ABSTRACT
In this chapter we argue that goal-directed consumer behavior is organized hierarchically as a structure of means-end chains, ranging from concrete, observable motor movements to abstract, personal goals. In a hierarchy of goaldirected behavior, three levels can be distinguished: the identification (or “what”) level, the operation (or “how”) level and the motivation (or “why”) level. These levels in the hierarchy can only be determined relative to each other, as why and how a consumer performs a particular behavior depends on the identification of the behavior. This identification can change in the course of behavior, which accounts for the dynamic quality of consumers’ actions. We present research illustrating the usefulness of taking a means-end approach to the study of goal-directed consumer behavior and we discuss some promising avenues for future work.
