The Convergence of Endogenous and Exogenous Influences on Consumer Behavior

Abstract: Consumer behavior is a central theme for the science of marketing, its research growing in importance over the last years, due to the need for detailed information in order to explain and to predict how consumers make their decisions. The research on that subject keeps developing continuously, while the interest is both academic and practical, in order to identify and investigate the factors that influence behavior. The present paper explores the influence of endogenous and exogenous factors, by analysing the content of 73 scientific publications. These influences are explored and their synergies are explained. While the influence of each factor can be addressed individually, the integration of those influences brings new useful information on what shapes and guides consumer decision-making. In that regard, the convergence-based approach highlights the elements that are relevant for the marketing efforts to better satisfy the customers and improve business outcomes.

Keywords: Consumer behavior, Buyer decision-making, Endogenous influences, Exogenous influences