Background
This research discusses the relationship between cultural values and consumer behavior. Consumers are the backbone of the firm, implying that they are the most significant element of the firm. The ability of a firm to grow depends on its ability to influence consumers positively. The process of influencing consumers depends on a number of factors. Various scholars have conducted research to come up with reasons that would help in explaining consumer behavior. They have tried to determine how firms could influence the behavior of consumers. This article seeks to review the works of various scholars in order to determine their views concerning consumer behavior. The paper also seeks to determine how consumer behavior is influenced by the cultural values of various groups. Consumer behavior is heavily influenced by the cultural values of an individual. This is the main objective of this paper. A review of the literature would help in exploring the effects of culture on marketing. A literature review is also important because it guides the research.
Procedure
In order to conduct a critical review of the literature, the researcher intends to gather twenty different articles. The researcher would use the abstracts of the articles to obtain relevant information regarding consumer behavior. Although it is appropriate to conduct detailed research by looking at the entire work, it would be prudent in this case to use the abstracts of the articles because of the magnitude and time limits of this research. The time available for the research demands a brief investigation of the articles. Therefore, the abstracts would be extremely crucial to the researcher.
Findings that support the thesis
Consumer behavior is directly influenced by the cultural values of an individual. The values of society would have an impact on the personality of a person. A person’s personality is shaped by the cultural beliefs of the society. This personality would dictate the way an individual behaves. According to Vinson, Scott, and Lamont (1977), personal values play a critical role in establishing the behavior of customers in the market. These scholars concluded that personal values have a strong impact on the behavior of an individual. An individual is influenced to behave in a certain manner, depending on societal expectations and demands. The individual would then absorb these values and make them part of his or her personality. Because of this, culture plays a big role in determining what to buy and when to buy each item in the market. Furthermore, the attitude of a person towards a certain product in the market determines whether the person would buy the product or not. The surrounding environment affects the attitude of an individual in a number of ways. The people that individual associates with would also have an impact on his or her attitude.
There is a close relationship between cultural values and the behavior of an individual. The behavior of an individual is heavily influenced by the cultural values of a particular society. A person who cherishes healthy foods would stay away from foods considered unhealthy, such as those with high contents of calories. In this case, his or her behavior would have been affected by cultural values. Personal values would also determine the extent to which an individual consumes a given product. The values of individuals determine the extent to which they embrace new technologies, such as the mass media. Moreover, personal values would influence consumers when it comes to consuming class products. Some consumers might not use products that are associated with low classes (Kaže, 2010). When a consumer cherishes a given brand, he or she is likely to purchase the product more often, especially if the brand is associated with a given value, which is cherished by the customer. The consumer would consider being loyal to a certain brand because of the perceived value of the product.
Kropp (2003) focused on cross-cultural consumer values. He noted that the world is becoming a global village at a very fast rate. A person in China can stay in South Korea and access goods from other parts of the world. Such a consumer might be carrying some of his or her entrenched values. While in the new society, such an individual would acquire new values. The individual’s behavior would be affected by the original values, as well as the newly acquired values. However, some individuals might not change their tastes and preferences, even after changing their physical environments. This means that they are not influenced by new cultures. In other cases, people are forced to embrace new cultures. This would happen when an individual is exposed to information that promotes foreign culture. This would be through promotion in televisions and social media. McGregor (2000) argued that it is possible to use social values to determine the general behavior of the market.
Questions that arise from a review of the abstracts
The above literature search engine has a response to most of the questions related to consumer behavior. However, it does not respond to some questions raised in the discussion. The search engine does not respond to the effects of social media on the values and behaviors of consumers.
References
Kaže, V. (2010). Consumer values driven purchasing behavior: a practical approach for marketing potential assessment. Journal of Business Management, 1(3), 131- 139.
Kropp, F. (2003). Changing values: a 2020 vision. Journal of Euro marketing, 12(4), 79 97.
McGregor, T. (2000). Using social and consumer values to predict market place behavior: questions of congruency. Journal of Consumer Studies & Home Economics, 24(2), 94.
Vinson, D., Scott, E., & Lamont, L. (1977). The role of personal values in marketing and consumer behavior. Journal of Marketing, 41(2), 44-50.