Debabrata Talukdar is a professor in the marketing department at the University at Buffalo New York. He is a scholar and an author of several academic journals and books from different disciplines. The author holds a Ph.D. in marketing and applied economics from the University of Rochester. He also studied operations research at the same university of Rochester. Debu, as he is also commonly referred to, also undertook International Development at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is also a holder of bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Jadavpur University in India. This is a clear indication that our author is a scholar who has achieved a lot in the education sector.

Before joining the academic sector, Talukdar had several experiences in the public service. He worked as a business strategist and public policy expert in both private and public sector where he achieved a lot. Talukdar has also worked with several multinational companies in policy making and management level. He is known to have an interest in economic modeling and empirical analysis of business strategy and public policy matters that are related to the provision of both public and private goods to the consumers. Most of his publications and research works revolves around retail market dynamics, consumers and organization’s decisions under information uncertainties, consumer health behavior, sustainable development, urban poverty issues and new product diffusion process just to mention a few.

Talukdar works have been recognized both locally and internationally. As a result f his good work, the author has received several awards. For instance, he has won the Outstanding Graduate Thesis an award he won in 1997 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Also to the list of the awards include the Young Investigator- Exceptional Scholar Award that he won in 2002. In 2012, Talukdar was recognized and awarded the Sustained Research Achievement Award from the University at Buffalo.

Talukdar’s works have been presented and published in leading journals and international conferences especially in the areas of economic development and business management. Land economics, world development, a journal of business ethics, Annals of applied statistics, a journal of public policy and marketing as well as a journal of marketing research among many others are some of the sources of these publications (Hoyer, Pieters and MacInnis). His studies continue to be cited in leading international journals as well as by other scholars in varied disciplines such as economics and public policy, management, environment, law, public health and computer information system (Earl and Kemp). It is also worth understanding that the works of Talukdar have also been cited by several international media houses such as the Associated Press, business week, Forbes, Atlantic Monthly, Buffalo News and ABC News just to mention a few. It is also prudent noting that Talukdar is not only a scholar but is also active in other activities. For instance, Talukdar is known to be an environmentalist who works hard in the woodland gardening projects in the woods of his backyard. In essence, Talukdar is an author whose works has been recognized internationally by different scholars and policy makers.

Description, interpretation, and analysis of his first work

‘’Consumer information search revisited: Theory and empirical analysis’’ is the first publication that present the work of Debabrata Talukdar. This is a journal of consumer research that was authored by Talukdar together with Sridhar Moorthy and Brian T. Ratchford. The journal was published on 1ast March 1977 by University of Chicago Press and has been cited by 735. The journal provides a comprehensive framework that helps understand consumer information search and how it influences their decision making (Moorthy, Ratchford and Talukdar). The work of Talukdar and his co-authors emphasizes on the important factors that affect consumer choice and how these factors interact with each other. Issues of prior brand perceptions on the search process and how it relates to consumer choice are adequately addressed by this journal.

The journal outlines major theoretical analysis that suggests information processing strategies essential for consumer decision making. Talkardur and his co-authors emphasize the importance of the consumers taking advantage of the features offered by the business environment. These strategies give insights on how consumers can improve the quality of decisions they make concerning choices of products (Earl and Kemp). In this journal, the authors argue that when consumers have a brand-specific prior distribution of utility, then it is imperative that there is the existence of relative uncertainty among brands is essential if the information search will be successful. If consumers have brand –specifics, then there are high chances that there will be pre-determined choices thus making information search irrelevant.

The journal has a special emphasis on the importance of product knowledge that is critical for decision making by the consumers. As a result, the authors seek to explain why class product involvement or low search costs may not be sufficient but necessary to induce large amounts of search activity. The authors have also tried to explain the existence of an inverse U-shaped relationship between search activity and experience (Moorthy, Ratchford and Talukdar). To help the users of the journal understanding the concept, the authors have decided to test the theory on consumers search behavior for new automobiles. The process involved the use of data collected contemporaneously with consumers’ actual decision process. The effectiveness of the journal provisions is supported by the empirical data collected and is used to support the theory. In essence, the journal places a lot of emphasis on the importance of having perfect product knowledge before making choices (Punj). Effective consumer choice heavily depends on relevant information and evaluation of product and consequently makes the right choices. Self-perception of product knowledge, as well as accurate information held in the memory, is the essential components of product knowledge that are explained in the journal (Moorthy, Ratchford and Talukdar). It is, therefore, wise to conclude that the journal provides insights to consumers on how best they can make quality choices on what and when to buy certain products.

