{"id":37866,"date":"2026-01-19T12:59:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T11:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/?post_type=zusatzmaterial&p=37866"},"modified":"2026-01-19T12:59:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T11:59:15","slug":"3-3-means-end-theory-and-laddering-technique","status":"publish","type":"zusatzmaterial","link":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/zusatzmaterial\/3-3-means-end-theorie-und-laddering-technik\/","title":{"rendered":"3-3: \u201eMeans End\u201c theory and laddering technique"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marketing textbook, Keywords<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Consumer behaviour \u2192 Mental processes \u2192 Activating processes \u2192 Motivations (Chapter 3.4.1.3)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

In consumer behaviour research, an approach has become established that serves to analyse the relationships between objectively existing product characteristics on the one hand and product characteristics perceived subjectively by consumers and associated with certain benefits on the other.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The central hypothesis of the so-called \u201eMeans End\u201c theory states that consumers see products (service bundles) as means to achieve values or goals (\u201eends\u201c) (Gutman, 1982, p. 60 ff.; Reynolds\/Gutman, 1988, p. 11 ff.). The theory assumes that individual \u201emeans-end\u201c chains exist, which represent the hierarchically organised knowledge structures of consumers. The chains reflect the product perception and product evaluation process at different levels of abstraction (Herrmann\/Huber, 2000, p. 13 f.). As shown in Figure 1, the chain runs from concrete, objective product features of a trekking bike (e.g. \u201elow weight\u201c) to increasingly abstract, subjectively perceived product attributes derived from these features (e.g. \u201erolls better\u201c), the resulting benefits for the consumer (\u201eI have to exert myself less\u201c) and the associated values (\u201eI am physically fit\u201c).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\u201eDiagram
Figure 1: Customised \u201eMeans End\u201c chain using the example of a bicycle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The semi-qualitative laddering technique, which essentially consists of three steps, is used to record individual \u201eMeans End\u201c chains. Firstly, data is collected as part of a personal interview. The respondents are first given the task of selecting the product features relevant to their purchase decision. This can be done by means of a triad comparison or by forming a preference ranking for different products, with questions then being asked about the distinguishing features or the reasons for the judgement made. The second step involves the direct individual recording of the \u00bbMeans End\u00ab chains. The respondents are asked to form a chain of abstraction based on a specific product feature by repeatedly asking them about the reasons for an expressed opinion. The concrete or objective characteristics therefore form the basis for the actual laddering process with the question: \u201eWhy is this characteristic important to you?\u201c The question of \u201ewhy\u201c is repeated until the interviewee can no longer give an answer because they have arrived at a value attitude that is relevant to them and cannot be questioned any further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After analysing the responses from various respondents, the third step is the graphical preparation in the form of a so-called \u201eHierarchical Value Map (HVM)\u201c. In a tree-like structure, the relationships between the most important product features and the resulting consequences and derivable values are depicted. Figure 2 shows an example of such an HVM based on a study carried out by Lemser and Scharf (2004) for the product \u201ebicycle\u201c. The graphical representation provides a better understanding of the relationships of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"First\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Figure 2: Hierarchical value map as a result of a laddering analysis using the example of the \u00bbTrek-king bicycle\u00ab product\u00ab<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In marketing practice, this information is also used to create a segmentation according to consumer needs and values as well as a segment-specific service programme. The findings are also suitable for planning effective advertising measures that tie in with consumers' personal values and link the advertised products to these values.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Sources:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Gutman, J.: A Means-End Chain Model Based on Consumer Categorisation Processes; in: Journal of Marketing 1982, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 60-72.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Herrmann, A.\/Huber, F.: Kundenorientierte Produktgestaltung - Ziele und Aufgaben; in: Herrmann, A.\/Hertel, G.\/Virt, W.\/Huber, F. (eds.): Kundenorientierte Produktgestaltung, Munich 2000, pp. 3-18.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Lemser, B.\/Scharf, A.: Erfolgreiche Planung umweltorientierter Produktmodifikationen; in: Scharf, A. (Eds.): Schriftenreihe Marketing, No. 3, G\u00f6ttingen 2004. Reynolds, T. J.\/Gutman, J.: Laddering. Theory, Method, Analysis, and Interpretation; in: Journal of Advertising Research 1988, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 11-31.<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_piecal_is_recurring":false,"_piecal_recurring_interval":1,"_piecal_recurring_frequency":"","_piecal_recurring_exact_position":false,"_piecal_recurring_end":"","_piecal_color":"","_piecal_text_color":"","_piecal_global_color_master":false,"_piecal_rsets":"[]","_piecal_is_event":false,"_piecal_start_date":"","_piecal_end_date":"","_piecal_is_allday":false,"greyd_block_editor_preview":[],"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":""},"zusatzmaterial_category":[3287,3255],"zusatzmaterial_tag":[3288],"zielgruppen":[1873],"kontakt-zuordnung":[3203],"projekt":[1422],"institut-oder-einric":[683],"stg-zuordnung":[696],"zusatzbereiche":[1602],"fachbereich":[804],"wf_zusatzmaterial_folders":[3274],"ppma_author":[1400],"class_list":["post-37866","zusatzmaterial","type-zusatzmaterial","status-publish","hentry","zusatzmaterial_category-kapitel-3","zusatzmaterial_category-marketing-lehrbuch","zusatzmaterial_tag-kapitel-3","zielgruppen-studieninteressierte","kontakt-zuordnung-stglassl","projekt-n-a","institut-oder-einric-sensoriklabor","stg-zuordnung-n-a","zusatzbereiche-_n-a","fachbereich-n-a"],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/zusatzmaterial\/37866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/zusatzmaterial"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/zusatzmaterial"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"zusatzmaterial_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/zusatzmaterial_category?post=37866"},{"taxonomy":"zusatzmaterial_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/zusatzmaterial_tag?post=37866"},{"taxonomy":"zielgruppen","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/zielgruppen?post=37866"},{"taxonomy":"kontakt-zuordnung","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kontakt-zuordnung?post=37866"},{"taxonomy":"projekt","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/projekt?post=37866"},{"taxonomy":"institut-oder-einric","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institut-oder-einric?post=37866"},{"taxonomy":"stg-zuordnung","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/stg-zuordnung?post=37866"},{"taxonomy":"zusatzbereiche","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/zusatzbereiche?post=37866"},{"taxonomy":"fachbereich","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fachbereich?post=37866"},{"taxonomy":"wf_zusatzmaterial_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_zusatzmaterial_folders?post=37866"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hs-nordhausen.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=37866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}