Cross-cultural Consumer Behavior Research Articles

Research into intergenerational differences among Chinese female tourists consuming Thai cosmetics

Consumers, particularly women, pursue beauty and health in order to uphold their image within society, which has contributed to consistent demand for cosmetics. The cosmetics market, driven by globalization and cultural exchange, sees Thai cosmetics gaining popularity among Chinese women. There has been a significant rise in the popularity of Thai cosmetics, known for their natural ingredients and innovative formulations. With a growing interest in cross-cultural consumer behaviour, particularly in the context of skincare and make-up products, understanding how different age groups perceive and choose Thai cosmetics is crucial for effective marketing strategies. The main issue is the development of consumer preferences over time among Chinese women who have only recently been given the opportunity to choose among many brands. This qualitative study explores the intergenerational differences in Chinese female consumers’ preferences for Thai cosmetics, aiming to uncover rich insights into their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours. The target population is female Chinese who have visited Thailand and purchased or used Thai-branded cosmetics. Key themes emerge regarding the perception of product efficacy, the cultural authenticity and the role of digital media and trends in influencing product choices. Findings highlight nuanced generational preferences, with older cohorts emphasizing trust and familiarity with established brands, while younger cohorts prioritize innovation, sustainability, and personalized beauty experiences. These insights provide valuable implications for marketers seeking to tailor strategies and product offerings to engage effectively diverse generational segments within the competitive cosmetics market.

Cross-Cultural Online Purchase Intentions and Behavior between Ethnic Group

In the digital era, online purchasing has become integral to consumer behavior, influenced by complex cultural factors. Fundamental theories like the Theory of Planned Behavior, Technology Acceptance Model, and Diffusion of Innovation Theory effectively predict human behavior in determining interest and attitudes toward online purchasing. This study examines online shopping levels and cross-cultural consumer behavior among ethnic groups in Yogyakarta and Bandung. Data were collected through surveys of individuals actively engaged in online purchases in these regions. Simple Random Sampling selected samples from the e-commerce user population in Bandung (616,109) and Yogyakarta (161,031), with 50 respondents from each area. Simple linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between cultural factors and purchasing behavior. Findings provide an in-depth understanding of how cultural factors influence consumer decisions, offering guidance for businesses to adapt marketing strategies to local purchasing cultures. This research offers insights into online shopping preferences and behaviors across different cultural environments in Indonesia, enabling businesses to tailor customer services to meet local cultural needs and preferences.

Effect of source credibility and consumer ethnocentrism on halal purchase intentions in the UK: an elaboration likelihood model approach

PurposeThis study aims to examine the mediating role of product judgement in the relationship between electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and purchase intention. Additionally, it explores the moderating effects of source credibility and consumer ethnocentrism on the relationship between eWOM and product judgement, with a specific focus on Halal products. We utilise the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to investigate how individuals navigate the processing of information, distinguishing between central and peripheral routes. This exploration aims to enhance our understanding of how the ELM framework influences product judgement and purchase intention in the context of eWOM, with a focus on Halal products.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve these objectives, an online survey was conducted in the United Kingdom. The study employed a moderated-mediation model, analysed using PLS-SEM.FindingsThe findings highlight the significant role of source credibility in the central route of information processing and purchase judgements. This study confirms that Halal product judgement fully mediates the relationship between eWOM and purchase intention. Additionally, it reveals that higher source credibility amplifies the impact of eWOM on consumer judgement. However, no significant moderating effect of consumer ethnocentrism on the relationship between eWOM and product judgement was observed in this context.Originality/valueThis study enhances our understanding of how Halal products are adopted in non-Muslim societies, shedding light on persuasive processes. Additionally, it refines the ELM in the context of cross-cultural consumer behaviour. The findings underscore the importance of prioritising source credibility in communication to shape information evaluation and persuasion.

