The Effect of Cross-Cultural Dimensions on the Manifestation of Customer Engagement Behaviors

Abstract

Today’s technology-enabled customer and their instant access to a global marketplace has led to firms facing intense competition from around the world. Resultantly, engaging customers has emerged as an important marketing strategy and for more than a decade has fuelled intense attention from academe and professionals on the construct of customer engagement (CE). However, despite this focus to date there is a paucity of research considering CE in a cross-cultural context. This exploratory study provides empirical clarification as to whether culture at a national level impacts the manifestation of specific customer engagement behaviours (CEBs) exhibited by customers engaged with a brand. A conceptualisation of CEBs for Hofstede’s six dimensions of culture is presented and a netnographic study focusing on an online brand community (OBC) reveals that whilst national culture exerts no impact on the behaviours of engaged customers, the culture associated with a brand does. These findings serve as a foundation for future academic inquiry and present the opportunity to managers to foster and nurture a brand culture that encourages CE.

Students’ Motivation and Engagement in the Implementation of Individual Development Plan for Underrepresented Minority (URM) Students in Undergraduate STEM Training Programs

“…The attachment theory provides meaning to the guiding principles of human behavior as well as an explanation for why people act in certain ways [12]. An understanding of the attachment theory sheds light on the factors contributing to what motivates students to learn, set goals, and their interactions with their peers.…”

“…There are two stages of attachment, the second of which occurs in adulthood. This relationship, which is pertinent to undergraduate students, is based on the experiences they have that solidify their connection to one another [12]. Examining student engagement is related to both motivation and attachment theory since it can help determine how involved students are with other learners and mentors, what concepts they are learning, and how driven they are to keep going after achieving their goals.…”

“…The Academic Motivational Scale gauges a person's level of intrinsic, extrinsic, or amotivation toward going to college and pursuing their desired vocation [39]. A 28-question Academic Motivational Scale measures how intrinsically (12), extrinsically (12), or motivated (4) an individual is towards entering college to pursue their chosen career field [40]. The instrument was administered before the start of the program and then at the end of the program.…”

Consumer Behavior and Cultural Factors in Social Media: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study

“…4. Long-term Orientation Vs. Short-term Orientation: Time dimension refers to time orientation by representing if the members of a society indulge in short-term planning or long-term planning [20].…”

“…Therefore, practical implications in social media marketing are crucial for marketers to create culturally intelligent marketing campaigns when engaging and influencing customers. It is recommended that adaptation of content and messages is critical for producing positive consumer patterns [20]. For instance, as Japan is a society that highly avoids uncertainty and collectivism and engages in long-term orientation, it is advised to craft content that emphasizes product reliability, quality, and long-term benefits when running social media campaigns for Japanese consumers [18].…”