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The Reference Group Influence On Cell Phone Purchasing Behavior: Research On Chinese Youth, Xe (Stephen) Xihao

The Corinthian

The cell phone has experienced a change from a private luxury product into a public necessity product in the late 1990s China. According to consumer behavior theories, individuals would be significantly influenced by their reference groups when making a purchasing decision of a certain commodity such as the cell phone. The reference group influence encompasses three types: informational influence, utilitarian influence, and value-expressive influence. This paper utilizes the empirical research method to investigate the three types of reference group influence on Chinese youth's cell phone purchasing behavior. The research results indicate that reference groups have a significant influence on cell …