Role of Emotional Appeals in International Advertising Campaigns in Cameroon

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the role of emotional appeals in international advertising campaigns in Cameroon. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Research on the role of emotional appeals in international advertising campaigns in Cameroon indicates that emotions play a significant role in influencing consumer behavior and brand perception. Emotional appeals, such as humor, nostalgia, and empathy, have been found to effectively capture consumers' attention and evoke positive attitudes toward advertised products or services. However, cultural nuances and socio-economic factors must be considered when crafting emotional appeals for international advertising in Cameroon. While certain emotions may resonate universally, others may vary in effectiveness depending on cultural values and preferences. Therefore, successful international advertising campaigns in Cameroon require a careful balance of emotional appeals that align with local cultural norms and resonate with the target audience's emotions, ultimately leading to increased brand engagement and purchase intent. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Cultural dimensions' theory, elaboration likelihood model and cross-cultural consumer behavior framework may be use to anchor future studies on assessing the role of emotional appeals in international advertising campaigns in Cameroon. Marketers should prioritize crafting emotionally resonant narratives that are tailored to specific cultural nuances while maintaining a cohesive brand message. Policymakers should advocate for policies that promote cultural sensitivity and inclusivity in international advertising practices.

A one-hundred-year structural topic modeling analysis of the knowledge structure of international management research.

International Management is a vast and multidisciplinary research domain that is heavily influenced by several other disciplines, such as Economics, Organizational Theory and Strategic Management. Based on 28,973 research articles, this study aims to analyze the knowledge structure of the international management domain from 1920 to 2019. Using computational text-based topic modeling analysis, we trace the evolution of international management knowledge by examining the major academic topics/latent themes discussed in the field. The study also diachronically visualizes the variations in topic prevalence over time. Our methodology is akin to “inductive mapping” as it is neither biased by our position nor it is guided by assumptions related to the topics we expect to find. Results indicate the existence of a wide variety of important research foci in the domain of international management. These include, among others, strategic alliances formation, international entry modes, corporate social responsibility, cross-cultural consumer behavior, technological innovation and entrepreneurship. Results also show that some topics such as “financial risk and return on investment” and “corporate social responsibility” show a declining time trend, indicating that academic research focusing on such topics was more likely to be published early on and less so recently. On the other hand, other topics such as “Emerging (East) Asian nations” and “global mergers and acquisitions” show an increasing trend, indicating that more papers were published recently. Taken together, although our findings might reflect the breadth and depth of research in international management, they might also suggest that the bounds of this field are not well defined.

Influence of Advergames on Brand Outcomes and Cross-Cultural Consumer Behaviour

People of different cultures have different ideas, values ​​and morals, and the activities in which they engage reflect their backgrounds. The present study followed a quantitative cross-sectional design. It compared two aspects of advergames player’s behaviours in the UK and Saudi Arabia: cross-cultural consumer behaviour and brand outcomes. A questionnaire was completed by 482 participants selected by convenience sampling, and Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated. The results show that advergames generate brand exposure and awareness when the user experience is positive, which creates a positive association between the game, player and brand. Brand performance also depends on the gamer’s attitude, purchases and level of experience, and gamers from different cultures have different perceptions of the advertising messages delivered during an advergame.

Consumer Stockpiling Across Cultures During the COVID-19 Pandemic

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak a pandemic. In the following days, media reports showed that consumers increasingly stockpiled groceries and household supplies. Interestingly, behavioral data show that this stockpiling exhibited considerable heterogeneity across countries. Building on cultural dimension theory, the authors theorize that this heterogeneity can be explained by countries’ cultural values: consumer stockpiling after the World Health Organization's announcement was more pronounced in countries whose residents show high uncertainty avoidance, low long-term orientation, low indulgence, and high individualism. The authors confirm these propositions using global mobility data from Google matched with country-level data on cultural values, pandemic reaction policies, and other key variables. This research note thereby integrates the previously disconnected literature on cultural dimension theory and consumer stockpiling in general, as well as provides new and significant knowledge about cross-cultural consumer behavior in crises. Furthermore, the authors provide actionable insights for international policy makers and business managers who aim to predict or control consumer stockpiling in future global crises to enhance consumer well-being.

Heart or Mind? The Impact of Power Distance Belief on the Persuasiveness of Cognitive Versus Affective Appeals in Education Marketing Messages

One of the greatest challenges in education marketing is designing effective marketing messages, especially when targeting consumers with different cultural backgrounds. This research examines the impact of power distance belief (PDB) on the persuasiveness of affective appeal versus cognitive appeal in education marketing messages. The authors theorize that low-PDB consumers tend to prefer education products presented with affective appeal because of their process learning mindset, which focuses on self-discovery and self-development. By contrast, high-PDB consumers tend to prefer education products presented with cognitive appeal because of their outcome learning mindset, which focuses on acquiring skills and social/economic gains relevant to such skills. These effects were supported by converging results from four experiments, a field study, and a content analysis across 37 countries using a wide range of education products and services. This research contributes to the literature on PDB, education, and cross-cultural consumer behavior and provides guidelines for global education marketers.

