Data Analysis for Digital Transformation: The Example of Willingness to Share Personal Information

Christopher Schumacher, Felix Eggers, Peter C. Verhoef, Peter Maas

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook chapterResearchpeer-review

Abstract

The advancing digital transformation enables firms to access a global audience of consumers. However, addressing consumers’ heterogeneous needs and preferences constitutes a considerable challenge for firms. Therefore, firms need a better understanding of how consumers can be purposefully segmented. This chapter segments consumers based on their willingness to share (WTS) personal information with firms, investigates how the privacy calculus and consumers’ relationships with firms affect WTS, and explores how WTS varies both nationally and internationally. Using multilevel latent class analysis on data from 15,068 consumers across 24 countries, it identifies three managerially meaningful consumer segments-“privacy-concerned consumers,” “privacy pragmatists,” and “relationship- seekers”-that predict WTS and are dispersed across data-prone and data-reluctant country classes. The empirical results show that the consumer segments differ significantly from one another, enabling multinational firms to adapt their marketing strategies and segmentation efforts to appeal to each distinct consumer segment, both within and across countries.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationA Research Agenda for Digital Transformation : Multidisciplinary Perspectives
EditorsJohn Q. Dong, Peter C. Verhoef
Number of pages46
Place of PublicationCheltenham
PublisherEdward Elgar Publishing
Publication date2024
Pages281-326
Chapter11
ISBN (Print)9781035306428
ISBN (Electronic)9781035306435
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Keywords

  • Information sharing
  • Data privacy
  • International market segmentation
  • International marketing
  • Latent class analysis

Cite this