Kadın Kooperatiflerinin Yönetimsel Anlamda Ekonomik Ve Sosyal Yaşamda Rolü Ve Önemi
Anahtar Kelimeler
Businesses design products which have high competitiveness in the market place, to meet the needs and wants of the consumers who differ from each other in terms of psychological, socio-cultural, situational, and demographic factors. Gender, like others, strongly affects consumers’ decision-making processes and their behaviors. Women have various consumption roles in the society such as decision-maker, influencer, purchaser, user, and consumer, just like men, but female consumers differ from male consumers in many behavioral areas such as desires, needs, expectations, preferences, decisions, actions, and satisfaction. Therefore, gender is an important issue that needs to be addressed in terms of product design and development processes. The way the gender is handled in the design world sometimes produces complex and problematic issues. We frequently witness female consumers’ dissatisfaction since they, in several product categories, are obliged to use a product that is designed based on male i.e. physiology or need. For example, the “Shrink it and pink it” approach, which refers to producing smaller and/or female-related-toned/colored versions of products typically and originally designed for men — such as razors, drills, gardening equipments, or personal protective gears (i.e. helmets, gloves, masks, goggles, and protective clothing) — is a common phrase used in the design industry when creating and developing products aimed at female consumers/users. Although it varies depending on the product category, the assumption that the femininity [represented symbolically by pink & small] is the main quality or difference that women look for in any product, shows that the concepts of “need” and “want” are not fully understood by the marketers and designers. The product is a three-layer structure. At its core is the core benefit or intrinsic value, and this area is matched to the need of the consumer. This core is surrounded by the concrete tangible features of the product. On the outer layer there are some additional features and elements enriching the product. If a product does not offer the expected benefit, value, and function in its core; consumer satisfaction either does not occur or remains very low even if the product’s concrete, tangible, and enriched elements are perfectly designed. In summary, the success of a product for the female consumer, which is valid for all consumer groups, is primarily related to the fact that it ensures the expected benefit. Another example is attributing a traditional role to women through the way the product is designed. Attributing traditional roles to women based on their gender when designing a product is closely related to gender issues and is commonly practiced in the marketplace. For example, when designing a kitchen appliance, designers and marketers often assume the default user is a woman (traditional role attribution) and make design decisions based on the predicted tastes, preferences, and needs or other behavioral characteristics of this assumed user. These attributions frequently appear in everyday life. For instance, baby care rooms in shopping malls are predominantly located next to women’s restrooms. This layout suggests that the responsibility for childcare is primarily on women, implying that men do not have a responsibility in this regard or are not expected to share this duty. Therefore we are addressing a matter that is encountered even in architectural design. When examining gender-based product design, it is crucial to understand the core strategies businesses follow. There are three main approaches in marketing strategies: undifferentiated (mass) marketing, which involves targeting the entire market with a single marketing mix; differentiated (multi-segment) marketing, which involves developing different marketing mixes tailored to various target market segments; and concentrated (focused, niche) marketing, which focuses on targeting a single market segment with a single marketing mix. If an undifferentiated marketing strategy is appropriate for the target market and the product in question, a better-functioning single product can be designed for both men and women, hence the entire market, by applying some design principles such as universal design, inclusive design, or gender-neutral design. However, if gender is creating a real differentiation in consumer desires and needs, adopting a differentiated marketing approach in relevant product and service categories would be more appropriate. This approach involves developing different products/services that align with the expectations of both genders, thereby better meeting their specific needs and wants. Finally, two prominent factors can be highlighted for the problems mentioned above and also for the success of products & services developed for female consumers. First, while the presence of female designers in the design process is beyond the scope of this study, it is important to mention that the existing literature has long argued and suggested that female designers can offer a deeper understanding of the needs and preferences of female users. Therefore, there has been advocacy for greater representation of female designers in product design to address design inequalities and to achieve design justice for female consumers. Various studies and statistics indicate a significant underrepresentation of women in design world. Therefore, the need, and even the imperative, for increased female presence in design is undeniable and clear. However, it’s equally, if not more, important to emphasize the critical role of market research. This represents the second aspect of the matter. Just as male designers are not the sole determinants of success of designs aimed at men, female designers alone don’t determine that success either. The determinant of design is not solely the narrative of a single designer or design team, but rather the market’s narrative. Effective design and marketing strategies must align with market insights. Therefore, listening to the voice and signals from the target market, accurately analyzing consumer’s diverse needs and demands is a key. Only by doing so, designers and businesses can respond to the call of consumers, effectively manage design and product development processes, and achieve desired outcomes in the marketplace.
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