Consumers’ Behaviors in Multicultural Context: An Exploratory Study on Low Product Involvement

This study explores consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context for low product involvement. The research is qualitative and analyzes six external and internal factors that guide consumers’ behaviors. The study found six consumers’ behaviors that are guided by external and internal factors. The study is one of the first research conducted about consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context.

Consumers’ behaviors in
multicultural context
An exploratory study on low product involvement
Authors : Le Daniel Céline & Vatant Pauline
Examiner: Anders Pehrsson
Tutor: Åsa Devine
Term : VT16
Course number : 4FE15E

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Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude and to thank people who helped us to conduct this thesis in
the best conditions. Their support helped us a lot to build a strong study paper.
We are grateful to our examiner Anders Pehrsson who has been present for us and helpful in seminars
by orientating us and giving us useful comments during the elaboration of this master thesis. Also,
we would like to thank our tutor, Åsa Devine, who guided us and supported us until the end of this
research and who has been very available and present for us. She pushed us at our best in order for
us to lead a strong research. Thanks to this study we learned a lot, on an academic level but also on a
personal level.
We also would like to thank participants of this study who enabled this research to be ended
successfully and thanks to who we got interesting findings.
Finally, we would like to thank our opposition groups who gave us their precious and useful points
of view and comments to help us to see our research from the outside part. And our friends and family
who supported us during the whole process of this research which has not been easy every day.
Céline Le Daniel Pauline Vatant

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Abstract
Purpose - The purpose of this research aims to explore the consumers’ behaviors in multicultural
context, for low product involvement.
Design/Methodology/Approach - Researchers of this study had chosen a qualitative research which
is in accordance with the purpose. Eight interviews were led with respondents from seven different
nationalities having lived in multicultural environment. The goal was to analyze which behaviors
come up when consumers are guided by six particular external and internal factors in their
consumption (namely culture, reference groups, situational factors, personal needs and motives,
attitudes and consumer orientation towards multiculturalism).
Findings - Firstly, findings showed that consumers are guided in their behavior by the six mentioned
factors in multicultural context for low product involvement. Secondly, six consumers’ behaviors,
guided by external and internal factors, have been found during this research.
Research limitations/Implications - As this research is qualitative, not all the aspects of the topic
were explored. Another exploratory research could be led to detect other behaviors or other factors
guiding consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context. There is also a need for a quantitative research
in order to confirmed findings. Thus thanks to this study, marketers have now a broader view on
consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context, especially for low product involvement.
Originality/Value - This study is one of the first research conducted about consumers’ behaviors in
multicultural context. Researchers deepened the existing literature by exploring and bringing possible
consumers’ behavior’ in multicultural context for low product involvement. Existing literature was
not as specific as this one concerning factors guiding consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context,
as well as concerning low product involvement.
Key words - consumers’ behaviors, multicultural context, low product involvement, external factors,
internal factors

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Table of content
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 7
1.1. Background ........................................................................................................................... 7
1.2. Problem discussion ................................................................................................................ 8
1.3. Purpose ................................................................................................................................ 10
1.4. Research question ................................................................................................................ 10
1.5. Report structure ................................................................................................................... 10
2. Conceptual framework ............................................................................................................... 12
2.1. External factors.................................................................................................................... 12
2.1.1. Culture .......................................................................................................................... 12
2.1.2. Reference groups .......................................................................................................... 13
2.1.3. Situational factors ........................................................................................................ 14
2.1.3.1. Time pressure ........................................................................................................... 14
2.1.3.2. Physical surroundings............................................................................................... 15
2.1.3.3. Buyer's mood and conditions ................................................................................... 16
2.2. Internal factors ..................................................................................................................... 16
2.2.1. Personal needs and motives ......................................................................................... 16
2.2.2. Attitudes ....................................................................................................................... 17
2.2.3. Consumer orientation towards multiculturalism .......................................................... 18
2.2.3.1. Cultural openness ..................................................................................................... 18
2.2.3.2. Cultural knowledge .................................................................................................. 18
2.3. Low product involvement ................................................................................................... 19
2.4. Consumer behaviors in multicultural context ..................................................................... 20
2.5. Conceptual Model ............................................................................................................... 22
3. Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 23
3.1. Research approach ............................................................................................................... 23
3.2. Design .................................................................................................................................. 23
3.3. Research method ................................................................................................................. 24

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3.4. Data collection ..................................................................................................................... 24
3.5. In-depth interview ............................................................................................................... 25
3.6. Sample ................................................................................................................................. 25
3.7. Operationalization ............................................................................................................... 27
3.8. Pre-test ................................................................................................................................. 30
3.9. Data analysis........................................................................................................................ 30
3.10. Quality criteria ................................................................................................................. 32
3.10.1. Credibility ................................................................................................................. 32
3.10.2. Reliability ................................................................................................................. 32
3.11. Research ethics ................................................................................................................ 32
3.11.1. Informed consent ...................................................................................................... 32
3.11.2. Deception.................................................................................................................. 33
3.11.3. Privacy and confidentiality ....................................................................................... 33
3.11.4. Accuracy ................................................................................................................... 33
4. Empirical data ............................................................................................................................ 34
4.1. External factors.................................................................................................................... 34
4.1.1. Culture .............................................................................................................................. 34
4.1.2. Reference groups.............................................................................................................. 36
4.1.3. Situational factors ............................................................................................................ 37
4.1.3.1. Time pressure ................................................................................................................ 37
4.1.3.2. Physical surroundings ................................................................................................... 38
4.1.3.3. Buyer’s current mood and conditions ........................................................................... 39
4.2. Internal factors ..................................................................................................................... 41
4.2.1. Personal needs & motives ................................................................................................ 41
4.2.2. Attitudes ........................................................................................................................... 42
4.2.3. Consumer orientation towards multiculturalism .............................................................. 43
4.2.3.1. Cultural openness .......................................................................................................... 43
4.2.3.2. Cultural knowledge ....................................................................................................... 44

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5. Analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 45
5.1. Analysis of the external factors ........................................................................................... 45
5.1.1. Culture .............................................................................................................................. 45
5.1.2. Reference groups.............................................................................................................. 46
5.1.3. Situational factors ............................................................................................................ 48
5.1.3.1. Time pressure ................................................................................................................ 48
5.1.3.2. Physical surroundings ................................................................................................... 49
5.1.3.3. Buyer’s mood & conditions .......................................................................................... 50
5.2. Analysis of the internal factors ............................................................................................ 51
5.2.1. Personal needs and motives ......................................................................................... 51
5.2.2. Attitudes ........................................................................................................................... 52
5.2.3. Consumer orientation towards multiculturalism .............................................................. 53
5.2.3.1. Cultural openness .......................................................................................................... 54
5.2.3.2. Cultural knowledge ....................................................................................................... 55
5.3. Emerging behaviors ............................................................................................................. 56
5.3.1. Confirmed consumers’ behaviors ................................................................................ 56
5.3.2. Emerging consumers’ behaviors .................................................................................. 57
6. Conclusion and contributions..................................................................................................... 61
6.1. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 61
6.2. Contributions ........................................................................................................................... 62
7. Research implications ................................................................................................................ 63
7.1. Managerial implications ...................................................................................................... 63
7.2. Limitations and suggestions for further research ................................................................ 64
8. References .................................................................................................................................. 66
9. Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 76

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1. Introduction
This first part will introduce the context of the study by giving a background about the topic. Then
the problem discussion expressing the research gap will be presented, following by the purpose of
the study, the research question and a presentation of the report structure.
1.1.Background
In the current market characterized by crossing and intertwining cultural boundaries (Craig &
Douglas, 2006; Piacentini & Cui, 2010), understanding how consumers are acting in this cultural
diversity is becoming essential as for researchers than for marketers. Indeed, many researchers stated
that marketing decisions nowadays are essentially based on consumers’ behaviors theories (Hawkins
et al. 2001; Labbe, 2000; Mulkern, 2001). In fact, marketers need to identify, define and understand
why and how consumers behave according to a certain way, in a certain situation and towards a
certain category of products and services (Cannon & Yaprak, 2002). The goal is to create profits for
companies and value for consumers (Cleveland & Laroche, 2007). However, it is not and it will never
be simple to understand consumers’ behaviors and to know them completely, for marketers and
researchers (Rutenberg, 2003). In fact, consumers may not be aware about their deeper motivations
and needs, and do not react in the same way to elements that play a role on their behaviors when it
comes to the purchase action (Labbe, 2000). In order to define, understand and explain consumers’
behaviors, several researchers (Bearden et al., 1997; Engel et al. 1995; Hawkins et al. 2001) studied
this concept as the role of a wide spectrum of factors, such as groups or individuals, as well as a
mental, emotional and physical processes. These studies were focused on how consumers choose,
get, consume products or services in order to satisfy their needs and wants, and how it can guide the
society (Bearden et al., 1997; Engel et al. 1995; Hawkins et al. 2001).
The classic approach of analyzing consumers’ behaviors (segmentation, targeting, and positioning)
cannot anymore be based only on one type of customers, in a specific country or culture (Holbrook,
2002; Kipnis et al., 2014; Witte, 2012). Indeed, market and societies are affected by multiculturalism
(Piacentini & Cui, 2010). By multiculturalism, researchers define “a normative framework and a set
of state policies which advance tolerance and advocate the recognition of cultural difference”
(Howarth & Andreouli, 2012). Resulting from that, many consumers belong to several cultural
groups, namely ethnic, linguistic or religious groups, which they interplay with and thus, have several
identities that can orient their consumer behaviors (Craig & Douglas, 2006; Thompson & Tambyah,
1999). Therefore, according to Craig & Douglas (2006), various identities can operate under specific
context or situation. In order to go deeper in this new multicultural environment that consumers are

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increasingly facing, Craig and Douglas (2006) defined the “cultural pluralism” as a phenomenon in
which individuals acting in a culture, are showing some aspects of multiple cultures, resulting from
the transition between two cultures or a close connection with different cultures. Yet, several previous
studies showed that there are changes in consumers’ behaviors in multicultural marketplaces (Craig
& Douglas, 2006; Jamal, 2003; Yaprak 2008).
1.2.Problem discussion
In the literature, a lot has been highlighted about consumer in culturally different environments and
his interactions with products from different cultures (Craig & Douglas, 2006; Leng & Botelho, 2010;
Leo et al., 2005; Kipnis et al., 2014). Nevertheless, in these studies it is not obvious which kind of
consumers’ behaviors can appear, guided by particular factors.
In order to explore this evolvement of behaviors, several authors studied the different behaviors that
consumers can adopt when they faced another culture (Askegaard et al, 2009; Briley, 2009; Craig &
Douglas, 2006; Jamal, 2003; Yaprak 2008). In fact, they explored how the cultural dynamics present
in marketplace today are guiding consumers’ motivations. Demangeot and Sankaran (2012) went
further in the field of consumers’ behaviors in multicultural environment, by leading a study about
cultural pluralism, supporting Craig and Douglas (2006) statements. Cultural pluralism has been
mainly used in the sociological (e.g. Haug, 1967) and the political literature (e.g. Niemonen, 1999),
but not in the consumers’ behaviors domain so far (Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012). Therefore,
Demangeot and Sankaran (2012) led a study about specific behaviors that consumers adopt when
they face a product in a multicultural situation, all expressing a more or less adaptation to the other
culture or even a full rejection of it. They stated that the external environment, the personal traits and
values and the product category involvement play a role on those behaviors. It is interesting to see
that they bring to the literature that consumers are guided in their behaviors by other factors than their
ethnical origin or their personal traits and that they adopt several behaviors depending on the product
category they face. However, this study shows some weaknesses and lacks in terms of depth analysis.
Demangeot and Sankaran (2012) exposed that external factors have a role on these consumers’
behaviors. External factors refer to a set of elements coming from exterior environment impacting an
individual despite of his/her internal influences (De Mooij, 2010). Indeed, an important literature has
been done about the role of external factors on consumers’ behaviors (Bennett, 2009; Hoyer &
McInnis, 2009; Kotler, 2002), especially about culture, reference groups and situational factors. For
example, Singh (2006) strengthens the research led by Kotler (2002) in showing that the culture plays
a real role on consumers. Depending on the attachment consumers feel to their own culture or to

