Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR) ISSN No: 2319-5614

Volume 3, No.10, October 2014

Readership Behaviour of Printed Business Magazines

G.Vishnupriya, M.Phil Research Scholar, Department of Business Administration, Annamalai University, India
Dr. C. Kathiravan, Research Guide, Assistant Professor, Department of Business Administration, Annamalai University,
India
G. Sriram, Doctoral Research Scholar (Full Time), Department of Business Administration, Annamalai University
Abstract
The aim of the study is to figure out readership behaviour of printed business magazines. The data was collected from 200
readers in Chennai, India by using convenient sampling method. The study measures various factors and its influence on
print readership behaviour and various experiences of readers got while reading business magazines. The research out-
come revealed that time spent, frequency and completeness are the factors which influence print readership behaviour.

Keywords: Readership, Time spent, Frequency and Completeness

Introduction Fishbein & Ajzen, 1972; Mizokawa & Hansen- Kren-

Despite major shifts in the publishing world including
dramatic declines in print ad revenues and numerous
closures of print publications consumers still want to
read print magazines: 92% say they plan to stick to print;
and when given the choice of print, e-reader, or online
delivery, 90% still prefer print, according to a survey
from the CMO council. Common misconception that the
millennial generation whose approximate ages range
from 18-34 doesn’t read print media because they’re too
busy browsing blogs, tweeting, and checking their Face-
book News feed. However, recent studies have shed light
on the fact that these so-called ‘Digital natives’ still rely
on print, both newspapers and magazines, as sources of
information and entertainment. And in some categories,
this age group is reading more print than ever before.
1.1 Relevance of Business Magazines
Business magazines in India are one of the best ways of
getting all the information regarding the current events
taking place in the business world of India. Business
magazines in India provide all the information that is
required to quench the thirst and curiosity of the general
mass. The market for the Business India magazine is
vast. True to its commitment, the magazine spots, analy-
ses and reports the present trends, conducts industry sur-
veys. The magazine looks ahead to create a database of
profiles of the hotshots and rising stars of the Indian in-
dustry. This magazine was of great help and added to the
overall development and promotion of the Business
magazines scenario. Most Business magazines in India
follow the same time-tested model of presenting news.
These magazine has developed innovative ideas of
bringing cutting edge information in a never before way.
2. Review of Literature
Todd McCauley, 2005 “Readership behaviour is a base-
line measurement for the frequency, completeness and
amount of time consumes spend with the local daily
newspaper”.
ing, 2000, the physical act of reading is only one aspect
of the complete reading experience. Guthrie and Gre-
aney (1991: 87) state that people’s attitudes to reading
are resultant from “perceptions” acquired from past read-
ing experiences regarding how pleasurable and valuable
reading.
Gary Morgan, 1982, “Respondents were also asked the
number of times they read specific issues of each of the
magazines”.
Burgoon & Burgoon, (1980) Frequency measures such
as the number of times per week that people read the
newspaper are commonly used in academic studies. Me-
dia measurement has focused mainly on usage, usually
measured with a single critical question.
Brown (1999) discussed the “read yesterday” question
used to measure newspaper readership.
Deepak R. K. A., et. al (2014), results suggest that an
Ambush cause appeal can perform as well as a CRM
appeal, and that the cause need not be closely associated
to the marketer (Company-Cause Fit) to favourably in-
fluence perceptions of the audience.
Brown (1999) discussed the “read yesterday” question
used to measure newspaper readership.
Loges & Ball- Rokeach, (1993) Time spent reading a
newspaper has also been used. Readership Institute,
North Western University, defines time spent “The
amount of time consumers spent reading or looking at
their newspaper both on weekdays and Sundays. One of
three elements comprising the Reader Behaviour Score,
along with frequency and completeness.
Deepak R. K. A., et. al., (2013), CRM became the vehi-
cle by which companies indirectly propagandized their
brands and it has provided companies with a new tool to

