An Examination of the Involvement Level in Purchasing Processes for Non-prescription Pain Relivers in Austria

The involvement level of customers in the buying process influences the information search of a potential customer to a huge extent. An understanding of the involvement level from consumers in a purchasing process can increase the efficiency and effectivity of communication efforts from companies. This study examines the level of involvement from consumers in the purchasing processes of non-prescription pain relivers in Austria. The objective of this paper is to detect potential differences in the level of involvement among customers with different demographic characteristics. An online-questionnaire was used to collect data from consumers in Austria. Responses from 406 participants were collected through a non-probability sampling method. Results revealed that people between 18–38 have a rather moderate involvement level in purchasing processes of non-prescriptive pain relivers. Moreover, there were no significant differences between people from different social classes and people with different education levels. Men and women do not have different involvement levels in this age group as well. Additionally, this study revealed that recommendations from experts are seen as a very important information source. People with a high involvement level towards the purchase of non-prescription pain relivers are collecting online information about pain relivers more often than people with a low involvement level.