When Does Culture Matter? Effects of Personal Knowledge on the Correction of Culture-Based Judgments

When does culture influence consumer purchasing decisions? Four experiments reported in the current research show that culture-based differences are found when information is processed in a cursory and spontaneous manner. General cultural knowledge includes implicit theories about the world in which people live that are largely shared by the members of society. The current research has important implications for brand and global marketing efforts by consumer-oriented companies. The perceived importance of cultural issues has been increasing, fueled by new technologies that allow marketers to reach consumers across country boundaries. Marketers are spending increasing amounts of time and effort trying to understand subtle cultural differences. The finding that culture sometimes guides consumer judgments and behaviors and, at other times, does not broadens the understanding of conflicting findings in extant research. The current research suggests that such null effects may be due to differences in the conditions under which participants provide their responses.