Cultural Influences on Chinese Consumers’ Intentions to Purchase Apparel: Test and Extension of the Fishbein Behavioral Intentional Model

Abstract

There were two objectives of this study: (a) to test the cross-cultural applicability of the Fishbein Behavioral Intentional Model by studying Chinese consumers’ purchase intentions for apparel made in the United States and (b) to examine whether culture could enhance the validity of the model. Parents (N = 2,017) of students in the public school systems of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou completed usable questionnaires. Attitude toward purchasing apparel made in the United States (Ab) significantly influenced Chinese purchase intentions for that apparel (BI), but subjective norms (SN) did not. The validity of the Fishbein model may be product dependent, with culturally symbolic products influenced by both attitude and subjective norm, and products less culturally symbolic influenced only by attitudes. Adding cultural components to the Fishbein model enhanced its ability to explain purchase intentions.