Understanding contextual factors affecting the adoption of energy-efficient household products in Jordan

Purpose This paper aims to examine contextual factors affecting intention to purchase energy-saving products (ESPs), via a research model integrating environmental awareness, perceived performance risk and perceived financial risk with the theory of reasoned action (TRA). Design/methodology/approach In total, 474 targeted Jordanian householders completed a structured survey, providing data for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and for structural path analysis to test the research model and hypotheses. Findings Attitude most strongly predicts purchase intention. Environmental awareness positively influences subjective norms and reduces perceived performance and financial risks, which are related to purchase intention. Research limitations/implications This research examines perceived performance and financial risks. Others including social and physical risks have research potential. Future research on international marketing strategy and cross-cultural consumer behavior could compare Jordan with its oil-producing neighbors. Practical implications Environmental awareness affects ESP purchase intention. Marketing strategy should focus on reducing perceived functional and financial risks while enhancing subjective norms by encouraging positive word of mouth. Social implications The findings enhance environmental sustainability by indicating ways of reducing energy consumption and increasing the usage of environmentally friendly products. The study addresses behavioral and social aspects of green products, whereas most ESP suppliers focus on technology. Originality/value The study’s major theoretical contribution is incorporating perceived risk and environmental awareness into the TRA to better understand intention to purchase ESPs. Empirically, it conceptualizes and tests an integrated model of determinants of attitudes and intentions with new insights from an emerging market.

A study of factors affecting word of mouth (WOM) towards Islamic banking (IB) in Jordan

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify factors affecting word-of-mouth (WOM) towards Islamic Banking (IB) in Jordan through understanding the roles of service quality and perceived value.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered survey was hand-delivered to the targeted sample of Islamic banks customers in Jordan. The authors delivered 400 questionnaires to customers from which 352 were deemed valid for the analysis. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to assess the research constructs validity and composite reliability. Structural path analysis was also used to test the research model and hypothesised relationships between the variables.FindingsService quality has a positive and significant effect on perceived value and WOM towards IB. Convenience has a positive and significant effect on perceived value. Finally, perceived value has a positive and significant effect on WOM towards IB. Service quality exerted the strongest effect on perceived value and WOM. Also, 38 per cent of variation in perceived value was caused by religious motives, service quality and convenience path, whereas 34 per cent of variation in WOM towards IB was caused by perceived value, service quality and convenience path.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research needs to investigate other factors that may affect customers’ WOM concerning IB such as perceived bank image, trust and subjective norms. Future research should investigate other dimensions of perceived value such as social, psychological, emotional, sacrifice value and product values and how they affect WOM. From an international marketing standpoint, comparative studies between Jordanian and non-Jordanian Islamic customers are potential areas of future research for international marketing strategies and cross-cultural consumer behaviour analysis.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies the determinants of WOM towards IB. Managers should focus on executing service quality strategies customised towards IB. Convenience is a major driver of perceived value and, then, WOM towards IB. Managers need to focus on key marketing messages that enhance religious motives in customers’ minds and hearts; however, attracting new customers and retaining the current ones depend on the perceived benefits in the areas of service quality, convenience and several value aspects.Originality/valueThis study is the first of its kind to test a model of WOM determinants in IB in Jordan. The study is thought to have made a reasonable contribution to consumer behaviour literature and, specifically, for decision-making process through developing and testing a model of WOM determinants towards IB. The study offers CEOs and marketing managers of Islamic banks new insights into the determinants of WOM and how they contribute to consumers’ decision-making process and attitudes to achieve the intended behavioural outcomes towards IB, which were not available at their hands before. These empirical findings are crucial inputs for marketing strategy formulation and implementation.