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another one, their consumer behaviors will be guided by the way they see a product from their own
or the other culture (Kotler, 2002). In addition to culture, several authors (Hawkins et al. 2001; Kotler,
2000; Rutenberg, 2003; Schiffman & Kanuk, 2000) demonstrated that reference groups play a key
role in consumers’ behaviors by showing a desire to belong to a particular group or not, and by
following behaviors of this group or not. The last factor that is a part of external factors is the
situational factors. Demangeot and Sankaran (2012) often mentioned that the ‘situational factors’ (p.
761) have been defined as an important factor in the process of consumers’ behaviors in multicultural
environment (Briley, 2009). But they did not include this facet in their study. Consequently, it is not
clear which external factors they used to explore which kind of consumers’ behaviors would appear.
Speaking about internal factors, including personal characteristics as perceptions, attitude,
motivation, lifestyle, learning and roles (Dawson & Kim, 2009), many researchers (Dawson & Kim,
2009; Hoyer & McInnis, 2009; Xia, 2010) explored these aspects, agreeing that they play an
important role on consumers’ behaviors. Three main factors remain regarding to the internal factors,
namely, personal needs and motives, defined as a lack or a difference that the consumers could feel
about what they want and what is the current situation (Dawson & Kim, 2009; Kotler, 2002; Kurtz et
al, 2009). The second one concerns the attitudes of people, that is, their thoughts or feelings towards
products (Borle et al., 2007; Xia, 2010). And thirdly, the consumer orientation to multiculturalism
has also been mentioned as an important internal factor (Shankarmahesh, 2006; Yuri & Hongzhi,
2015). This orientation to multiculturalism is defined through two aspects which are the cultural
openness, in which consumers are willing to interact with the other culture’s elements
(Shankarmahesh, 2006; Strizhakova et al., 2008) and the cultural knowledge, concerning personal
cognitive picture about other cultures, depicted by people (Brannen et al., 2009; Hong et al., 2000;
Yuri & Hongzhi, 2015). To go back to the Demangeot and Sankaran (2012) study, they did not
express which were the internal factors they used to do their research. They only used personal
characteristics as the age, the sex or the country of origin, but in their analysis it is not obvious which
factors were really guiding consumers’ behaviors.
Finally, the last lack in this study concerns the product involvement as a factor guiding consumers’
behaviors. Traylor (1981) defined product involvement as “a recognition that certain product classes
may be more or less central to an individual’s life, attitudes about self, sense of identity, and
relationship to the rest of the world” (p. 75). Product involvement has been the subject of several
studies as a factor having a consequent role on consumers’ behaviors (Lesschaeve & Bruwer, 2010;
Pan, 2014; Schiffman et al., 2008; Shamsher & Chowdhury, 2012). Demangeot and Sankaran (2012)
also stated that product involvement is a factor which leads to the emergence of consumers’
behaviors. However, in their study, they left respondents choosing a large amount of products for

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which they have an interest in (high and low product involvement), in order to explore their
involvement. But previous studies (Ferreira & Coelho, 2015; Josiassen et al., 2008; Punyatoya, 2013;
Saffu & Scott, 2009; Tarkainen & Sundqvist, 2009) showed that it is interesting to already choose a
specific category of products for the respondents (low or high), to confirm that product involvement
can direct consumers towards such a behavior or another one. In another hand, less studies have been
done on product involvement at the level of multicultural context. Most of them stayed on the high
involvement product but not on the low one (Ahmed & d’Astous, 2004; Josiasenn et al., 2008;
Nayeem, 2012; Phau & Prendergast, 2000). Thus, it highlights the importance to explore more the
low product involvement in multicultural context (Ahmed and d’Astous, 1999; Pharr, 2005; Phau &
Prendergast, 2000).
Following this critic of the Demangeot and Sankaran (2012) study, the consumers’ behaviors in
multicultural context that they brought to light can only be considered as first fruits and need to be
deepened. Thus, it is interesting to focus on cultural pluralism in the consumers’ behaviors, coming
from the adaptation by consumers to products or consumption process from other cultures (Askegaard
et al., 2009; Craig & Douglas, 2006; Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012; Nakata, 2009; Yaprak, 2008).
Researchers of this current study are suspecting others consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context,
concerning low product involvement. Thus, being more exploratory in this area will allow the
discovery of new consumers’ behaviors in multicultural environment by choosing specific factors.
Therefore, a new study should be led where the same or new emergent consumers’ behaviors can be
observed and in which factors having a role in this emergence are better taken into account.
1.3.Purpose
To explore the consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context, for low product involvement.
1.4.Research question
What consumers’ behaviors appear in multicultural context, guided by external and internal factors?
1.5.Report structure
This study is structured as following, the chapter two presents the conceptual framework
encompassing factors which have a role on consumers’ behaviors in a foreign market, namely, the
external and internal factors, but also the product involvement and the consumer behaviors in

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multicultural context. The conceptual model showing factors guiding consumers’ behaviors is also
presented in this part. Chapter three explains the methodology used in this study through the approach
and design chosen. The fourth part contains the empirical data which are analyzed in the fifth chapter.
The sixth part concludes, through answering the research question issued earlier in the problem
discussion and brings contributions to the existing literature. Finally, the seventh chapter shows the
managerial implications, limitations and further research which need to be done.

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2. Conceptual framework
This chapter will present the different concepts discussed in this paper, namely the external and
internal factors, the low product involvement and the consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context.
This conceptual framework is the basis of this current study and the different concepts are linked all
together in order to meet the purpose.
2.1.External factors
In a world characterized by several international flows, all consumers are confronted to many external
elements playing a role on their consumers’ behaviors, like their culture, reference groups and
situational factors (Rutenberg, 2003). These external factors are considered as playing an important
role due to the fact that they are a set of elements coming from exterior environment guiding an
individual despite of his or her internal aspects (De Mooij, 2010). External factors are also viewed as
socio-cultural forces as they rise and grow from the individual informal and formal interactions with
several people (family, friends, other) (Booth, 2003; Hawkins et al., 2001; Kotler, 2000).
2.1.1. Culture
The study and understanding of external factors guiding consumers’ behaviors have become some of
the most crucial parts of marketing strategies than ever before (East et al., 2008). Even if almost all
external factors are important, the most essential and fundamental is the personal culture of
individuals (Murray, 2002; Rutenberg, 2003; Tian, 2000). Culture refers to a complex construct that
contains art, law, morals, customs, knowledge, beliefs and many other skills and practices acquired
by individuals as members of society (Rutenberg, 2003), as well as material and immaterial elements
(De Mooij, 2010). All these culture components have proved they play a role on values, attitudes,
personality types, material belongings, religion, consumption, etc… (Hawkins et al., 2001; Kotler,
2000; Tian, 2000).
Firstly, culture is related to norms which are defined as “setting broads boundaries within which
consumer tend to think and act” (Rutenberg, 2003, p. 44). It implies that violation of these norms
leads to sanctions, going from mild social disapproval to a definitive rejection from the group (Rotella
& Zaleski, 2002). Thus, conforming to these norms gives usually rewards, like working strongly and
effectively at work in order to get a wage increase or a job promotion (Mont & Power, 2009).
Nevertheless, conforming to certain norms does not expect rewards, as joining the back of a queue in
waiting for paying (Kotler, 2000; Murray, 2002).

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Secondly, several researchers agree that people learn their norms via observation and imitation of
behaviors, leading to reward and punishment from a member’s groups they come from or belong to
(Hawkins et al., 2001; Rotella & Zaleski, 2002). In line with them, Corbell (1999) added that “the
learning of the culture must be a voluntary action, motivated by social requirements” (p. 163).
Thirdly, whatever their degree of knowing the market and its subtleties, people are rarely aware of
how culture (theirs or others) guides their lives and their purchases (Mont & Power, 2009; Rutenberg,
2003). People believe and act as the same manners than other consumers merely because they think
it is the ‘right’ behavior to adopt (De Mooij, 2010; Kotler, 2000). In relation with cultural differences,
this result can explain why some human behaviors are accepted in some cultures and why some others
are not (Hawkins et al., 2001; Tian, 2000).
Thus, interactions with culture play a key role in understanding ways people, institutions and social-
environment act and co-exist (Murray, 2002). Consequently, culture is considered as the most
important external factor playing a role on consumers’ behaviors (Kotler, 2000).
2.1.2. Reference groups
Reference groups are defined as “groups whose presumed perspectives or values are being used by
an individual as the basis for his or her current behaviors, beliefs and feelings” (Rutenberg, 2003, p.
57). Especially in multicultural context, reference groups play an important role in the foreigners’
consumers’ lives, as their consumption is easily shaped depending on their belonging to a reference
group (Hawkins et al., 2001; Schiffman & Kanuk, 2000).
Researchers are used to classify reference groups in four categories, which are named primary,
secondary, aspirational and dissociative (Booth, 2003; Klein 2002; Liebman & Zentes, 2001;
Rummel et al., 2000). Focusing on the two first categories that seem to be the most relevant for this
study, primary groups, like friends and family, are considered as the ones in which people have the
most informal interactions and thus, it is the most influential group (Mont & Power, 2009). Moreover,
they allow and ease social gatherings with unrestricted face-to-face contact (Rutenberg, 2003).
However, secondary groups are characterized by limited face-to-face interactions and are generally
less comprehensive, more sporadic and thus, get a weaker influential power (Hawkins et al., 2001;
Kotler, 2000). The main components of these typical groups are generally religious groups, schools
and community organizations (Shirazi, 2013).
Reference groups play a role on consumers’ behaviors, depending on situations consumers face. At
first, the more a particular activity is considered as relevant and important by a group, the stronger is

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the pressure members of the group that the consumer feels and which makes him respect and reach
this activity norm (Shirazi, 2013). Secondarily, when an individual has a low self-confidence, he has
the greatest likelihood to being guided by the group he is surrounded or belongs to (Rummel et al.,
2000). Thirdly, since a product or a brand is widely used and showed by a group and considered as
luxury or important, the group’s pressure and role are stronger on the members (Liebman & Zentes,
2001). Lastly, the more a member feels involved in a group, the more he will conform to and respect
the group norms (Kotler, 2000; Hawkins et al., 2001).
2.1.3. Situational factors
Situational factors have a significant role on consumers’ behaviors (Mont & Power, 2009; Peter &
Donnelly, 2002, Rutenberg, 2003) as they can lead to the decision to buy a product, a substitute or to
not buy anything (Kaufman & Barnes, 2001). These elements guiding the consumers’ behaviors
process vary differently according to products or personal factors (Peter & Donnelly, 2002).
Situational factors refer to a set of external components depending on the purchasing situation that
guide any consumer’s behaviors in any place and at any time of buying (Pride et al., 2012). They can
also act on this process by extending, shorting or stopping the buying procedure (Pride et al., 2012).
These factors are related to many components, such as social elements (people surrounding
consumers), cultural values and norms, as well as the purchasing reasons (Peter & Donnelly, 2002).
The authors of this study cover three of them which are the most relevant for this paper, namely time
pressure, physical surroundings and consumer’s personal mood and conditions. Even if consumers
are not aware of the role that situational factors have on them, they are guided at any moment where
their consumption willingness is aroused (Loudon, 2001).
2.1.3.1.Time pressure
Time guides consumers’ behaviors in several ways, such as the amount of time consumers need to
get all information about a product or a service, to find it, to pay it and finally, to use it (Kurtz, 2010;
Lancaster & Reynolds, 2005). In addition to these time-span consumers require, other periods of time
playing a role on consumers’ behaviors have to be taken into consideration, like time of current
moment, time of the day, day of the week or month, times of year (Quester & Neal, 2007). Despite
the available time, consumers have to decide if the time plays a role on them when they purchase, for
example if they will suffer from any time pressure or they will control the time and purchase
according to their wish and without any pressure (Baker & Hart, 2007). This can be explained with
the example of a customer which is under a strong time pressure to purchase, he can either make a

