ANALISIS ATRIBUSI KONSUMEN ATAS SKANDAL TOYOTA-DAIHATSU DAN IMPLIKASINYA DALAM KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN DI KOTA SEMARANG

Abstract

The 2023 scandal involving irregularities in safety certification procedures by Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. raised questions about how consumers evaluate information concerning vehicle safety and how such evaluations relate to purchase decisions. This study aims to analyze consumer evaluations of the Toyota Daihatsu side-collision test scandal and their relationship with the decision to continue purchasing. The study employs a qualitative approach within a post-positivist paradigm using an explanatory case study design. Weiner’s Attribution Theory is used to analyze consumer evaluations, while Consumer Switching Costs is employed as a rival explanation. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with eight consumers in Semarang, digital public opinion, and national retail sales data, and were analyzed using pattern matching and triangulation. The findings show that consumers evaluated the scandal through diverse attribution patterns concerning the source of the problem, control over the problem, and its persistence. However, these attribution patterns did not show a consistent relationship with the decision to continue purchasing Toyota-Daihatsu vehicles. In contrast, financial, relational, and procedural considerations associated with the consequences of switching brands demonstrated a relatively stronger pattern fit, including resale value, cost and convenience of use, access to services and spare parts, experiences with the brand, and relationships with dealers.