Factors Affecting Customer Switching Behavior towards Hybrid Electrical Vehicles (HEV’s) from a Customer Perspective in Jordan

Purpose-This paper aims to investigate factors that affect customer switching from Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEV’s) to Hybrid Electrical Vehicles (HEV’s), in Jordan for the period of (2010-2014).Design/methodology/approach-A self-administered survey was hand-delivered to the targeted sample of car users in Jordan. The authors delivered 400 questionnaires to customers, from which 333 were deemed valid for the analysis, corresponding to the percentage of (83.25%) which indicates the validity of the study. Findings- There was no difference in switching behavior between (ICEV’s) and (HEV’s) based on gender in the Jordanian market. Fuel consumption efficiency was the number one variable that supports the switching behavior towards (HEV's), followed by Eco friendliness, lower taxes and technological features. Price and the current trend in the market were the least supporting factors. In addition to that the perception of the battery life of (HEV's), limited choices in the market, lack of information and fear of the relatively new technology were the major hindering factors of choosing an (HEV).Research limitations-Future research needs to investigate other factors that may affect customers’ behavior such as perceived image, trust, and subjective norms. Future research should investigate into the importance of environmental awareness and new technologies, and gender differences in behavior. From an international marketing standpoint, comparative studies between Jordanian and non-Jordanian customers are potential areas of future research for international marketing strategies and cross-cultural consumer behaviour analysis. Practical implications-The paper identifies the determinants of switching behavior. marketers should focus addressing customers concerns in terms of providing enough information and building awareness towards the technology and it's benefits towards the society and the environment.Originality/value-Our study is one of the few in Jordan that investigates the switching behavior towards vehicles technology. Our study is thought to have made a modest contribution to consumer behaviour literature and, specifically, for decision making process. It offers marketers insights into the determinants of switching behavior towards the hybrid vechicle technology and how this contribute to consumers’ decision making process and attitudes to achieve the intended behavioural outcomes

Can visual familiarity influence attitudes towards brands? An exploratory study of advergame design and cross-cultural consumer behaviour

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between advergame design, advergame experience and consumer behaviour across cultures. For this purpose, a study was designed to compare and contrast behaviour patterns across Brazilian and British cultures. An advergame (Colheita de Café (CC)), featuring the Fairtrade mark was developed through a semiotics approach. Participants from both Brazil (N = 30) and the UK (N = 34) were invited to play the advergame and answer a questionnaire before and after gameplay. The results indicate that Brazilians felt more familiar with the visual elements incorporated by the advergame when compared to British consumers. Brazilians also had more favourable attitudes towards the brand, suggesting that visual familiarity could influence consumer behaviour. Contrary to our expectations, both Brazilian and British respondents had the same attitudes towards the advergame, showing that visual familiarity did not particularly influence the advergame experience. The main contribution of this paper is the suggestion that visual familiarity could influence consumer behaviour across cultures. We expect that our findings can be used in future research that examines cultural nuances in advergame design.

Behavioural Analysis and Comparative Law Improving the Empirical Foundation for Comparative Legal Research

During the last three to four decades the ‘correct’ comparative method has become the object of an intensive debate. This debate by now also covers empirical methods that have started to ‘infiltrate’ comparative law ever since the turn of the century. Behavioural analysis, however, has not yet come into the picture. The following chapter, therefore, explores how behavioural research can be put to comparative use and sheds light on recent attempts to do so. It concludes that combining comparative and behavioural insights may further our understanding of consumers’ needs and improve our ability to design legal responses. In particular, it may help to understand why legal systems are differently designed in different countries and why the same rules may trigger different reactions in different countries. The chapter, therefore, suggests that behavioural scientists and comparative lawyers should work closely together to better understand cross-cultural consumer behaviour and the complex relationship between consumer behaviour and consumer law.

Visual Rhetorical Figures in Cross-Cultural Consumer Behavior: The Impact of Moderating Factors in a Spanish Language Context

ABSTRACTThis article is set within today's globalized market, where monocultural studies are no longer informative enough. It is built upon, among others, Phillips and McQuarrie's exhaustive taxonomy of the visual, which tangentially refers to the existence of moderating factors with an impact on (mis)comprehension. The article focuses precisely on the role of these factors when they affect a population of cross-cultural subjects, who are prone to be exposed to “globally received” advertising. The data discussed here point to the fact that in cross-cultural advertising, (mis)comprehension is affected not only by the complexity or richness of figuration, but also (and mainly) by the schema component. Results also shows that verbal anchoring plays an essential role in the interpretation of visual figures.

Four Mexican dreams: What will drive the Mexican millennial to invest?