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fast buying or give up and go away without purchasing the product he wanted to (Pride, 2009). In
understanding, managing and controlling time, marketers can easily and positively guide consumers’
behaviors by adapting their strategies (Docrat, 2007). The trickier challenge is that nowadays,
consumers are living in a stressed, fast and lack of time world, characterized by busy timetables in
which marketers have to manage to adapt their strategies to this lack of time (Kurtz, 2010).
2.1.3.2. Physical surroundings
Physical surroundings are a wide range of factors including institutional and geographical location,
sounds, aromas, lighting, furniture, signs, weather but also exhibits and products (Pride, 2009). A
wide literature claims that any aspect of physical environment plays a role in consumers’ behaviors
(Assael, 2005; Kotler, 2002; Peter & Donnelly, 2002). This physical environment, guiding
consumers, can be divided into two parts, the spatial and non-spatial elements.
Spatial components refer to physical items, such as interior decoration and layout, shopping centers,
stores, brands and products (Quester & Neal, 2007). According to Kotler (2002), there are other
elements, encircling the consumers, which need to be taken into account, such as store design and
layout. In including them in marketing strategies, marketers can easily guide consumers in their
behaviors (Kotler, 2002). For example, in most of the grocery stores, milk and bread are used to be
placed at two opposite points of the store (East et al., 2008). If a consumer wants to buy both, he will
have to visit the whole store and thus, go in front of different other products and, perhaps, buy them
(East et al., 2008). Another important surroundings factor is the store location (Lancaster & Reynolds,
2005). Indeed, when a store location is convenient (e.g. close to the house or work place), it has more
chances to attract more consumers than if it was farther (Peter & Donnelly, 2002). Relevant and
famous examples to illustrate this are Starbuck’s, McDonalds or Ikea and Subway which can be found
at any place (Docrat, 2007).
Non-spatial factors are more related to intangible elements, like aromas, lightings, temperature,
weather, time and noise level (Docrat, 2007). In addition to these factors, researchers demonstrated
that the atmosphere or the environment in which consumers evolve plays a major role on their
behaviors (Baker & Hart, 2007; Kurtz, et al., 2009; Pride, 2009). Indeed, when a consumer finds a
relaxing place in which he or she can consume (soothing music, lights and temperature), he or she
will spend more time in this place and probably consume more (Roslow et al., 2000). In understanding
the importance of each surroundings factors, companies can adapt their marketing strategies in order
to increase their chances to guide consumers’ behaviors (Pride, 2009).

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2.1.3.3. Buyer's mood and conditions
The most last substantial situational factors playing a role in consumers’ behaviors is their current
mood and situations at time they want to buy (Ferrell & Hartline, 2008). All these conditions (e.g.
health, exhaustion, enough money) have a role on consumers’ behaviors (Loudon, 2001). In any
situation when a consumer wants to buy something, any given mood or condition play a role on the
way the consumer will look for, get and judge information with other alternatives before buying, but
also on his or her post-purchase assessment (Pride, 2009). Indeed, if an individual feels headache and
thinks having coffee could relax him, he will buy a coffee (Quester & Neal, 2007). However, if this
same individual having headache does not think drinking a coffee could get him better, he will not
buy it (Quester & Neal, 2007). This is the same process with money. If an individual does not have
enough money to pay a coffee or another product, he will not buy it (Quester & Neal, 2007). Thus,
current mood and conditions of a consumer play a role in his consumer’ behaviors and have to be
understood by marketers (Mont & Power, 2009).
2.2.Internal factors
In addition to external factors guiding consumers’ behaviors, several research claim equally that
internal factors also play a role on it by guiding consumers’ lifestyle and way of thinking (Bennett,
2009; Hoyer & McInnis, 2009; Kotler, 2002; Schiffman & Kanuk, 2008; Xia, 2010). These factors
are linked to consumers’ personal needs and motives, attitudes, as well as their way to see and
understand the world around them (Kotler, 2002). Indeed, internal factors are more psychological and
involve a more personal way consumers identify their feelings, gather and understand information,
build their beliefs and ideas and make decision (Dawson & Kim, 2009; East et al., 2008).
2.2.1. Personal needs and motives
As culture for the external factors, personal needs and motives are those which are the most important
in the internal factors (Kotler, 2002; Mont & Power, 2009; Rutenberg, 2003).
A consumer’ need can be defined as the state in which an individual feels a lack of something, or a
situation where he feels a difference between his current state and his desired state (Maslow, 1970).
The attitude concept goes beyond the only awareness of the existence of a lack which needs to be
fulfilled, the attitude is the action to satisfy the need or the lack (Kurtz et al., 2009). Even if the
majority of needs are important, all of them cannot be taken into consideration in the purchasing and
selling process (Directorate-General for Health and Consumers, 2005). By determining the

17
importance of each need and motive of consumers, marketers can better guide consumers’ behaviors
(Hoyer & McInnis, 2009). A relevant model identifying and classifying needs is from the Maslow's
Need Theory (1970). This theory is based on the classification of needs in different levels of
importance which guide and characterize humans’ life (East et al., 2008).
Understanding the importance and the rank of each need is a crucial step for marketers to steer
consumers towards the ‘right’ behavior (Dawson & Kim, 2009; Kotler, 2002). For instance, a
consumer may buy a coffee only to satisfy a physiological need, his thirst, while other consumers
prefer buy one to have an opportunity to discuss with friends, creating a belonging to a group, or also
because they want to satisfy a hedonic need through a good coffee (Directorate-General for Health
and Consumers, 2005). Therefore, all consumers develop many different needs that have to be clearly
understood by companies in order to build relevant strategies to involve consumers in a purchasing
process (Xia, 2010).
2.2.2. Attitudes
The second most important internal factor guiding consumers’ behaviors is their attitudes (Dawson
& Kim, 2009; Hoyer & McInnis, 2009). Attitudes refer to what an individual thinks or feels about a
brand or a product (Kotler, 2002), and are always reflected by his acts and buying patterns (East et
al., 2008). In their study, Borle et al. (2007) showed that once an individual has formed his or her
attitudes, it is very tricky, nay hard, to change them. Indeed, when a consumer has some negative
attitudes towards a brand or a product, he will act negatively towards them and it will not be easy to
invert these negative attitudes in positive attitudes (Xia, 2010). So, it is a long process of consumers’
assessment and changing of this judgement that marketers should understand when they want to
attract and make consumers buying their products or services (Hoyer & McInnis, 2009).
Identification and understanding of consumers’ attitudes help marketers to better knowing their
consumers, which and where they are placed in the market, as well as discovering their perceptions
and judgement of sellers (Xia, 2010). In multicultural context, companies should keep in mind that
thanks to a more technological and modern world, consumers are continually exposed to many
information and advertisements and that they cannot register and remember all of them (Kotler,
2002). Moreover, consumers build their attitudes on what they learnt from their personal experiences,
as well as by their personality and own ideas (Borle et al., 2007). In addition, Kurtz (2010) claims
that consumers’ attitudes are also guided by their family, friends and a wide communication media
coverage. Thus, is it essential to create and launch effective marketing strategies in order to enable
consumers to perceive and remember them positively and so, develop positive attitudes towards the

18
company (Dawson & Kim, 2009; East et al., 2008; Kotler, 2002). For example, some companies are
used to offer different physical advantages, high quality products and services, as well as good
environment in their point of sale (e.g. Starbuck’s, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ikea) (Xia, 2010). The
success of these companies is partly explained by the positive image consumers have of them on
global aspects of their business (Dawson & Kim, 2009; Hoyer & McInnis, 2009). Therefore, creating
a positive image in the consumers’ mind is crucial in order to play a role in their attitudes and so, to
guide positively their consumers’ behaviors (Kotler, 2002).
2.2.3. Consumer orientation towards multiculturalism
2.2.3.1.Cultural openness
To go deeper in the internal factors playing a role on consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context,
researchers started by dealing with cultural openness (Kipnis et al., 2014; Vera & Speight, 2003).
Shankarmahesh (2006) defines the cultural openness of an individual as a willingness to develop
interactions with people from other cultures, sharing different values. Nevertheless, these interactions
do not perforce the consumption of products from other cultures (Strizhakova et al., 2008). Yuri and
Hongzhi (2015) suggest that in order to have a cultural openness, a multicultural-oriented person has
to do some intentional efforts to create a discussion with people from different cultures. Even if there
are cultural values differences, they do not lead to a rejection of the foreigner people or to the
preference of its culture of origin (Hong et al., 2000; Kipnis et al., 2014). Thus, a multicultural open
consumer will understand the importance and the benefits of his consumption experiences in
multicultural context (Shankarmahesh, 2006), and be more aware and satisfied in learning about
different cultures around him (Yuri & Hongzhi, 2015). Moreover, researchers agree to say that this
kind of consumer sees himself more free in his consumption choices and shows a greater likelihood
to try and consume products from different cultures (Kipnis et al., 2014; Vera & Speight, 2003).
Consequently, these consumers perceive themselves as “being neither totally a part of nor completely
apart from the culture” (Yuri & Hongzhi, 2015, p. 33), and are able to judge their own culture from
an outside perspective (Shankarmahesh, 2006).
2.2.3.2.Cultural knowledge
Consumer culture knowledge refers to the consumer personal cognitive representations of different
cultures they face and their correspondingly world views (Yuri & Hongzhi, 2015). This concept
encompasses also the way a consumer is linked to other cultures and to his own culture, as well as

19
his expectations of social interactions and relationships with these different cultures (Kipnis et al.,
2014). This process of knowledge is acquired from information and experiences with several
multicultural groups, their beliefs, values and worldviews (Vera & Speight, 2003).
Hong et al. (2000) added that for ‘multicultural minds’, the cultural knowledge works as a system
mixing conflicting or contradictory concepts with constructs perceived as right or with good value
that consumers can operate in specific situations. In line with them, Brannen et al. (2009) argue that
thanks to the assimilation and knowledge of these different structures, these consumers have a higher
level of cultural acceptance and adaptation. Accordingly, consumers have the capacity to convey
cultural knowledge acquired from specific experiences to broader situations during interactions with
other cultures (Yuri & Hongzhi, 2015). Shankarmahesh (2006) sums up the cultural knowledge
approach as the reflection of the degree by which a consumer gets a wide international frame of
reference, and not only specific interests and information about narrow areas, he can use in different
multicultural contexts.
2.3. Low product involvement
The level of involvement can vary from one person to another one and depending on the product in
question (Punyatoya, 2013). Involvement has been classified into two different aspects: high
involvement and low involvement (Aurifeille, et al., 2002; Barber et al., 2008). Those two aspects
are built depending on elements such as price, importance of the self, risk involvement in the
purchase, frequency of purchase (Punyatoya, 2013). Several authors stated that, for high and low
involvement, consumers behave in different ways (Barber et al., 2008; Bei & Widdows, 1999;
Lockshin & Hall, 2003). For example, consumers are usually more involved when it comes to
expensive product, high involved risk or when the self-expression through a product is more
important, for instance concerning electronics products (Punyatoya, 2013). In the other side,
consumers are likely to express low involvement in daily products such as shampoo or food, as those
products are cheap and do not show any important risk when buying them (Suh & Yi, 2006).
As stated in the problem discussion, this present paper focuses on the low involvement condition. In
a low involvement circumstance, consumers are likely to take purchase decision guided by situational
elements (Xue, 2008). In low involvement, products are in general not expensive and show low risk
for the buyer if he makes a mistake by buying them (Tanner & Raymond, 2012). This has been
emphasized by Ferreira and Coelho (2015), who stated that if the consumers faced a wrong purchase
decision, this will not have an important negative effect on the perception that the consumer has about
the product. Malär et al. (2011) also stated that “consumers are less likely to make the connection

