影响消费者行为之文化对比研究——宁波及旧金山案例的分析.pdfVIP

MA Thesis Ningbo University A Contrastive Study on Cultures Influencing Consumer Behavior: Based on the Cases of Ningbo and San Francisco Abstract Economists and experts worldwide have done much analysis of consumer behavior. This thesis lays emphasis on one of the most important aspects of consumer behavior :the influence of culture on consumers. Ningbo, a city in China, and San Francisco, a city in the United States, are chosen for case study because of their comparable cultural backgrounds. Yet consumers in these two cities have different consumer behaviors because of their cultures. The contrast is based on a survey conducted in both cities with questionnaires developed from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory. There are fifteen questions covering five areas. Each question is matched with four choices representing four respective needs as defined in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory. The distinctive cultures existing in both cities are illustrated. Consumers in Ningbo are influenced by both domestic and foreign cultures. San Francisco, however, is differentiated from Ningbo because of the influences of many different cultural and ethnic groups who retain their cultural identities; therefore, the consumers of each group are uniquely influenced by their own cultures. It is necessary to associate the psychology of each group with their respective cultures in order to understand the relationships between each individual group with respect to the larger overall population. Keep in mind that countries have been moving closer and closer in terms of culture, and so markets are undergoing gradual change. Different cultural factors for a contrast have been illustrated, such as the origin of cultur