The American Dream is a well-researched concept, but what would be its equivalent for Mexico? We investigate the Mexican Dream for young adults (25 to 35year old Mexicans). The aim of the study is to develop an understanding of the core values of young Mexican adults reflected in their consumer behavior in the financial sector. We implement a cross-cultural consumer behavior framework by David Luna, in order to consider factors like culture, and value systems to uncover the Mexican Dream for young Mexican adults. In order to gather data for this study, six focus group discussions of key informants were carried out in specific areas, such as consumer behavior, futures images and Mexican culture among others. The results suggest that the core drivers of the Mexican Young adults, known as Generation Y, differ from the traditional cultural values in several ways. The results are used to create four images of the future in order to understand the young Mexican adults core drivers for the future: 1) Following the North Americans image describes a future based on the traditional Mexican values updated with a modern twist; 2) The Muddling Through image describes a future where the most important aspects of life go wrong; 3) the Telenovela combines positive and negative aspects in an image of the future; and 4) the Going European image strives for a civilized individualism within a welfare state.

Tightness–looseness: Implications for consumer and branding research

This commentary highlights the importance of the tightness–looseness distinction to provide a more nuanced understanding of cross-cultural consumer behavior (Li, Gordon & Gelfand, this issue). We provide guidelines to integrate the tightness–looseness distinction into existing cross-cultural models of consumer behavior, and suggest how doing so can help to refine predictions about the persuasiveness of message appeals. We also discuss how the tightness–looseness distinction can enrich branding research, by suggesting future research opportunities in the domains of brand extension research and brand protection.

Consumers Become More or Less Ethnocentric? A Meta-Analysis on Level of Consumer Ethnocentrism

A huge body of research on consumer ethnocentrism has occurred in cross-cultural consumer behavior research area since the seminal work of Shimp and Sharma (1987). There is, however, a research gap on meta-analysis of the level of consumer ethnocentrism. This study seeks to address this gap by employing, as far as we are aware, the first meta-analysis on level of consumer ethnocentrism. we draw several conclusions with meta-analytical data of 153 mean values in 87 articles during the period of 1987 to 2013 (N = 42840): (1) The average score of consumer ethnocentrism is 3.58 (7 in total); (2) General consumers are more ethnocentric than student consumers; (3) Consumers in developing countries are more ethnocentric than consumers in developed countries.

Cross-Cultural Consumer Behavior: Use of Local Language for Market Communication—A Study in Region Friuli Venetia Giulia (Italy)

ABSTRACTCross-cultural consumer behavior is of market interest due to globalization of marketplaces, migration, multicultural marketplaces, and diffusion in the EU of many languages. The objective of this study is to check whether the local language used in a marketing communication could affect the consumers’ preferences for food products. The theoretical foundation is the consumer motivational approach that goes deeper into motivations interfering with the consumers’ preference order. The multivariate conjoint analysis is used to evaluate the preferences for attributes described in different languages. A number of students from the University of Udine (located in the northeastern part of Italy) have been submitted to interviews to examine their preferences for a simulated sandwich package reporting information in different languages, distributed by vendor machine. The results suggest that the consumer’s reaction to local language depends on sociodemographic profile, cultural background, language knowledge, and family education, and the local language could actually be used as a market tool for market segmentation. These results are of interest to many EU countries with bilingual communities such as Spain, Belgium, the UK, Switzerland, and most of the Italian regions where local languages are still alive.

The effect of culture on perception and cognition: A conceptual framework

Researchers are increasingly recognizing the role of culture as a source of variation in many phenomena of central importance to consumer research. This review addresses a gap in cross-cultural consumer behavior literature by providing a review and conceptual analysis of the effects of culture on pre-behavioral processes (perception and cognition). The article highlights a series of important perceptual and cognitive differences across cultures and offers a new perspective of framing these differences among cultures—that of “culturally conditioned” perceptual and cognitive orientations. The article addresses several theoretical issues and suggests directions for future research as well as managerial implications.

Cross-Cultural Consumer Behavior: A Review of Research Findings

ABSTRACT Most aspects of consumer behavior are culture-bound. This article reviews the cultural relationships with the self, personality, and attitude, which are the basis of consumer behavior models and branding and advertising strategies. The Hofstede model is used to explain variance. Other consumer behavior aspects reviewed are motivation and emotions, cognitive processes such as abstract versus concrete thinking, categorization and information processing, as well as consumer behavior domains such as product ownership, decision making, and adoption and diffusion of innovations. Implications for global branding and advertising are included.