20
between the brand and their actual self” (p. 39). In other words, if a consumer makes a wrong
purchase, or if he realized this product does not fill his need, it will not have an impact on the product
and brand image (Ferreira & Coelho, 2015).
Moreover, low product involvement is seen as routine product, which means that consumers make
mechanical buying decisions established on limited information about the product, or information
that they already collected in the past (Tanner & Raymond, 2012). According to Ferreira and Coelho
(2015), when product involvement is low, consumers are expected to provide less process of
information and purchase effort about the product they are interested in. This has also been reinforced
by Punyatoya (2013), which expressed that consumers bring less effort while purchasing low
involvement product. For example, if a consumer is used to order Coca-Cola in a restaurant, he
engaged a routine process in his behavior (Tanner & Raymond, 2012). The consumer may even not
think about other drinks choices because his routine is about ordering Coca-Cola and he does it simply
and mechanically (Tanner & Raymond, 2012). In another side, Ferreira & Coelho (2015) stated that
the brand does not matter for consumers as all brands are supposed to have a similar level of
satisfaction for them.
Low-involvement purchases are also composed of impulsive purchases which means that the
consumer did not plan to buy or had a previous thought about this product (Tanner & Raymond,
2012). For example, in a supermarket, when a consumer is waiting in a queue before paying, he could
see a magazine with a famous person and would buy it just because he wants to. Or he could see a
bag of chips and just buy it because he his hungry. Those articles lead to low involvement purchase
decisions (Tanner & Raymond, 2012).
Today, it is not obvious how consumers interact in multicultural environment when dealing with low
product involvement since less has been done on the low involvement in multicultural environment
(Ahmed & d’Astous, 2004; Josiasenn et al., 2008; Nayeem, 2012; Phau & Prendergast, 2000).
2.4.Consumer behaviors in multicultural context
Several researchers tried to explore how consumers are behaving in multicultural context (Arnould
& Thompson, 2005; Balabanis & Diamantopoulos, 2004; Cannon & Yaprak, 2002; Craig & Douglas,
2006; Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012; Mueller et al., 2009; Oberecker et al., 2010; Riefler et al., 2012).
In order to better understand consumers’ behaviors in multicultural environment, Demangeot and
Sankaran (2012) support Craig and Douglas (2006) statements by leading a study about cultural
pluralism consumption strategies. They found four consumers’ behaviors, which they named

21
consumption strategies, that consumers adopt when they are acting in multicultural marketplace.
These identified behaviors are experimentalism, extensionism, passivity and purism, all expressing a
more or less adaptation to the other culture or even a full rejection of it (Demangeot & Sankaran,
2012).
The cultural experimentalism behavior concerns individuals who are always looking for products and
experiences coming from other cultures (Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012). When Demangeot and
Sankaran (2012) conducted their analysis, they discovered that people having this behavior see
themselves as adventurous and experimental. Moreover, when people are experimentalist, the
external environment plays an important role on consumer’s behaviors, as they are attracted by
products of the culture they live in (Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012). This behavior could be
assimilated with the cosmopolitan orientation (Cannon & Yaprak, 2002). When those consumers pass
from one environment to another, the range of product they use changes as well (Demangeot &
Sankaran, 2012). As cultural diversity is an important factor leading to experimentalism, people feel
proud when they consume products from other cultures than their own culture (Demangeot &
Sankaran, 2012).
The second strategy, extensionism, results in a gradually and careful process in which people go out
from their comfort zone to try products from other cultures (Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012). Also, in
this behavior, consumers slightly open their cultural limits by adopting products that are close to their
own cultural scheme (Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012). In this strategy, people are looking for comfort
and closeness to their own culture rather than adventure and the change is realized after it has
happened (Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012). This behavior is also characterized by irrevocability about
products and practices which are adopted (Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012).
Demangeot and Sankaran, (2012) found out a third behavior, the cultural purism, described as “a
reasoned and selective approach towards culturally cued products which restricts consumption to
specific cultures” (p. 773). Purist consumers often have an intense sense of identification with their
own culture and its principles, of which they take care to perpetuate and transfer to their children
(Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012). In this behavior, the consumption is based on the respect of values,
very conscious and pride (Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012). Political and religious intention could lead
this kind of consumer behavior and purism could be assimilated to ethnocentrism (Balabanis &
Diamantopoulos, 2004). Some changes could appear due to utilitarian compulsions such as the fact
that a vegan consumer eats omelets because of a lack of vegan food in the environment where he is
(Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012).

22
The last consumer behavior is the cultural passivity. It results in an indifference and absence of
engagement with other cultures (Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012). In passivity behavior, consumer is
led by preference for his own culture’s products and practices which come from his own childhood
experience (Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012). In this behavior, the amount of products is limited and
consumption is restricted to the use of goods and services present in the family and close environment
(Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012).
2.5.Conceptual Model
The literature review showed that several factors can play a role in consumers’ behaviors. In
multicultural context, few studies have shown that individuals are likely to have multiple consumers’
behaviors, when facing product in multicultural environment (Craig & Douglas, 2006, Demangeot &
Sankaran, 2012). However, the way those consumers’ behaviors are brought to light is not clear
explained. Hence, authors of this research assume that, in multicultural context, external and internal
factors show up the emergence of consumers’ behaviors concerning low product involvement, and
are willing to discover what kind of other consumers’ behaviors are emphasized in this given context.
The Figure 1 shows that external and internal factors concerning low product involvement bring out
a particular set of consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context.
Figure 1. Conceptual model - External and internal factors playing a role in the emergence of
consumers’ behaviors for low product involvement, in multicultural context.

3. Methodology
This part will present the methodology and approaches used to conduct this study in order to meet
the purpose in the best conditions.
3.1.Research approach
Three main research approaches exist when doing a study, deductive, inductive and abductive
(Bryman & Bell, 2005). A deductive approach concerns the collection of theory as a start in a study,
in which a problem could be identified in the literature and leads to the proposal of potential solution
to this problem by going deeper in the theory previously expressed (Shepherd and Sutcliffe 2011).
The opposite of the deductive approach is the inductive one, in which a new theory is created from
the analysis of already collected data (Bryman & Bell, 2005; Walton, 2004). Finally, in the abductive
approach, researchers collect theoretical and empirical data at the same time and are looking for new
findings, which modifies the composition of the study constantly (Walton, 2004). The abductive
approach is seen as a mix of the deductive and inductive approaches and is more appropriate when
the objective of a study is about discovering new phenomenon, such as relationships, variables
(Dubois & Gadde, 2002).
In this current study, deductive approach has been chosen by the authors, based on qualitative
interviews, as the aim is to find some new potential concepts after collecting theory.
3.2.Design
The exploratory research design is extensively employed when a concept is not deeply understood
(Ghauri & Grønhaug, 2005). This is highlighted by Malhotra and Birks (2003) definition: “The
primary objective of exploratory research is to provide insights into and an understanding of
marketing phenomena” (p. 63). Yin (2014) also defined exploratory research as a research design
which emphasizes the discovery of new ideas and insights.
The exploratory research is employed in this current thesis because this is broadly used when a
problem has to be deepened more specifically, and when more consistent data need to be gathered
(Malhotra & Birks, 2003). Moreover, it leads to search for broader information about thoughts and
motivational aspects that exists in consumers’ behaviors. This fits completely the purpose of this
thesis which deepens the findings previously discovered in the Demangeot and Sankaran (2012)
study.

24
3.3.Research method
Authors of this paper have chosen a qualitative method as the focus is “on understanding the
phenomenon from respondents’ points of view and provide “insider view” and closeness to data”
(Ghauri & Grønhaug, 2005, p. 110). Qualitative study is an efficient way to get ideas from customers’
thoughts of a specific topic (Aaker et al., 2011). As activities and behavioral patterns are explored, a
qualitative approach is the most appropriate in order to reach this goal (Denscombe, 2000). Thanks
to this methodology, richer and deeper data can be gathered (Gray, 2009), and thus, a better
understanding of the phenomenon can be developed (Gill et al., 2008). Merriam (2009) supported
this statement that qualitative research is intended to understand what consumers experience and
which interpretation they give to it. Moreover, a qualitative study is known to take into consideration
the social reality, which is continually in a changing movement depending on individuals (Alvesson
& Deetz, 2000).
There are two types of qualitative research, direct and indirect (Malhotra & Birks, 2003). In the direct
technique, respondents know the purpose of the study and it concerns mainly focus groups or in-depth
interviews (Malhotra & Birks, 2003). Whereas in the indirect approach, researchers enter the social
context of the phenomenon to live it with respondents in order to observe and recognize the
signification of practices (Titchen & Hobson, 2005). Consequently, here the authors chose the direct
approach by leading in-depth interviews in order to be the closest possible to the respondents’ life
and to better understand their consumers’ behaviors.
3.4.Data collection
Data collection can be separated into two different data, primary and secondary (Bryman & Bell,
2011). For this paper, primary has been chosen. Primary data represent new information collected by
the researchers themselves, when existing data are not enough adequate to answer a problem (Bryman
& Bell, 2005). Some other information such as age, income, origin, sex can be collected, but also data
with qualitative aspect, such as personal belief on a particular topic (Christensen et al., 2001). Primary
data are easy to deal with as they lead to the research of current information and the data collection
method is adaptable to the purpose of the research (Christensen et al., 2001). The main flaw of primary
data is that it takes more time to collect and can be more expensive that secondary data (Bryman &
Bell, 2011). These data can be collected through several means such as surveys, interviews,
observations or experiments (Bryman & Bell, 2005; Christensen et al., 2001).

25
In this study, primary data are collected through in-depth interviews because researchers want to
deepen a problem in detail, which has not been made in previous research. Thus, there are no
secondary data that can be used to reach the purpose of this study.
3.5.In-depth interview
In this current thesis, the in-depth interviews technique has been chosen. According to Malhotra and
Birks, (2003) this qualitative technique is “an unstructured, direct, personal interview in which a
single respondent is probed by an experienced interview to uncover underlying motivations, beliefs,
attitudes and feelings on a topic” (p. 179). Moreover, in this technique, individual interviews are
conducted with a small number of respondents in order to discover their opinion about a particular
topic or phenomenon (Boyce & Neale, 2006). This kind of interview is valuable when researchers
are looking for detailed information about respondents’ beliefs and behaviors (Boyce & Neale, 2006).
There are other advantages with in-depth interviews such as the avoidance of influence between
respondents thanks to one-to-one interview (Aaker et al., 2011). In addition, it gives more personal
and pertinent data which can be gathered, and this close communication can enable to get new
knowledge about consumers’ behaviors (Aaker et al., 2011).
Thus, this approach fits the purpose of this thesis which is about exploring consumers’ behaviors. As
stated by Creswell (2013), data collected through interviews are differently evoked according to
respondents’ characteristics.
3.6.Sample
This present research used a non-probability sampling. In this sampling method, the complete
population and all its characteristics cannot be involved in the sample (Creswell, 2012). However,
the non-probability sampling remains the most appropriate method when researchers are looking for
deeper overview of a particular topic of study and when it is needed to have respondents which are
able to answer the question asked (Christensen et al., 2001). As this paper aims to deepen previous
research, the non-probability sampling fits its purpose. The necessary number of respondents
answering the interviews depends on the amount of data, that are necessary to fulfill the research
(Brinkmann & Kvale, 2009). However, as stated by Creswell (2012), a sample of eight respondents
is sufficient in qualitative study. Additionally, a small sample enables researchers to improve the
validity of the interviews and to facilitate a close relation with the respondents (Crouch, 2006).

