Socialization Agents on Adolescent Consumer Vulnerability: Moderating Role of Mother’s Employment (With Reference to Franchised Fast-food Industry in Sri Lanka)

Abstract

Adolescents are considered as a highly vulnerable customer group due to overconsumption of fast-food. According to existing scholars, adolescents’ food preferences are greatly determined by socialization agents. Moreover, it was revealed that the consumption of fast-food is varied with Mother’s Employment. Within this backdrop, the study aimed to analyze the impact of Socialization Agents on Adolescent Consumer Vulnerability with the moderating role of Mother’s Employment due to the scarcity of existing studies relevant to the field. Primary data were collected from 910 Adolescents through a 69-item self-administered questionnaire. Results indicated that Peers, Parents, TV advertisements, the Internet, and Retailers positively influence Adolescent Consumer Vulnerability, proving the first five hypotheses. Further, hypotheses 6b and 6e were also proved, revealing that Mother’s Employment partially moderates the impact of Socialization Agents on Adolescent Consumer Vulnerability.