影响消费者行为之文化对比地——宁波和旧金山案例地分析.pdfVIP

MA Thesis Ningbo University Francisco is not only important in international trade but also famous for its finance in the Western coast. Its warm, temperate climate and beautiful natural sceneries in some degree are also factors that attract investment. These two cities share some similarities in economy and are also different from each other in culture. Therefore the contrast made between them can be very inspiring to marketers. The study of consumer behavior is the study of how individuals make decisions to spend their available resources (time, money, effort) on consumer-related items. It includes the study of what they buy, why they buy it, when they buy it, where they buy it, how often they buy it, and how often they use it (Schiffman 1997: 6). If marketers understand consumer behavior, they are able to predict how consumers are likely to react to various informational and environmental cues; therefore, marketers who understand consumer behavior have greater competitive advantages in strategy making. Edward B. Tylor (1871), the forerunner of anthropology, holds that culture is a mixed concept including knowledge, belief, art, ethics, law, custom and other abilities or habits as a social member. Different districts have their specific characteristics because they are influenced by certain cultures. The psychology of consumers decides their behavior. Therefore to understand consumer behavior, the key point is to understand the cultures that influence their living needs. Up till now the factors influencing intercultural marketing have been studied, and people have paid more attention to the research on consumer behavior. For example, Leon G. Schiffman and Leslie Lazar Kanuk (1997) wrote Consumer Behavior from the analysis of intrinsic relationship. However, mos