Are Men More Rational than Women when Purchasing Cars?: A Comparison of Cultural Influences on Product Judgment in Brazil and the United States of America

Breno Giovanni Adaid Castro,Claudio Vaz Torres,Gisela Demo,Thiago Gomes Nascimento

doi:10.15728/bbr.2015.12.6.4

Breno Giovanni Adaid Castro, Claudio Vaz Torres + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.15728/bbr.2015.12.6.4

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Journal: Brazilian Business Review	Publication Date: Nov 3, 2015
Citations: 7	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: Universidade de Brasília

Abstract

The main goal of the study was to identify and to compare the type of judgment used in Brazil and in the United States of America relative to the purchase of automobiles and the relevance of Human Values in the evaluation used. Brazilians (N=542) and North Americans (N=449) filled out the List of Values (LOV) (KAHLE; KENNEDY, 1988) and the Judgment and Meaning Scale (ALLEN, 1997, 2000). The results suggested that in Brazil the judgment for purchasing a car is predominantly affective, while in the United States it is predominantly piecemeal. In both countries women scored higher in piecemeal judgment for car purchase. The values of “Excitement” and “being well respected” are related to affective judgment in both countries while “Personal Achievement” is related to piecemeal judgment in Brazil and the United States. This research contributes to the advancement of studies in Consumer Behavior by analyzing the role of human values in the type of judgment and meaning men and women use to buy cars in Brazil and the US. Furthermore, as practical implications, the results may help company managers in the automobile industry in their decision-making processes in order to better understand how to meet client’s specific needs in order to develop a long-term and profitable relationship.

Highlights

Over the past 40 years, organizations have experienced profound changes
Hunt (1991) points out that consumer behavior is characterized by the open use of different methods and theories, originating from very different sources such as Economics (DEATON; MUELLBAUER, 1980; DUESENBERRY, 1967), Sociology (BOURDIEU; PASSERON 1979; RIESMAN 1964; RIBEIRO, 2008) and Psychology (KAHLE; KENNEDY, 1988; ALLEN; to individual’s personal attitudes and internal processes (TORRES), 2006)
Studies show that different cultures may present different purchasing behavior (ALLEN; TORRES, 2006, TORRES; PÉREZ-NEBRA, 2007) even if economic and social factors are controlled or disregarded; influences of culture may divide segments of the market considered equal looking through the demographic approach only

Summary

Introduction

Waters (2001) defines globalization as the direct consequence of the expansion of Western culture across the planet via settlement, colonization and cultural replication of the integration of markets on a worldwide scale and it could eventually means worldwide standards or practices for product quality, pricing, service, and design. Most studies in the consumer behavior area show how demographic variables can segment the market, dividing groups according to age, gender, income and other demographic variables (MOWEN; MINOR, 2001). Studies show that different cultures may present different purchasing behavior (ALLEN; TORRES, 2006, TORRES; PÉREZ-NEBRA, 2007) even if economic and social factors are controlled or disregarded; influences of culture may divide segments of the market considered equal looking through the demographic approach only

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