Description, interpretation, and analysis of his second work

‘’A model of consumer choice of the Internet as an information source’’ is a second journal that is work of the Takaldur in the respect of consumer choices. This journal was published on 1st March 2001 by Routledge publishers and has been cited over 281 times. The journal is authored by Brian T Ratchford, Myung-Soo Lee, and Debabrata Talukdar. In the journal, the authors outline a model of demand for the internet, and other information sources are presented that treats the internet as a production factor employed in producing benefits of search (Ratchford, Lee and Talukdar). The authors want to acknowledge the importance of the internet as a source of information for consumers in decision making. The internet has been providing essential information about functional attributes and prices that are related to certain products. In the journal, Talukdar and his co-authors have made propositions on the Internet use and its impact on the use of other information sources. Just like in his other publication, Talukdar uses an empirical approach to support the theory with data on internet use as a source of information to consumers. The Journal used the use of the internet by consumers looking for new automobiles in the market.

For several years, the internet has been a valuable tool for research, especially for online shoppers. Most consumers rely on information from the Internet to make purchasing decisions. According to the authors of this journal, information processing strategies are vital for online shoppers. Talukdar and his co-authors have emphasized on the advantages that are accompanied by the internet source of information (Earl and Kemp). Although there are other sources of information, the authors of this journal have emphasized the importance of internet sources of information available to them (Ratchford, Lee and Talukdar).  However, the success of the internet shopping will depend on the development of presentation formats that allow consumers to screen easily several options from which the consumers can make their choices.

The journal concludes by emphasizing the importance of increasing demand for information sources and importance of internet sources. The journal emphasis on the advantages of the internet sources of information. For instance, the internet sources have been cited as a cost saving to the consumers. There are several attributes that internet sources provide to the consumers. The author emphasis on the increased consumer welfare that is associated with internet sources of information. It is also important to understand that the journal also provides alternative sources of information to consumers (Ratchford, Lee and Talukdar). The journal, however, warns the users of internet sources that are likely to lead to expensive attributes. It is also worth noting that the journal has also outlined the disadvantages likely to be resulting from increased use of internet sources. For instance, the journal express that there is the likelihood that most salespersons will be rendered jobless due to the abundance of information on the internet (Hoyer, Pieters and MacInnis). The authors of the journal also emphasizes that the users of internet information are mainly young people who are computer literate and have access to the internet.

Conclusion

Debabrata Talukdar has contributed a lot to the development of different disciplines through his publications. He has authored several journals in different disciplines that have been cited in various scholarly works, journals and media outlets all over the world. It is also imperative noting that his work has been recognized internationally and, as a result, the author has received major international awards. His contribution to environmental sustainability, law, and economics make him a suitable artist whose work is worth recognition.

(Work cited)

Earl, Peter E, and Simon Kemp. The Elgar Companion To Consumer Research And Economic Psychology. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 1999. Print.

Hoyer, Wayne D, Rik Pieters, and Deborah J MacInnis. Consumer Behavior. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.

Lau, Annie YS, and Enrico W Coiera. ‘Impact Of Web Searching And Social Feedback On Consumer Decision Making: A Prospective Online Experiment’. J Med Internet Res 10.1 (2008): e2. Web.

Moorthy, Sridhar, Brian T. Ratchford, and Debabrata Talukdar. ‘Consumer Information Search Revisited: Theory And Empirical Analysis’. J CONSUM RES 23.4 (1997): 263. Web.

Punj, Girish. ‘Consumer Decision Making On The Web: A Theoretical Analysis And Research Guidelines’. Psychology & Marketing 29.10 (2012): 791-803. Web.

Ratchford, Brian T, Myung-Soo Lee, and Debabrata Talukdar. ‘International Journal Of Electronic Commerce’. 5.3 (2001): n. pag. Print.

 
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