Cross-national variation in consumers' retail channel selection in a multichannel environment: Evidence from Asia-Pacific countries

Abstract

This study examines the impact of cross-national variation in culture on the selection of retail channels in a multichannel environment in eight Asia-Pacific countries. In contrast to the prior literature, which examined the intention to purchase through online channels, we study the actual purchase decisions made by consumers by comparing online and telephone channels. We adopt Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov's (2010) six cultural dimensions (power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, long vs. short-term orientation, and indulgence vs. restraint) to examine the impact of cross-national variation in culture on online vs. telephone retail channel selection. The empirical findings suggest that countries with high uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation are less likely to adopt online channels rather than telephone channels, whereas countries with high individualism, high masculinity, and high indulgence are more likely to adopt online channels. These findings highlight the importance of cross-national variation of culture on retail channel selection.