26
A sample of eight respondents has been chosen for this research. Several nationalities (two French,
one German, one Italian, one Chinese, one Spanish, one Romanian and one Swedish) were
interviewed. Two interviews were led in French, as two respondents are French, then translated in
English for the purpose of the study. Whereas the six other interviews were led in English for the rest
of the respondents. Some of the interviews were led in face-to-face and the others via Skype when
the respondents and researchers were not able to meet each other physically. Moreover, interviews
were recorded to facilitate the data collection and to be sure that researchers did not miss any
important elements.
All respondents lived abroad for at least six months, during which respondents could face and
experience multiculturalism in their consumption. Although this sample is quite modest in size, it
shows multicultural characteristics through the multiplicity of nationality interviewed and their
experience abroad. The sample also respects a diversity with four women and four men who
participated in the study. The sample encompasses respondents from the age from 20 to 25 years old.
In order to respect the anonymity of respondents, their name have been changed with other common
names from their country of origin. The sample can be seen in the Table 1.
Table 1. Information about the respondents of the interview
Respondent Nationality Age Time
abroad
(month)
Date of
interview
Type of
interview (face-
to-face,
skype…)
Duration of
the
interview
Alexandru Romanian 24 22 29/04/16 Face-to-face 26:27 min
Hengyu Chinese 20 11 29/04/16 Face-to-face 28:29 min
Juan Spanish 24 10 30/04/16 Face-to-face 32:43 min
Daniel German 25 6 01/05/16 Face-to-face 28:37 min
Jean French 25 12 01/05/16 Skype 32:01 min
Emmeline French 22 11 02/05/16 Skype 24:14 min
Valeria Italian 23 7 02/05/16 Skype 29:15 min
Mikaela Swedish 21 12 03/05/16 Skype 35:09 min
Total duration 4h08 min

27
3.7.Operationalization
The operationalization represents the architecture of the concept’ measures used in a study (Bryman
& Bell, 2015). The operationalization of the interviews and the factors analyzed has been done by the
authors of the study in Table 2.
Table 2. Operationalization
Concept Sub-concept Item Sub-item References Q
External
factors
Culture Norms
Common
practices via
observations and
imitation
Hawkins et al.
(2001) ; Rotella
& Zaleski (2002)
2
3
4
5
6
Reference groups
Primary Friends and
family
Mont & Power
(2009)
7
8
7
8Secondary
Limited face-to-
face interaction
(religious groups,
schools,
community
organizations)
Hawkins et al.
(2001) ; Kotler
(2000) ; Shirazi
(2013)
Situational
factors
Time pressure
Amount of time
consumer needs
to find, get
information, pay
and use the
product
Kurtz (2010);
Lancaster &
Reynolds (2005)
9
Current time
(day, month,
year)
Quester & Neal
(2007) 10
Physical
surroundings
Spatial elements
(store design,
furniture,
location)
Kotler (2002);
Lancaster &
Reynolds (2005) ;
11

28
Quester & Neal
(2007)
Non-spatial
elements
(atmosphere,
lights, aromas,
relaxing place,
temperature…)
Baker & Hart
(2007) ; Docrat
(2007) ; Kurtz et
al. (2009) ; Pride
(2009)
12
Buyer’s current
mood or
conditions
Health,
exhaustion Loudon (2001) 13
Money Quester & Neal
(2007) 14
Internal
factors
Personal needs
and motives
Lack of
something, need
that has to be
satisfied
Satisfy
physiological
need
Directorate-
General for
Health and
Consumers
(2005)
15
Get pleasure,
enjoy
Directorate-
General for
Health and
Consumers
(2005)
15
Be a part of a
group
Directorate-
General for
Health and
Consumers
(2005)
15
Attitudes
What an
individual thinks
or feels about
something
Negative thoughts
or feelings
towards a product
Xia (2010)
16
17
18
Positive thoughts
or feelings
towards a product
Xia (2010)
16
17
19

29
Consumer
orientation
towards
multiculturalism
Cultural
openness
Willingness to
develop
interaction with
people from other
cultures and share
different values
Shankarmahesh
(2006)
20
21
22
23
Cultural
knowledge
Personal
knowledge about
another culture
Yuri & Hongzhi
(2015)
24
25
Product
involvement
Low product
involvement
Less effort for
consumer to
look for
information
about this
product
Inexpensive
product, low risk,
routine, impulsive
purchase
Ferreira &
Coelho (2015) ;
Tanner &
Raymond (2012)
1
Consumers’
behaviors
Experimentalist
Look for
products and
experiences
coming from
other cultures
Adventure
Experimental
Proud
Demangeot &
Sankaran (2012)
Extentionist
Gradually and
careful process
to try products
from other
cultures
Slow to adopt
products, look for
products close to
their own
products
Demangeot &
Sankaran (2012)
Purism
A reasoned and
selective
approach
towards
culturally cued
products which
restricts
consumption to
specific cultures
Consumption
based on the
respect of its own
values, very
conscious and
pride
Demangeot &
Sankaran (2012)

30
Passivity
Indifference and
absence of
engagement with
other cultures
Use of goods
from the
childhood, that
consumer is used
to consume
Demangeot &
Sankaran (2012)
The full interview guide can be found in Appendix 1 and transcriptions of each interview can be asked
to researchers if necessary.
3.8.Pre-test
The questionnaire was pre-tested with three persons having the characteristics necessary to participate
in this research. This pre-test enabled to discover if there were any weakness in the interview guide,
if the questions are well understood by respondents and if there are any confusing elements. It also
prevented any decreasing of interest during the interview. The interview was applied to Julie, French,
who lived 12 months abroad and Mathis, German, which lived abroad during 6 months. Researchers
also interviewed Åsa Devine, senior lecturer in the Marketing Program of the Linnaeus University of
Växjö, as an academic expert in marketing research field. Accruing from the pre-test, authors
reformulated some questions using simple words, in order to make them more understandable for the
interviewees. For example, concerning a question about personal needs and motives of respondents,
the word “hedonic need” has been replaced by “pleasure need”. They also added specific questions
illustrating consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context, to guide respondents if they could not give
a deep enough answer that could be a revelation of any behavior type. Those specific questions are
visible in Appendix 1.
3.9.Data analysis
In order to analyze data, this study follows three steps that must be respected in a qualitative research
when analyzing data, according to Malhotra (2010). The first step is codifying data from the
interviews (Malhotra, 2010). Codifying consists of organizing data in a specific sequence, to classify
them in order to categorize them (Malhotra, 2010). This process enables data to be “segregated,
grouped, regrouped and relinked in order to consolidate meaning and explanation” (Grbich, 2007,
p. 21). As Bernard (2006) stated, analysis refers to the search for models in data and for concepts
which explain why those models or patterns are here at the first sight. Thus, coding data is a method
that allows researchers to arrange and group data or codes which are similar into categories because

31
they share characteristics, which lead later to create a pattern (Saldana, 2009). Classifying data in a
reasonable way also comes from the implicit and instinctive senses of the researchers who determine
which data are similar and look alike (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). This method also refers to the data
reduction method, in which researchers choose which data are important and must be emphasized or
which one have to be minimized or even removed from the analysis (Malhotra, 2010).
The second step concerns the data display in which researchers depict a visual representation of the
data by creating tools, such as diagram, matrices, in order to emphasize patterns and relationships
between data (Malhotra, 2010). Data display is seen as a valuable step in the qualitative data analysis
(Burke et al., 2005; Grbich, 2007; Lofland et al., 2006; Slone, 2009; Yin, 2011) The main objective
of this representation is to give an easy access to the data in a succinct and efficient way, and express
a finding, insights or any particular orientation in the data (Iliinsky, 2010; Lengler & Eppler, 2007).
In qualitative research, visual display enables the representation of exploratory, elementary or
primary data, but could also help in demonstrating some specific or causal explanations or generate
hypotheses and developing theory (Burke et al., 2005; Miles & Huberman, 1994). Several types of
displays exist in order to analyze qualitative data, such as boxed display, decision tree modeling, flow
chart, latter, matrix, metaphorical visual display etc… (Verdinelli & Scagnoli, 2013). Researchers of
this current study have chosen to use the matrix tool to represent their data. A matrix is a table
referring to a “cross-classification of two or more dimensions, variables, or concepts of relevance to
the topic or topics of interest” (Lofland et al., 2006, p. 214). Matrices or tables are broadly used with
numerous goals from the collection of demographics data to the representation of complex findings
and operate as an “organizational and descriptive display of the topic under study” (Verdinelli &
Scagnoli, 2013, p. 367). As this study analyzes consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context, guided
by factors, data were crossed. Accordingly, the matrix can be applied to this analysis.
The last step of the analysis concerns the draw of conclusion and verification. At this stage,
researchers decide and give a meaning of the data previously analyzed and evaluate its association
with the research question (Malhotra 2010). At this step, evident elements of meaning become
apparent, that researchers use to describe what appears in the data (Malhotra 2010). Here again,
several methods exist to verify data and draw conclusion. The one chosen by researchers of this study
is the ‘noting patterns, themes’ (Miles et al., 2014, p.277) as characteristics of consumers’ behaviors
are desired for this paper. This method consists in working with text or display, in which persisting
patterns or themes appear, giving sense to phenomena researchers want to explore (Miles et al., 2014).
In this study, interviews were coded and reduced into keywords or shorted sentences in order to give
an easier access to information collected and to understand them better. Then, the role of external and
internal factors on consumers’ behaviors was analyzed. According to the different patters obtained

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earlier, consumers’ behaviors were identified. Data were displayed to set the different emerging
behaviors, which were put in relation with the external and internal factors, in order to show whether
they played a role for each behavior or not.
3.10. Quality criteria
Credibility and reliability are two major criteria to measure the quality of a qualitative research
(Christensen et al., 2001; Houghton et al., 2013).
3.10.1. Credibility
Credibility helps to determine the value and plausibility of the findings in a research (Polit & Tatano
Beck, 2006). Credibility involves two processes, the research has to be conducted in a clear and
plausible manner, and the research has to demonstrate credibility, in order to certify the relevance of
the findings (Houghton et al., 2013). For this research, authors paid attention that results they found
correspond to the reality. In order to ensure the credibility of the study, results can be presented to
respondents to be sure that interpretations that have been done meet respondents statements.
3.10.2. Reliability
The reliability of a study demonstrates if the findings can be repeated if future researchers would like
to use the results (Christensen et al., 2001). The reliability shows in which way the study brings
coherent results (Christensen et al., 2001). Moreover, as reported by Yin (2014), reliability aims to
reduce errors and biases that could appear in a study. For this research, as the interviews were led in
English and that each question was explained to the respondents in order to be sure that they
understand them well, it is believed that comparable results are obtained again, following the same
data collection method.
3.11. Research ethics
In qualitative study, researchers face several ethical issues which come during the data collection step
and in the analysis (Creswell, 2012). According to Christians (2008), four main principles exist in
order to respect ethics in research, the informed consent, the deception, the privacy and
confidentiality, and the accuracy (Christians, 2008).
3.11.1. Informed consent

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In this part, participants of a research have the right to be informed about the consequences of their
involvement in a study (Christians 2008). This consent is based on two conditions, first the participant
has to agree in a voluntary manner to participate in the study and this agreement has to be based on
complete and open information (Christians, 2008). For this current paper, respondents were
completely voluntary to participate in, they were explained before the interviews the aim of this study,
and were fully aware of outcome that could appear from their statements.
3.11.2. Deception
Each study has to be empty of any kind of deception (Christians, 2008). This means that respondents
cannot be disappointed about the purpose of the study and how it is led (Creswell, 2012). Researchers
should inform participants about the purpose of the research and explain clearly how the research is
conducted, to enable the respondents to be aware and remove any effect of deception (Creswell,
2012). Researchers of this study paid attention to explain clearly what is the purpose of the study and
how it will be conducted to participants. Consequently, participants were not surprised by any element
during interviews.
3.11.3. Privacy and confidentiality
In privacy and confidentiality, researchers look for the protection of respondents’ identities
(Christians, 2008; Creswell, 2012) and keep the anonymity of the respondents by giving them
numbers or nicknames instead of their real name (Creswell, 2012). Moreover, the researchers pay
attention to depict a general image rather than an individual one (Creswell, 2012). For the sake of
respondents’ privacy, researchers gave them false names, in order to protect their anonymity. Also in
the analysis results were expressed for all participants’ statements, instead of focusing results on only
one respondent.
3.11.4. Accuracy
Lastly, researchers have to ensure the quality and accuracy of the data (Christians, 2008) and avoid
all kind of ‘fabrications, fraudulent materials, omissions, and contrivances’ (Christians, 2008, p.145).
Validity of data represents the reality and has to be represented (Christians, 2008). Here, researchers
used data word by word, without modifying any respondents’ declaration to ensure the credibility of
the results by giving a clear representation of the reality.

