Reverse Socialisation And the Moderating Effect of Parenting Style and Family Communication Pattern on Parent Learning Process

Abstract

Rapid changes are taking place in the Indian consumer market. Children are no longer the newlinepassive consumers rather they are becoming active influencers and agents in parental learning. newlineThis trend is evident not only in India but worldwide which is due to growing incomes and newlinegrowing exposure of children to science and technology which gives them superior knowledge newlineabout new products, product operations and services compared to their parents. This has given newlinerise to a novel consumer socialization wherein children, acquire the role of knowledge and newlineinformation providers for their parents and help them relearn and reacquire skills to become newlineconsumers. newlineThis study investigates the motives behind parental learning from children, the methods newlineadopted by children to teach their parents and the acquisition of skills as a learning outcome newlinefor parents. Review of literature highlighted that most of the studies done in the past have only newlinetaken into consideration one direction of socialisation which is parents teaching their children newlineand completely ignored the fact that children too can teach the parents as learning is a lifelong newlineprocess. The research model Motivation- Learning Process- Skill Acquisition was developed newlinefor the study. The moderating role of parenting style and family communication pattern on newlinereverse socialisation process is not tested in the previous studies and very few studies have newlinetaken either one as their moderating variable. This study examines the effect of both parenting newlinestyle and family communication pattern as a moderating variable on the parent learning newlineprocess. newlineQualitative study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Data was collected from newline800 parents from across Goa who were having children within the age group of 16-26 years. newlineThe data was collected using a structured questionnaire and data was analysed using SEMPLS were used to perform the required statistical tests. The measurement models were newlinevalidated by testing for convergent and discriminant validity. The structural models and newlinehypotheses were tested and conclusions were drawn. newlineThe results revealed that motives significantly influence the learning process. The study newlineidentified three motives which were socio-emotional motives, experiential motives, functional newlinemotives and finance motives. These motives had a strong effect on the learning process. In the newlinestudy an attempt was made to examine the learning process and its impact on Skill outcome. newlineThe results indicated that the learning process significantly influences the skill outcome. The newlinelearning processes adopted for the study were modelling, reinforcement and social interaction newlinebased on Traditional model of Moschis and Chruchill. newlineParenting Style moderates significantly the learning process and has strong effect on reverse newlinesocialisation. Dimensions of Family communication pattern also was adopted as a moderator newlineand socio-oriented communication pattern significantly moderates the learning process and newlinestrongly affects the reverse socialisation process. newlineThe study has made some theoretical and managerial contributions which would be of great newlinehelp to academicians and marketers. The study has also outlined the directions for future newlineresearch, which could guide future researchers to extend the work in this area. newlineThe thesis further contributes to socialisation theory and socialisation research by extending newlinethe application of socialisation theory to reverse socialisation by studying the reverse newlinesocialisation process of parents and the motives behind the parents learning from the children. newlineIt also adds to the literature by investigating the learning process by identifying the methods newlineadopted by children to teach their parents. For marketers, the study has made important newlineobservations which will facilitate them to better serve the customer. The key methodological newlinecontribution lies in the development of new scales and adoption of methodological discourse newlineof reverse socialisation by using mixed methods and triangulating both qualitative and newlinequantitative results. newlineThe study has also made some theoretical and managerial contributions which would be of newlinegreat help to academicians and marketers. The study has also outlined the directions for future newlineresearch, which could guide future researchers to extend the work in this area. newlineKeywords: Reverse socialisation, parents, children, motives, learning process, skill acquisition, newlineparenting style, family communication pattern. newline