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 Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR)
Volume 3, No.10, October 2014
compete in the market. Readership Institute, North
Western University, defines completeness “How much
of the newspaper consumers read in an average weekday
and Sunday. One of three elements comprising the
Reader Behavior Score, along with time and frequency.
Kanthiah Alias Deepak et. al (2014), study reveals that
the marketer too understand that there must be consis-
tency on CRM message and repeated ads vastly reduces
the Skeptism. The marketer should be cautious while
designing the advertisement, it should be well organized
and presenting the facts which can build the credibility
of the audient. (Ferguson and Weigold, 1986; Allen
and Izcaray, 1988; Culbertson, Evarts, Richard, San-
dell, and Stempel III, 1994) Printed newspapers or
magazines also make their readers aware of those other
topics outside the range of their individual interests,
sharing, resourceful and advertisement purpose about a
wider array of events and issues in one’s community.
3. Problem Of The Study
Reading habits of people has been changed nowadays. It
is because of life style and technology advancement.
People study print media to satisfy their reading urge. It
provides various features. People may also have various
experiences like sharing, interest, makes themselves re-
sourceful, and ads to entertain while studying business
magazines. Hence, the present study aims to understand
the readership behaviour of business magazines readers
in print media.
4. Objectives
a) To analyse the frequency, time spent and complete-
ness of reading business magazines.
b) To explore the experiences of readers on reading
business magazine.
5. Research Methodology
This section discusses the sample size, sample selection
procedure, variables selection, the model used for the
research and the statistical techniques employed to find
out the readership behaviour of business magazine read-
ers and their various experiences.
5.1 Sample Size
In the account of sample size we have sent questionnaire
through mail to 323 respondents. We have received back
the filled questionnaire from 265 respondents. From that
we have selected valid 200 responses.
5.2 Participants
All 200 participants are business magazine readers who
are residing in Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. The sample
sizes including 68 respondents are Students, 84 are Sala-
ried, 33 are entrepreneur and 15 are retired.
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ISSN No: 2319-5614
5.3 Sample Selection Procedure
Samples were selected by using convenience sampling
method. This method of sampling involves using con-
venient method without going through the rigor of sam-
pling method. As we have received subscribers list from
few business magazine publishers from which that the
samples were selected by convenience sampling method.
5.4 Hypothesis
The hypothesis is framed as mentioned below.
a) Readership behaviors of print vary with age of read-
ers.
b) Readership behaviors of print do not vary with edu-
cation of readers.
c) Print experience varies with age of readers.
d) Print experience varies with education.
5.5 Results
The sample data comprised of 200 respondents residing
in Chennai. The newspaper readers in the chosen data set
are represented in table 1. The total sample size of 200
respondents comprises of 68 students, 84 salaried peo-
ple, 33 are entrepreneur and 15 retired peoples.
Table 2 Frequency having Chi-square value of 9.514
with 8 degree of freedom has been found to be non-
significant at 5 percent level. It also inferred that time
spent having Chi-square value of 7.549 with 8 degree of
freedom has been found to be non-significant at 5 per-
cent level. The completeness having Chi-square value of
7.242 with 8 degree of freedom has been found to be
non-significant at 5 percent level. The test of hypothesis
indicates that null hypothesis is accepted and alternate
hypothesis is rejected.
Table 3 Frequency having Chi-square value of 0.337
with 4 degree of freedom has been found to be non-
significant at 5 percent level. It also inferred that time
spent having Chi-square value of 1.286 with 4 degree of
freedom has been found to be non-significant at 5 per-
cent level. The completeness having Chi-square value of
2.838 with 4 degree of freedom has been found to be
non-significant at 5 percent level. The test of hypothesis
indicates that null hypothesis is accepted and alternate
hypothesis is rejected.
Table 4 One way ANOVA model shown in the table-1,
it can be inferred that the F values of 0.478,1.076,1.193
and 1.639 corresponding to print experience on each
different Age groups of respondents such as below 20,
21-30, 31-40, 41-50 and above 51 found to be not sig-
nificant at 5 percent level. This result clearly shows that
there is no significant variation in the readership behav-
iour among the different Age groups of respondents such
as below 20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50 and above 51. The test
Blue Ocean Research Journals 16
 Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR)
Volume 3, No.10, October 2014
of hypothesis indicates that null hypothesis is accepted
and alternate hypothesis is rejected.
Table 5 One way ANOVA model shown in the table-1,
it can be inferred that the F values of 1.932, 1.836,4.290
and 0.267 corresponding to four dimensions of print ex-
perience on each different educational qualification of
respondents such as up to schooling, graduate and mas-
ters found to be not significant at 5 percent level. The
test of hypothesis indicates that null hypothesis is ac-
cepted and alternate hypothesis is rejected.
6. Limitations
The present investigation, through carried out on scien-
tific lines, suffers from the following limitations. The
study is made for a specific period only and not continu-
ously for a long period. However, the above limitations
in no way affect the validity of the findings of the study.
The finding of study is restricted to only one city of In-
dia (Chennai). Few specific and important dimensions
have been used for the study purpose. The attitude of the
participants may change from time to time.
7. Suggestions For Future Research
The study of readership behaviour is a very prominent
area for print media. Magazine publishing industry is
very keen in knowing the behaviour of readers. The
study of readership behaviour in magazines particularly
business magazines is a new dimension of research in
magazine industry. At present it has been carried out
only in a single city (Chennai). In future it can be carried
out in various cities in India. Through expanding to other
cities, we can do the comparative study between the cit-
ies in India. Since, this study has been carried out with
the focus on Business magazine. The same can be ap-
plied for other peculiar kind of magazines. This is a
unique study to measure the readership and similarly,
many more components that are new can be included in
the future study.
8. Conclusion
The research output provides valuable inputs to the pub-
lishers, as they don’t need consider the age, education,
occupation, experience of the readers while overlook the
behaviour of printed magazine readers. The study pro-
vides new impetus to service providers of business
magazines to know the behaviour of readers. Thus, it
adds value in the form of resource to an existing litera-
ture and guideline for marketers in the magazine indus-
try.
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 Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR) ISSN No: 2319-5614
Volume 3, No.10, October 2014