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4. Empirical data
This part presents the empirical data gathered after the interviews. In the first part, data concerning
external factors are shown. In the second part, internal factors data are presented. During the
interviews, respondents were asked to think about products concerning a low involvement. They told
researchers some experiences and stories they lived through their consumption of products abroad.
Those products have been used as example to illustrate their statements and their experiences. Also,
not all respondents’ answers are quoted here. As some statements are similar for several respondents,
authors took care to choose citations which illustrate the most the factors playing a role on the
consumer behavior of respondents.
4.1.External factors
4.1.1. Culture
Adopting the culture of the country because they were forced to
First in some cases, respondents answered that they conformed to some common practices of their
host culture because they were forced to. They did not have other choices than adopting those
products. This depended on the situation in which respondents lived. For example, if they were living
with natives’ people, they adopted the common practices, “When I lived at those people, I had to live
in the same way and I had to adapt and to buy consequently” (Jean); “I lived with a Swedish
roommate and of course I looked at what she did and bought” (Juan). Here, respondents mentioned
that they only imitated the common practices when they were with natives’ persons, but when they
were alone they resumed their home habits “alone I took again my French habits” (Jean).
Respondents consumed typical products from the host country because they could not find products
they were used to consume. As they needed those products to live, they were forced to buy equivalents
from the other culture, “I bought it because I was forced to, I need it to live […] If I adopted those
new products it was only because I didn’t have the choice” (Hengyu); “there were not the same as I
was used to eat before.” (Juan); “Grated cheese doesn’t exist […] I could not live without grated
cheese so I was forced to buy the big piece of cheese that is common in Australia, that I grated myself
[…] in general, if I didn’t find my usual product I found something that looked like it” (Jean).
Finally, in some other cases, respondents bought and consumed products from the host country
because the price was important for them, and products from the host country were less expensive
than products they know from home, “For shower gel, I went to Rossmann (typical shop) because it

35
was less expensive” (Emmeline); “I bought ecologic honey, thing that I didn’t do in my home country.
But it was especially because it was the cheapest.” (Juan).
Trying the habits but not adopting them
Some of the respondents tried some products that they might have adopted afterwards, because they
liked it, but they did not feel like they took part to the culture of their host country, “I adopted some
typical products from there, that I want and I like, and not because Swedish people eat them”
(Alexandru), but it did not become a real habit, it was more a random or irregular action, “I didn’t
take a habit but I tried” (Valeria); “sometimes I did fika but that’s it.” (Juan). Also, some of
respondents mentioned they used products from their host country that they consumed in their own
way, “I tried new product and create my own meals” (Alexandru).
Some respondents expressed that, at the beginning of their stay abroad, they tried typical products
from their host country. After this period, they stopped it and started consuming again products from
their own culture, “at the beginning I tried polish products, for example pierogis, a special meal from
Poland, I ate it so much. But after I went back to my home products. I spent my time in the French
shelf” (Emmeline).
Completely adopting the culture
The last important statement from respondents that appeared in the culture factor was that some of
them wanted to adopt the culture of the country they lived in, because they wanted to discover new
things. They were willing to adopt common practices, and this went through the observation of
people, “I observed them in their daily life” (Mikaela), and the interest in the culture and imitation of
some practices, “I was very interested to see how they evolve […] I imitated them […] I adopted their
way of living […] I really liked this culture […] so as I repeated what they did, I bought as them […]
I adopted some typical French things” (Mikaela). Respondents were willing to discover typical
elements of the culture in order to discover what is the common way in their host country, “There
were traditional product, common for Swedish, I just bought it to try out new taste […] I wanted to
try out the way Swedish people eat this kind of food […] I wanted to discover the Swedish way”
(Daniel). Some of the respondents adopted the culture because they wanted to be truly integrated to
it, “When I was there, I really wanted to be like a native person, like a French, because I like
discovering what is around me, what is different from my life in Sweden” (Mikaela). Through this
adoption of the other culture and the discovery of new things, respondents felt a particular satisfaction,
“I think it was very rewarding and made me more open and happy also” (Mikaela). They also

36
expressed that, as they moved somewhere from their home country, they needed a change in their
usual life, “when I’m abroad, why should it be the same? Why not changing as I moved somewhere
else?” (Mikaela).
4.1.2. Reference groups
Strong belonging to a reference group
Each respondent had the feeling to be part of a group during their experience abroad, with some
nuances. Some respondents mentioned that, in this international context, they were mainly evolving
with friends, “My friends from Sweden” (Daniel); “the foreigners group, they were my friends”
(Valeria); “The Chinese group. They were my friends” (Hengyu), or in one case, from a respondent
who lived in a family as au pair, she considered that her group of reference was the family she lived
with, “my group was the family I was living with” (Mikaela).
All respondents mentioned that they acted regarding their reference group when it came to consume
low product involvement, “My host family influenced me as they made me discover and like the life
and the typical food” (Mikaela); “I adapted myself to them. They told me special recipes and I wanted
to try” (Daniel). Respondents told that they were really willing to discover the culture, so this is why
they consumed in accordance to their reference group, “I was really willing to try and discover
everything” (Mikaela); “I wanted to experience new tastes and new products. For example,
discovering traditional dishes of the country” (Valeria). So they listened to and followed what their
reference group said in order to satisfy their will of discovery, “I listened to them carefully and took
all advice they could give me” (Mikaela); “I followed what they said, […] to discover, to try”
(Hengyu); “when they suggested me something, I was very happy and excited to try it” (Valeria).
They also stated that it was easier to discover and try new products when they were with their
reference group, “it was easier to do it when a friend suggested me something” (Valeria).
Less important belonging to a reference group
One of the respondent did not feel like he belonged to a group strictly speaking, but he still discovered
and tried some products he was not used to consume before, thanks to people around him, for example
his roommate or girlfriend, “my roommate forced me to buy yoghurts […] she made me discover all
the Swedish culture and consumption […] my girlfriend was used to buy mozzarella, but not me, and
as she often cooked with it, I bought it for my own consumption too. There are different products I
tried and liked because of people I was with.” (Juan).

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Some respondents said that when they were with their friends or reference group, they consumed
differently, but once they were alone, they consumed in their own way, the way they were used to
before coming in their host country, “I took the same product to make it in my own way” (Alexandru);
“At the beginning, they influenced me because I had to adapt myself to their life rhythm but when I
was alone again I resumed my own habits.” (Jean); “when you are alone, naturally you have a
tendency to consume products and brands that you already know from your home” (Emmeline).
4.1.3. Situational factors
4.1.3.1. Time pressure
Time spending to shop
Respondents reacted in different ways from the time they spent in shops. It depended on several
factors. If they were in a hurry, respondents paid less attention to product and went directly to the
essential point, namely, products they knew and were used to consume, “If I was in a hurry, I tried
to buy product I knew from my home country or at least I tried to find product that they look like
product from my home country” (Daniel); “I was in a hurry […] when I wanted a product but could
not find it I took another one as a substitute” (Alexandru).
For others, it appeared that consumption and shopping groceries were boring tasks. In this way, they
did not spend too much time in shops, “everyone was very slow so it was annoying, so for me the
time counted” (Valeria); “if I spent too much time to find a product I avoided it and didn’t buy it”
(Hengyu); “I didn’t take that much time to shop groceries […] I didn’t want to spend too much time
for that” (Jean). They wanted these tasks to be done very quickly and this led to the research of
products they were used to, “I really went to the most important. It is really something I delayed. […]
I just wanted to buy my product I knew” (Valeria); “I just looked for the fastest way to buy my food.
I knew where products were in the shop, I picked them, I paid and I left!” (Jean).
On the other side, some respondents were relaxed during their stay abroad and had time. So they took
their time to shop and discover products they did not know before, “I took the time to discover product
and I was not under pressure” (Mikaela); “when I got enough time I tried to find new products”
(Daniel); “I had plenty of time there, I looked, walked around in the supermarket to watch which
polish product I could find” (Emmeline).

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Current time (day, month, year)
Another aspect of the time was evoked, but concerning the period or moment of consumption, that is
if it was at a particular moment of the day, the week, the month or the year. It was found that in mainly
all cases, respondents changed their consumers’ behaviors regarding the period during which they
were consuming. For particular event during the year they change their consumption to discover new
typical products, for example around Christmas time, “close to Christmas time, I brought back home
pepper kakor, little Swedish biscuits that I and my family have never tried before.” (Alexandru);
“during Christmas time, they eat a lot of things with saffron, so I ate more products with saffron”
(Valeria); “around Christmas I bought special food they usually cook at that time there, like seafood
[…] I wanted to try it and to try each tradition for each moment of the year. Really to discover the
real French life” (Mikaela). Or when the end of their stay abroad got closer, respondents wanted to
buy typical products to bring them back home, “When I was closed to leave Sweden, to go back to
my country, I was looking for a typical Swedish sausage for my father” (Juan).
For other respondents, some period of the year were synonyms of having enough money or not.
Regarding the moment, if they had money or not they consumed consequently. When they had some
money, respondents spent it more easily and were more inclined to try out new products, “in the
middle of my year abroad, I received scholarships, I bought fresh products or new products like “why
not try them?”” (Hengyu). But on the contrary, some periods of the year were more difficult because
money was missing and they consumed only products they needed to live, “the end of the month was
sometimes tricky, because I didn’t have a lot of money left, I just took basic product, like basic food.”
(Mikaela).
Finally, some respondents evoked that when they were abroad, they lived an adaptation period,
mentioning that at the beginning of their stay, they tried products and their consumption was very
different than originally but after a while they sought for their own habits, “I think there is an
adaptation period. When I arrived in Poland, I ate really like anyhow! But there is a moment where
you began to level off and that you start to consume as you were used to in your home country. It took
eight months for me to resume my own habits and consume products I’m used to” (Emmeline).
4.1.3.2. Physical surroundings
No concern about physical surroundings
Some respondents did not concentrate on physical surroundings when they were consuming. People
mainly focused on the product and not on what was around, “I just looked at the product and not at
the furniture and what is around” (Daniel); “I focused on the product when I was buying and nothing

39
else” (Hengyu); “it wasn’t affect me. […] If I wanted to try something I bought it even if the
surroundings were bad.” (Juan); “I only focused on the clothes and their quality and not what is
around me” (Emmeline). In fact, respondents were not sensitive to the surroundings because either
they looked like what they were used to in their home country or because the language was a barrier,
“everything was quite basic […] same as in my country” (Alexandru); “if there were some
advertisements, I couldn’t understand because it was in Swedish” (Daniel).
Concerns about physical surroundings
For the other respondents, because of those physical and non-physical elements, they did not feel
comfortable when they were consuming. In those situations, they just bought product they needed,
quickly, and they did not linger in shops, “everything was quite bad-presented […] it was very messy.
I just took products I could see easily on shelves and I left. […] impression that the product was bad
quality because of this kind of presentation. So I just took basic products I already knew” (Mikaela);
“the atmosphere in the shop was very tense for me, I just bought products I knew from my home
country like Italian wine and that’s all” (Valeria); “mall that are under the ground, […] it was often
weird to enter these malls […] I didn’t feel very comfortable so maybe it forced me not to stay for a
long time in the mall” (Jean).
On the opposite side, respondents felt comfortable with surroundings and sometimes it could enable
them to try out some new products they were not used to consume, “the way they enhance clothes in
shops […] made me want to buy them and to wear this kind of clothes, whereas before I would not
have been interested in” (Valeria); “there was some dynamic music, so I felt like I was faster when I
did my shopping […] when it was well presented, then I wanted to buy more. If it is well presented it
will help to try new things I don’t know” (Jean).
4.1.3.3. Buyer’s current mood and conditions
Buyer’s mood
Concerning the buyer’s current mood, all respondents claimed that they consumed according to their
mood when they were abroad. For example, they all often mentioned that when they were sick or sad,
they looked for the fastest way to buy all their grocery products, “when I was tired, it was very boring
for me to go shopping, so I just went and chose the first thing I thought was good and that I wanted
to eat quickly” (Jean); “if I was tired, I just came in the shop and chose everything I’m used to
consume usually” (Alexandru), or they focused on product they knew and which would make them
feel better, “When I missed my family, I remember I bought product I knew from my home country

