The power of social influence: East-West Comparison on Purchasing Behavior

Abstract

This article compares consumer decision-making endeavors between Indians, Thais, Taiwanese, Americans, and Australians. Utilising Hofstede's framework, the paper argues that cultural dimensions influence consumer decision making endeavors. It is essential that managers understand cross-cultural consumer decision-making process to make strategic decisions or effectively handle members of these nationalities. Marked differences were found between the two populations for: group harmonization, peer support, conflict avoidance, and social influence in purchasing behavior. The results suggest that consumer decision process differs due to consumers' cultural values. Managerial implications and future research directions are discussed.