main factors that affect the decision of the consumer. The central concept that underlies the consumer choice theory is that a consumer chooses a particular good or service because of the utility or the level of satisfaction that they will get by using the particular product also referred to as the utility function.
According to De Mooij (2019), consumer behavior has several limitations when used to understand the main reasons why people choose private transport over public transport, although they know the benefits associated with public transport. To understand the main reasons for the preference, it is crucial to understand what has been chosen by the consumer and what has not been chosen or the possible alternatives CITATION DeM19 \l 1033 (De Mooij, 2019). Muro-Rodriguez, Jimenez & Gutierrez-Broncano (2017) discuss that when a consumer is deciding between public and private transport, there are several reasons that make them choose one mode of transport over the other. Normally, consumers can use the deterministic criteria to decide on the best option. For instance, having a driving license can make someone to consider the use the alternative of a private car as compared to lacking the driving license. Knowledge of the available means of transport is also vital in determining the choice for the means of transport.
According to Smith, Jana, and Marianne (2018), most of the consumers choose the means of transport based on the utility maximization consumer behavior. This behavior assumes that the attractiveness of a particular means of transport is measurable and it can be expressed by a vector value for its attributes. People are always looking for maximum utility on the choice model of transport that they want to use CITATION Smi18 \l 1033 (Smith, et al., 2018). However, there are other distinct cases where the maximum utility does not apply.
2.2Routine Behaviors/ Heuristics
Tybout, Hauser and Koppelman (1978) define routine behavior as an automated strategy that is developed by human beings within their living environment to achieve the desired goal CITATION Tyb78 \l 1033 (Tybout, et al., 1978). Cognitive efforts play an essen...