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[…] or I could even cook some meals I cooked at home” (Mikaela); “When I was sad or in a bad
mood, for example, I stayed on products I knew” (Juan).
Some respondents behaved on an opposite way, saying that when they felt bored or sad, they often
went shopping and were looking for new experiences; “When I was bored, each time I went shopping
[…] I was more open to try out product” (Emmeline); “when I was sad, I wanted to try something I
didn’t know yet” (Valeria); “if I felt bad or tired, I often went to the supermarket to buy chocolate
with a taste I never tried” (Hengyu).
On the contrary, when the rest of the respondents were in a good mood, they were relaxed and more
open to consume and discover new things, “when I was in a good mood or motivated, then I was fine
to change product and try new things” (Alexandru); “when I was happy, I bought French products,
because I was in a good mood, so in the mood to discover new things” (Mikaela); “I was in a good
mood and I said “let’s try the reindeer meat!”. I wanted to discover a new taste and something typical
from Sweden” (Valeria).
Buyer’s financial situation
Most of the respondents mentioned that money was an important element when they were abroad.
They often had to pay attention to their money and were not fully free in their consumption, so they
oriented themselves to products they already knew, “I didn’t have a lot of money left so I just bought
the minimum I need to live, and products I already know and I’m used to consume” (Hengyu); “I was
very careful and bought just what I would need to live and to feed me. No extra purchase to enjoy”
(Mikaela); “I always bought the 1st price, […] Basics products I’m used to eat. When I was abroad I
was very careful with my money” (Jean). Respondents had to adapt themselves to products from their
host country which were less expensive, “yogurts in pot, they were very expensive and I couldn’t
spend as money in them as I was used to do in Spain. So I took the yogurt in bottle” (Juan); “when
Swedish products were not expensive I tried them” (Alexandru).
For the others, money was not a problem or an obstacle in their consumption. It was even a good way
for them to discover new products and to try out new ones, “I spent a lot and I enjoyed. […] I had
more money I consumed new product” (Valeria); “I didn’t care about money […] abroad you tell
yourself “enjoy” and “let’s try, I won’t find it when I’ll be back home.”” (Emmeline); “when I wanted
to discover new product, then I spent more money than to my usual product. I didn’t pay attention to
the price when I wanted to discover new things” (Daniel).

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4.2.Internal factors
4.2.1. Personal needs & motives
Satisfy first need
For some respondents, their personal needs and motives, were about satisfying their first needs when
they were abroad. Regarding different situations, respondents focused on satisfying their basic needs,
“I went directly to product I knew and I really needed (Alexandru); “For some products, it was to
satisfy my need, I took the 1st product price because I was just hungry and I needed to eat” (Jean).
Consumption for pleasure
When they were abroad, other respondents wanted to enjoy and had some pleasure. This was reflected
in their consumption, as they satisfied their pleasure need when consuming, “I love tasting. I love
discovering new things when I am in a new country. So I tried products satisfying my needs. I was
proud of me for having tried.” (Juan); “my motivation when I bought was above all to enjoy and
discover new things so I guess I did it for my pleasure” (Mikaela); “I wanted to have some pleasure.
So I bought something different to change and to see new thing” (Hengyu).
To be part of group
A respondent mentioned another element showing that in some situation, going abroad means being
a part of a group, and for that the consumption has to follow, “Necessarily it was to follow a group,
because there, I lived in a dormitory and there were some stuffs that I bought because I was influenced
by the others […] obviously if you want to meet people, you have to eat with them so to eat like them”
(Emmeline).
From satisfying first needs to enjoy and have pleasure
Finally, some respondents mentioned that at the beginning of their stay abroad, they were more
inclined to satisfy their first needs, so they looked for products they were familiar with, “at the
beginning it was for my first need […] I consumed product I am used to consume at home.” (Valeria);
“at the beginning of my stay abroad, it was just for my first needs, so I got my basics. So first I took
the safe side and I took my basics products that I know from home” (Daniel). After a while they
started to orient their consumption towards products they did not know, in order to discover new ones,
“after […] for pleasure […] I remember when I arrived, it took maybe 3 weeks before I decided to

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buy typical products from Sweden that I never tried before” (Valeria); “later, I discovered new
products but not in the beginning” (Daniel).
4.2.2. Attitudes
Negative attitude
When respondents got a negative attitude towards a product, namely negative thoughts and feelings,
they were not inclined to consumed it, “I was a little bit afraid, I had no idea of how to cook it, so I
didn’t buy it” (Valeria); “some products looked strange for me, and in this situation I was not very
comfortable so I didn’t buy them. […], if I did not trust the product I didn’t buy it” (Hengyu); “if a
product made me hesitating, well I didn’t buy it. […] when my feelings or thoughts were negative, I
didn’t buy the product and I bought another one I knew it was good for me” (Juan); “If I had bad
feelings, of course I didn’t buy the product” (Alexandru); “if my impression was bad I didn’t want to
try it. I had no interest in it” (Jean).
When respondents had bad feelings or thoughts towards products, it was because they were not
confident regarding to it, due to an aspect of the product for which they were not familiar with, such
as the language barrier, “I was suspicious about the taste or how to cook it. […] when I did not
understand what was written on the package, also when the product looked strange for me, compared
to what I am used to consume […] I didn’t go towards products that could appear very different from
products I’m used to eat usually” (Hengyu). It also happened that after the use of a product, a
respondent could feel bored by it and decided to change, “if I started being bored by eating it, I
changed with another brand or I even reduced my consumption, or I could change completely for
another product” (Alexandru).
Positive attitude
When respondents got a positive attitude towards a product, namely positive thoughts and feelings,
they were inclined to buy it and sometimes to try out new products they did not know, “if it was
attractive and made me feel confident, I wanted to try […] if it was positive, well I bought the product.
I like trying new things and if one product seemed to be good, I could buy it” (Juan); “if I had a
positive opinion of the product I bought it” (Hengyu); “if I got good feelings about a product it helped
me to consume it” (Alexandru); “If I had a good impression of a product, I could buy it easily, even
if I didn’t know the product” (Valeria).

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Respondents did not rely on their feelings or thoughts
Lastly, respondents did not mind about their feelings or thoughts towards a product. They wanted to
discover new things, so they did not stop at their first opinion about the product and wanted to try
anyway, “I think it is very common or normal when you discover new product that you can have bad
taste. I wanted to try anyway, so I didn’t care about my feelings or what I could think about a product.
I tried” (Daniel); “even if I didn’t trust that much a product, I tried” (Emmeline); “I didn’t trust some
product but as I didn’t know them, I wanted to try anyway” (Mikaela).
4.2.3. Consumer orientation towards multiculturalism
4.2.3.1. Cultural openness
Open to the culture
In this part, respondents’ answers appeared to be quite personal, reflecting their own experience
abroad when meeting a new culture. Overall, respondents were open to the culture of their host
country where they lived in and this went through the trial of new products, “I was willing to discover
it” (Mikaela); “I was very open-minded to them, I wanted to live their way, their daily business, I
wanted to get known the culture and tradition, also the food, the beers” (Daniel); “I think I was quite
open. I tried new food […] to try something I didn’t know” (Hengyu).
This openness to the culture was illustrated by the respondents’ willingness to interact and share with
the host culture, “I wanted to interact with them. […] I wanted them to show me the daily French life
and to show them my own culture by cooking special meals or explain them how we live in Sweden”
(Mikaela); “I asked my fellow students what they can recommend me […] there were always
conversations about the products from my home country or the way I learnt from my home country
and the way they do something […] a comparison between our two cultures” (Daniel); “I shared with
them my way to cook and ask questions about theirs because it was different from my usual way of
cooking” (Juan).
Their openness to the culture led them to consume consequently according to what raise up from their
interaction with the culture, “when they told me something about their culture, I always wanted to
discover it, I consumed what they recommended me so my consumption was influenced” (Daniel); “I
liked their culture and I was open to it, I really wanted to live like they do in their culture, so of course
it was the same in my consumption. As I wanted to live like them, I had to buy like them and consume
like them” (Mikaela).

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Open for a time but not during the entire time abroad
For some personal reasons, a few respondents were open to the host culture at the beginning of their
stay there, but this changed over time, “during the first month yes, but after not anymore […] I really
had the ambition nearly of assimilation or integration […] to see what is their way of doing”
(Valeria); “at the beginning, I was open to the culture but not at the end. At the beginning you are
very open and you want to discover a lot of things, but a time comes when you just go back to your
usual habits and where you start to withdraw into yourself and I think the discovery of new things is
at the beginning” (Emmeline). But in any way, despite their lack of real openness, they still consumed
products from the other culture and were confronted to some use of the common practices of the other
culture, “I took breakfast in a Swedish way instead of the Italian way. As I was open to the culture in
the beginning, I consumed I order to follow this culture” (Valeria).
4.2.3.2. Cultural knowledge
Concerning the respondents’ culture knowledge about their host culture, some of them mentioned
that they did not know it before arriving, but they got to know it when they were in the country,
“before arriving in France, I didn’t have any clue of the culture. Now I know it quite well” (Mikaela);
“I know it quite better than before” (Daniel). Only one respondent mentioned that she did not know
well the culture of the country in which she lived, “At the beginning I was interested in, but as people
were not very welcoming, it didn’t give me the willing to be more interested” (Emmeline).
The eight respondents all agreed that when they knew that a product was from their host culture, they
could easily consume this product, “I knew that such a product was from the other culture and I
wanted to discover it and consume it” (Alexandru); “at the beginning I didn’t know anything about
Swedish typical stuff, but after when I knew, I bought easily product” (Daniel); “to know what was
common in France helped me to know what I could buy to follow the French way of living” (Mikaela);
“knowing the culture, of course enabled me to know what were the products of the country, so I tried
some of them because I knew they were polish and I wanted to discover special products” (Emmeline).

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5. Analysis
In this part, empirical data are analyzed in two parts. In the first one, the different external and
internal factors are analyzed. Then, in the second part, the different consumers’ behaviors that
emerged from the data are analyzed.
5.1.Analysis of the external factors
5.1.1. Culture
In the empirical data, it is shown that all respondents mentioned that culture of their host country had
a role in their consumers’ behaviors, sooner or later when they were in their host country and
consuming low products involvement. As culture refers to a large panel of elements, encompassing
all the building blocks of an individual in a society (De Mooij, 2010; Rutenberg 2003), it has been
proved that individuals are guided by it in their consumer behavior (Hawkins, et al., 2001; Kotler,
2000; Tian, 2000). This can also be illustrated when consumers are facing multicultural context, when
consuming abroad. This fact has been emphasized during this study as respondents either conformed
to the norms or they did not.
First of all, some of them tried some common practices, but did not adopt them for good. In fact,
according to different situations, all respondents tried at least some common practices of their host
country, namely tried typical products. If they liked it, they could afterwards keep it in their
consumption. But they mainly adopted products of the culture that they adapted to their manner
afterwards. They accepted new products they were not used to consume, but still based on their usual
way of consuming, by adapting those products to the way they are used to consume usually. For
example, adding a particular new product in a meal they usually cook. Other respondents also adopted
some common practices of the culture, but only because they were forced to and did not have other
choices than consuming products of the culture. The first reason for this is that respondents were
guided by people they lived with. Indeed, some of the respondents lived with natives’ people, so they
had to adapt their consumption to them. The other reason is that the product they were used to
consume and looking for was not available. But as this product was necessary for them, they had to
find an equivalent in their host culture. Lastly, the factor price was an important one for some
respondents. They consumed products from their host country because they wanted the less expensive
one. As culture is referring to norms, which correspond to limits within which people are evolving
(Rutenberg, 2003), and that the learning of those norms must be based on a voluntary action (Corbell,
1999), previous respondents did not adopt this culture in their life as they only tried common practices
without having the wish to include it in their daily life. They even felt forced sometimes to use some

