Vietnamese family is changing and so may be the way they make mid-to-high
involvement consumer decisions. A dynamic economy, rising standards of living and an
increasingly consumption-oriented society are changing the way families interact, especially
about consumption. The traditional belief that the big decisions are always made by the
paternal head of family is no longer the norm. In some cases the household head is switching
from the eldest male to the main salary earner. There are also smaller nuclear family
households with fewer children. With increasing education levels of younger generations and
changing family dynamics, the possibility of increased reciprocal consumer socialisation
occurring is likely.
In this study, we investigate how traditional three-generational Vietnamese families
living in the same household communicate about consumption decisions relating to
environmentally friendly household products. The aim was to find out how decisions are made
in these close-knit families with regards to purchases of sustainable household products. We
looked at what role various family members are likely to have in the purchase decision process.
Specifically, we investigated who are most likely to be the decision maker in the family and
who are likely to function as socialisation agents or influencers. Our investigation was based on
an analysis of ‘consumer socialisation agency’ within families. This includes uncovering how family members learn from each other with regards to consumption of environmentally
sustainable household products.