Abstract:

The acquisition, conservation and utilization of power is deliberated as a vital process within social relations. This study investigates the impact of passive parental power including legitimate, referent and expert power typology on child purchase influence during family buying decision. To test these factors, a power influence research model based upon the Social Power Theory was used. A cross sectional causal research was conducted. Data was collected by using purposive sampling method from parents of children aged between seven to twelve years. Data comprises of 600 respondents from Karachi, Pakistan. Structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was used for quantitative data analysis. Findings reveal that, expert power significantly impacting child purchase influence, as parents are knowledgeable and young children are bound to depend on their parent’s wisdom in unfamiliar circumstances. Moreover, child influence was found to mediate the relationship between passive power of parents and parental purchase decision in the context of parent-child purchase relationship. Referent power and legitimate power were insignificantly related to child purchase influence, suggesting these power bases as weaker mechanisms of control/influence. The results provide a methodical platform to analyse the subliminal power that affects child purchase influence while family buying. It provides a unique dimension to understand the application of social power theory within the context of power/influence model in a parent child relationship during household purchases. Marketers can utilize this research to design their marketing strategies in a way that allows them to effectively target parents and their children simultaneously using expert power. Marketers can increase the impact of their promotional message using reputable industry experts and well known celebrities having a perceived expert image in target audience’s mind by targeting expert opinion. Findings orate that parents can steer child’s purchase influence by proper usage of soft power typology.

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