Phenomenological study on the lived experience of millennial moms decision-making process in choosing birthplace
The decision of birthplace is one of the most important phases in a woman's life. It has a significant impact on women's psychological development and well-being. In Malaysia, millennial moms significantly contributed to the birth rate. Malaysia’s vital statistics show the average age o...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114070/1/114070.pdf |
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| Summary: | The decision of birthplace is one of the most important phases in a woman's life. It has
a significant impact on women's psychological development and well-being. In
Malaysia, millennial moms significantly contributed to the birth rate. Malaysia’s vital
statistics show the average age of the mother at first live birth in Malaysia was among
the millennial mom generation. Millennial moms, who contributed to a sizable
proportion of childbirth in Malaysia, exhibit distinct characteristics, shifting the
demographic landscape, particularly in healthcare service decision-making. The
birthplace decision-making process has evolved significantly due to technological
advancements. As a digital-savvy generation, millennial moms rely mostly on digital
communication platforms (i.e., SNS, Google) in making health-related (birthplace)
decisions. In the era of digital evidence-informed healthcare, information is almost
instantaneous. The digitalization communication platform has altered consumer
decisions, preferences, and behavioral patterns, with millennial moms fixating on other
moms' reviews and experiences to make birthplace consumption decisions. The online
sharing of experiences and testimonials facilitates millennial moms to make more
informed birthplace decisions. The rise of consumer-centric healthcare services saw
millennial moms treated as consumers rather than patients, moving away from a
paternalistic decision-making approach in choosing their birthplace.
However, scarce details are known on the details process of how millennial moms make
the birthplace decision. Existing birthplace studies were evaluated from a medical and
organizational perspective, omitting the consumer-centric approach as part of the
decision-making process. Meanwhile, the prior consumer decision process model (i.e.,
Engel, Blakewell, and Minniard, EBM) does not consider the proliferation of online
sharing, reviews, virtual communication, and non-cognitive aspects as part of the
decision process. To address this issue, the main objective of this study is to explore the
lived experience of millennial moms' consumer decision-making process in choosing
their birthplace. This study employed qualitative descriptive phenomenological research
inquiry.
The data is collected using in-depth interviews and informal observation (i.e., field
notes). Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenology was applied to analyze the data. A final
total of six participants were involved in this study. The number of participants for this
study is determined upon reaching the saturation point of the phenomenology inquiry.
Participants were selected using maximum variation sampling based on the pre-requisite
criteria (i.e., experienced millennial moms, had a positive/negative/both birthplace
experience), middle-income earners, gave birth at a government hospital/ private
hospital/both government and private hospitals. Findings in this study identified the
details decision-making stages where eight major themes emerged; (1) need recognition,
(2) information stage, (3) alternative evaluation, (4) pre-decision, (5) decision, (6) postservice
evaluation, (7) consumer continuum of involvement, and (8) variables influences
decision process.
This study yielded three major conclusions. First, the decision stages are not fixed to
order, which prior birth experience helps expedite the decision process and reduce the
number of decision cycles. Second, the participant's level of involvement in birthplace
decision-making varied according to the outcome of the birthplace experience. It has
been discovered that the more satisfying the birthplace experience, the lower the level
of involvement in the decision-making process. Third, the decision-making process of
Millennial moms is dissimilar and unique from other service product decision-making
processes. The study has provided comprehensive and valuable insights that will benefit
policymakers, service providers, and marketers in understanding the consumer
birthplace decision-making process. Further, the study's findings provided a roadmap
that will assist service providers in effectively tailoring their maternity service product
offerings. |
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