Acta Universitatis Danubius. Œconomica, Vol 13, No 4 (2017)

Abstract

The problem of inconsistent results of empirical studies is a reality in any research field. Literature provides the approach of meta-analysis as a solution because it responds to the challenge of evaluating, combining, comparing and synthesizing the accumulation of results to a typical, common and representative value of a particular research topic. In this paper, we aim to respond through meta-analysis to a double challenge within marketing scientific research field. We analyze the applicability level of mixed methods in relation to quantitative methods by evaluating the differences among empirical results from studies whose aim concerns the same research topic, namely the customer behavior. Based on a set of well-defined criteria, we selected 20 studies published in two journals from American Marketing Association database. The search was limited to a number of keywords included in the title of these papers: consumer, behavior and customer. The results obtained from the quantitative review of the literature specific to consumer behavior analysis suggest that the type of method is a significant determinant of the differences existing among results of primary studies.