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Understanding Restaurant Switching Behavior from a Cultural Perspective

Tunghai University, ilin{at}thu.edu.tw

Anna S. Mattila

Pennsylvania State University, asm6{at}psu.edu

Research focusing on the impact of culture on switching behaviors is sparse. To bridge that gap, this study examined the role of culture in influencing consumers’ switching intentions, vanity-seeking, and exploratory behaviors of novelty-seeking, curiosity-seeking, and variety-seeking. In this study, the authors summarized the dominant Chinese cultural values and discussed their implications for Taiwanese subjects’ switching behaviors in the context of casual or trendy restaurants. Data from two countries (United States and Taiwan) were used to gain insight into cultural differences between Taiwanese and U.S. consumers’ dining habits. The study results indicate that Taiwanese consumers (i.e., college-aged) are more likely to switch restaurant providers and to exhibit exploratory behaviors than their U.S. counterparts. The findings also provide support for the argument that college-aged Taiwanese consumers might seek to express their individuality in consumer choices while being otherwise bounded by collectivist, core cultural values.

Key Words: culture • curiosity-seeking • novelty-seeking • switching behaviors • vanity-seeking • variety-seeking

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