APPENDIX

Table 1: Frequency of respondents

S.No Occupation Frequency

1 Students 68
2 Salaried 84
3 Entrepreneur 33
4 Retired 15

Table 2 : Associations between Age range and Readership variables (Print)

Age range Pearson

S.No. Component Below 20 21-30 31-40 41-50 above 51 Total Chi-square Sig
(df)
LS MS HS LS MS HS LS MS HS LS MS HS LS MS HS LS MS HS
A Frequency 2 11 4 11 65 22 8 21 13 1 23 3 2 11 3 24 131 45 9.514 0.301NS
B Time spent 3 9 5 7 54 37 1 23 18 0 15 12 1 8 7 12 109 79 7.549 0.479 NS
C Completeness 1 9 7 7 58 33 0 30 12 1 14 12 0 11 5 9 122 69 7.242 0.511 NS

Table 3 :Association between Education and Readership variables (Print)

Education Pearson
S.No Component Upto Schooling Graduate Masters Total Chi-square Sig
(df)
LS MS HS LS MS HS LS MS HS LS MS HS
A Frequency 1 4 1 16 87 29 7 40 15 24 131 45 0.337 0.987 NS
B Time spent 0 3 3 7 74 51 5 32 25 12 109 79 1.286 0.864 NS
C Completeness 0 3 3 8 79 45 1 40 21 9 122 69 2.838 0.585 NS

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 Journal of Business Management & Social Sciences Research (JBM&SSR) ISSN No: 2319-5614
Volume 3, No.10, October 2014

TABLE 4: AGE vs PRINT EXPERIENCE

Sources of Sum of Mean

S.No Variable df F Sig.
variables squares square
Between
33.292 4 8.323
Groups
1 Sharing Within Groups 3392.58 195 17.398 0.478 0.752 NS
Total 3425.88 199
Between
61.809 4 15.452
Groups
2 Interest Within Groups 2799.71 195 14.357 1.076 0.369 NS
Total 2861.52 199
Between
55.655 4 13.914
Groups
3 Resourceful Within Groups 2273.85 195 11.661 1.193 0.315 NS
Total 2329.5 199
Between
119.144 4 29.786
Groups
4 Ads Within Groups 3544.81 195 18.179 1.639 0.166 NS
Total 3663.96 195

TABLE 5 : EDUCATION vs PRINT EXPERIENCE

S.No Variable Sources of Sum of df Mean F Sig.

variables squares square
Between Groups 65.918 2 32.959
1 Sharing Within Groups 3359.957 197 17.056 1.932 0.148 NS

Total 3425.875 199

Between Groups 52.352 2 26.176
2 Interest Within Groups 2809.168 197 14.260 1.836 0.162 NS

Total 2861.52 199

Between Groups 97.221 2 48.610
3 Resourceful Within Groups 2232.279 197 11.331 4.290 0.015 *

Total 2329.5 199

Between Groups 9.916 2 4.958
4 Ads Within Groups 3654.039 197 18.548 0.267 0.766 NS

Total 3663.955 199

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