Does the Individualist Consume More? The Interplay of Ethics and Beliefs that Governs Consumerism Across Cultures

Lee, Monle; Pant, Anurag; Ali, Abbas J.

doi:10.1007/s10551-009-0240-8

Cited by 24 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…More collectivist managers were more ethical than less collectivist managers. Lee et al (2010) found a direct relationship between individualism and consumerism, and an inverse relationship between consumerism and consumer ethics. Husted (2000) noted a significant correlation between individualism and software piracy.…”

Section: Hofstede Model and Consumer Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Culture and Consumer Ethics

Swaidan

2011

J Bus Ethics

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Disparity in consumer ethics reflects cultural variations; these are differences in the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes one culture from another. This study explores the differences in consumer ethics across cultural dimensions using Hofstede's (in Culture's consequences: international differences in work-related values, Sage, Beverly Hills, 1980) model (collectivism, masculinity, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance) and Muncy and Vitell (in J Bus Res 24(4):297-311, 1992) consumer ethics model (i.e., illegal, active, passive, and no harm). This is the first study to empirically explore consumer ethics using these two major constructs. Seven hundred sixty one African American consumers were used to test the four major hypotheses developed in this study. Current research has revealed that there are significant differences in ethics between consumers who score high and consumers who score low on Hofstede's four cultural dimensions. In general, this research revealed that consumers who score high on collectivism, high on uncertainty avoidance, low on masculinity, and low on power distance scales reject questionable activities more than consumers who score low on collectivism, low on uncertainty avoidance, high on masculinity, and high on power distance. This study should prove valuable to international marketers because the Hofstede cultural model allows managers to identify differences in consumer ethics across different cultures and thus provides a theoretical base for designing effective marketing strategies.Keywords Culture Á Hofstede model Á Consumer ethics Á African American subculture Á Muncy and Vitell modelAs the USA becomes more heterogeneous, with an increasing minorities population, marketers need to develop better understanding of the diverse values of the subcultures that mark the American society. Understanding consumers' subculture is vital for the development of successful marketing strategies that integrate consumers' moral values. Cultural generalizations about whole societies and how they view ethical issues may not be completely appropriate in the future (Jenner et al. 2008). Marketers should focus on the value set of each small group of individuals when developing their internal policies and their external marketing strategies (Huo and Randall 1991).Hofstede et al. (2010) defined culture as the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group of people from another. Culture is recognized as an important variable influencing consumer ethical decision-making and behavior (Singhapakdi et al. 1994;Tavakoli et al. 2003). Culture affects the marketing mix (product development, promotion, distribution, and pricing) because it determines what consumers wear and eat and where they reside and travel. Hofstede (1980) theorized that cultures could be contrasted along four dimensions: individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance. Individualism/ collectivism represents the relation between an individu...

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Section: Hofstede Model and Consumer Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Culture and Consumer Ethics

Swaidan

2011

J Bus Ethics

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“…As a result, work ethic is now generally understood to be a set of beliefs and values regarding the value of work, which includes these dimensions (Meriac et al, 2010; 147 Work ethic in the United States Miller et al, 2001). Development in psychology and neuroscience lends further support to a multidimensional conceptualization of work ethic (Lee et al, 2010). Numerous studies investigate the relationship between work ethic and various constructs.…”

Section: Work Ethicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the influence of transculturation on work ethic in the United States

Hite

Daspit

Dong

2015

Cross Cultural Management

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of cultural assimilation – termed “transculturation” – on work ethic perceptions, thus this study examines trends in work ethic across ethnic and generational groups within the USA. Design/methodology/approach – Following a literature review on work ethic, ethnicity, and transculturation, an analysis of variance based on 873 survey responses is presented. The sample includes undergraduate and graduate students at several public universities within the USA. Findings – An empirical analysis supports the hypothesis that the variation of work ethic perceptions within the Millennial generation is significantly less than the variation among older generations. The authors find no significant difference in general work ethic perceptions among Millennial ethnic groups. Research limitations/implications – While the study is conducted using a convenience sample, the demographics are closely representative of the USA labor force. The results suggest that Millennials, while a more diverse ethnic population, exhibit less variation among work ethic perceptions than earlier generational groups. Practical implications – Understanding differences in work ethic perceptions across various ethnic groups is valuable for managers interested in designing jobs that appropriately exploit the full value of a multi-generational workforce. Originality/value – The findings of this study offer new insights into how more recent generations, while more ethnically diverse, exhibit a convergence in perceptions of work ethic.

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“…A logical starting point for such research would be an investigation of the role and development of consumerism in Canada as compared to other developed democratic societies. This effort could build on already existing cross-cultural research in the area (Lee, Anurag and Ali 2010;Varadarajan and Thirunarayana 1990).…”

Section: Conclusion and Implications For Further Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumer Protection in Postwar Canada: Role and Contributions of the Consumers' Association of Canada to the Public Policy Process

Sadovnikova¹,

Mikhailitchenko²,

Shapiro³

2014

Journal of Consumer Affairs

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This article traces the contribution of the Consumers' Association of Canada (CAC) to the advancement of Canadian consumer protection legislation in the decades after World War II. The theory of the consumerism life cycle shows that the CAC as the spearhead of grassroots consumer activism in Canada was able to address effectively consumer concerns at both the administrative and policymaking levels of government. Analysis of the rise and fall of consumerism in post–WWII Canada from the perspective of the consumerism life cycle also might well have implications for the further development of that theory.

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Does the Individualist Consume More? The Interplay of Ethics and Beliefs that Governs Consumerism Across Cultures

Abstract: consumer ethic, consumerism, ethical behavior, individual values, individualism, protestant work ethic, work ethic,

Cited by 24 publications

References 40 publications

Culture and Consumer Ethics

Culture and Consumer Ethics

Examining the influence of transculturation on work ethic in the United States

Consumer Protection in Postwar Canada: Role and Contributions of the Consumers' Association of Canada to the Public Policy Process

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