46
typical products from their host country. Thus, according to the theory which stated that the adoption
of the culture has to be voluntary, those respondents were not adopting it even if it had a role in their
consumer behavior.
Secondly, some respondents argued that they did not include the culture of their host country all the
time and that, once they were alone, they resumed their own habits and behaved as they wanted to.
In fact, some of them consumed products from their host country because of pressure from people
around them and not because of their own will. They lived with natives’ people and had no other
choices than adapting their behaviors to them. Others mentioned that, at the beginning of their stay,
they included some typical products of their host culture in their consumption to try, but after a while
they stopped consuming it and got back to their usual habits. So, it is clear that when some consumers
are alone, they take back their own consumption habits.
On the opposite, some other respondents show an important wish to explore and adopt the culture in
its entirety, by discovering and trying common or typical products of their host country. This adoption
of the culture passed through the observation and imitation of people. This joins the theory which
highlighted that people learn norms of a culture through the observation and imitation of behaviors
to conform to the culture in which they lived in (Hawkins et al., 2001; Rotella & Zaleski, 2002).
Those respondents well illustrate the theory as they observed people around them to imitate their
behaviors, because they had a strong wish to follow the culture of their host country. Moreover, those
respondents expressed a voluntary feeling of learning the culture by adopting and adapting themselves
to the norms of the country (Corbell, 1999). Those respondents had an important willingness to adopt
the culture of the country, and consequently they were guided in their consumer behavior. As they
were abroad, they wanted to enjoy their experience and discover new things as much as they could.
They were willing to follow the common practices of their host country, so to behave accordingly.
As it has been proved in the literature, culture plays an important role on consumers’ behaviors. In
the current research, this factor is also seen as having an important role in consumers’ behaviors, as
all respondents were guided by the culture of their host country, sooner or later, whether it was a
voluntary action or they felt forced to adopt elements of the other culture. Thus, culture plays an
essential role on consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context, for low product involvement.
5.1.2. Reference groups
Each respondent said they belonged to a group at one time or another during their stay abroad, or at
least they have been guided by people around them in their consumer behavior when it came to
consume low products involvement. As stated by Rutenberg (2003), reference groups correspond to

47
groups which expressed outlooks or values used by an individual as a basis for his behaviors, beliefs
and feelings. In this study, it turns out that abroad, consumers refer themselves mainly to their friends
or family, namely the primary group as their group of reference (Booth, 2003; Klein, 2002; Liebman
& Zentes, 2001; Mont & Power, 2009; Rummel et al., 2000). Indeed, seven respondents out of eight
mentioned that their reference group was their friends, and one respondent declared that his reference
group was his host family in his host country.
All the respondents were guided by their reference group when they were consuming abroad. In fact,
a lot mentioned that they followed, discovered and consumed typical products from their host country
through the interaction with their reference group. According to Mont and Power (2009), this
interaction between the consumer and his primary group of reference is seen as more informal, and
thus has a better weight in how the consumer will behave. Moreover, this important role that
references groups play on consumers’ behaviors is especially visible in multicultural context as
travelers easily adapt their consumer behaviors to the consumption of their group of reference
(Hawkins et al., 2001; Schiffman & Kanuk, 2000). And this is what some respondents mentioned
about their reference groups, which have made them discovering in an easier way their host culture,
and made easier their action to try and buy new products. Thus, reference groups have a significant
power to make change a foreigner’s mind about his consumer behavior. And this power of inspiration
is acting in different ways according to the situation they face (Shirazi, 2013). For example, when
consumer feels a certain low self-confidence, he is likely to be more easily led by the group he belongs
to (Rummel et al., 2000). This is the case regarding this research where some respondents felt forced
to try or buy some products their reference groups wanted them to try. On the opposite in a softer
way, when other people already tried a product, or brought new things to specific event, it helped
respondents to consume products. Indeed, when a product or brand is broadly used by a group of
reference, the role played on the consumer is consequently stronger (Liebman & Zentes, 2001).
Finally, some respondents showed an important interest in their group of reference and wanted to
adopt the same behavior. Consequently, it strengthens what Kotler (2000) and Hawkins et al. (2001)
stated in their research, more a person feels involved in a group, more he behaves like it and respects
its norms.
However, an important point as to be mentioned regarding the results of this study. Some respondents
said that when they were alone, they resumed their home habits and were not guided by their reference
group anymore. In fact, they argued that even if they have been guided by their reference groups in
their consumer behavior, when they were alone they mainly consumed in their own way. And for
some others, they resumed their usual habits, by consuming products they know and are used to
consume. Thus, depending on the level of closeness and relationship with the reference group, the

48
consumer behavior can highly change regarding the consumption of foreigner products (Hawkins et
al., 2001; Kotler, 2000).
It is obvious that abroad, group of reference or people around consumers played an important role on
their behavior. This is merely due to the fact that each consumer belongs to a group and consumes in
accordance with the groups norms at one time or another. Accordingly, the belonging to some
reference groups eases consumers in their willingness to try out and discover cultural products of
their host country. But in some situations, they can also feel forced in their consumption because of
the group they belong to and have to follow. Thus, reference groups are an important factor guiding
consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context for low product involvement.
5.1.3. Situational factors
5.1.3.1. Time pressure
The time played a certain role on respondents when they were consuming low products involvement
in multicultural context. This depended on different situations that respondents faced during their
purchase. Some of them were sometimes in a hurry or bored by shopping groceries and this modified
their consumer behavior. As they wanted to be fast and practical, either consumers took products they
were used to or they knew. But, if they did not find a product easily, they took an equivalent or they
sometimes cancelled their purchase and did not buy the product they were looking for. This meets
current theory which claims that regarding the situation that the consumer faces, his consumption
decisions are guided and modified through the extension, the reduction or the total abandon of the
purchase process (Pride et al., 2012). Indeed, a strong time pressure can lead the consumer to make a
fast purchase or give it up or even leave the shop without buying the product he wanted to (Pride,
2009). This can be explained by the fact that nowadays consumers are facing stressing situations in a
dynamic and fast world represented by busy schedule and a lack of time (Kurtz et al., 2009). On the
opposite side, some respondents felt more relaxed when it came to consume abroad. They took time
to discover and consume typical products from their host country that they were not used to consume.
Respondents here, took control of the time in order to discover new products they did not know. In
fact, even if the time can become a pressure, consumers still have the choice to decide if they suffer
from it or not (Quester & Neal, 2007).
Another aspect of the time had a role on respondents’ consumer behavior when they were consuming
in multicultural context, the current time of purchasing. According to the period, respondents were
guided in their consumer behavior. A relevant example is the end of the year, around Christmas time,
where respondents were guided in their purchasing. They all agreed to say that at this period, they

49
were willing to try typical products of their host country, to discover what is the customs for this time
and to make their own family try those products.
For some other respondents, particular moment of their time spent abroad was a meaning of good or
bad financial situation. Indeed, several of them mentioned that the end of the month was sometimes
a little bit difficult, and their consumer behavior changed consequently due to the lack of money.
They had to wait some time to get more money and be able to consume again normally. In this
situation, respondents were very careful in their consumption and only consumed basic products they
knew and were used to consume, without any purchase which could appear unnecessary for they
survival. On the opposite way, when they got enough money, consumers were more inclined to try
out products they did not know and discover new typical products. This shows how it is important to
take into account periods of time, like the current time of the day, day of the week or month and times
of the year, as they play a role on consumers’ behaviors (Quester & Neal, 2007).
Another respondent mentioned a relevant point about the time spending abroad. In her opinion, when
consumers live in multicultural context for a while, they start their stay by trying all typical products,
having new experiences and discovering the culture of their host country. Their consumer behavior
is guided by their arrival in a foreign country, and sometimes their way of consuming products can
be different from what they usually do. But after few time spent in their host country, consumers start
going back to their usual habits to create again a balanced rhythm, the one they have when they are
home.
Thus, in multicultural context for low product involvement, consumers are guided in their behaviors.
Indeed, time plays an important role on consumers’ behaviors whether they are suffering from this
time pressure or not. Their behaviors vary from situation to another. In fact, according to several
situations consumers are guided. If they are in a hurry, they consume in a fast way and go to the
essential point. Whereas if they are more relaxed or if the current time of purchasing is more
favorable, they take their time to consume and discover new products.
5.1.3.2. Physical surroundings
Two main phenomena appeared here. Either physical surroundings guided respondents, or they did
not play any role on their consumer behavior, when they were abroad consuming low products
involvement. Respondents who were not guided by physical surroundings claimed that when they
were consuming abroad, they only focused on the product itself and not what was around. Indeed, in
some situations they could not understand advertisements, or surroundings were similar to what they
are used to at home. However, as highlighted in the current literature, a particular atmosphere or

50
environment play an important role on consumers’ behaviors (Baker & Hart, 2007; Kurtz, et al., 2009;
Pride, 2009).
In fact, for the other respondents, physical surroundings appeared like having an important role
whether they were bad or good. If they were bad, respondents were not inclined to buy product. For
example, if the atmosphere of the shop was bad for respondents, they just focused on product they
knew and did their shopping very fast to leave this uncomfortable atmosphere. On the contrary, when
the role of physical surroundings was positive, for example a good presentation of products, people
were more open to try products they were not used to. All those situations show that any physical
environment around the consumer can have a role on him and his behavior (Assael, 2005; Kotler,
2002; Peter & Donnelly, 2002).
Consequently, depending on consumers who are consuming low products involvement abroad, some
are not guided by physical surroundings. They are aware that they can face different environments
from their usual one, or they will not understand what is around them due to the language barrier.
However, some consumers can be guided by physical surroundings as they are evolving in
environment they do not know and are more sensitive to what is around. This can give them bad or
good feeling or making them comfortable or not. Consequently, either they are more inclined to
consume products they would not know, or they look for products they know to recover some
benchmark. Physical surroundings do not have always a role in consumers’ behaviors. But when they
have a role, they lead to some different behaviors regarding how consumers perceived them.
5.1.3.3. Buyer’s mood & conditions
The last element of situational factors, buyer’s mood and conditions, had a great role on respondents’
consumer behavior when they were abroad consuming low products involvement. First, concerning
respondents’ mood, either it was good or bad, they were guided in their consumer behavior. In
general, when people were in a bad mood, they oriented themselves towards products they are used
to and they know well in order to find some benchmarks. On the opposite, some respondents were
more open to discover new things when they were in a bad mood. When they were in a good mood,
all respondents were more inclined to discover products they were not used to consume.
Concerning the financial situation of respondents, the process was similar. Either consumers were
careful, reasonable with money in their purchasing, thus they were looking for the less expensive
products and did not take any risk in buying products that were unknown for them. Or they did not
really care about money during they stay abroad, because they wanted to enjoy as much as they could
there. In this way, money was not an obstacle in respondents’ consumption and enabled them to really

51
enjoy their stay abroad, by making them consuming products they would not have consumed if they
were in their home country and by the discovery of typical products of the host country. Consumers
also had to consume products from their host country because they were forced to, due to the price
which was less expensive than for products they are used to consume at home. All these conditions
play a role on consumers and their behaviors (Loudon, 2011). It illustrates that in any situation, mood
and conditions plays a role in how consumers are consuming products (Pride, 2009).
Even in multicultural context, and especially there, mood and conditions lead consumers in their
behaviors towards low products involvement. They can play a more important role than in general as
consumers are in unfamiliar environment and it changes from their usual life. Moreover, those mood
and conditions have two sides. Either they enabled consumers to change their own habits and try out
new things they did not know before. Or, due to their particular mood and conditions, they stay on
products they are used to, when for example they are in a bad mood.
5.2.Analysis of the internal factors
5.2.1. Personal needs and motives
When they were in multicultural context consuming low products involvement, respondents satisfied
their needs and motives in a different manner than when they were in their home country. Personal
needs and motives have an important role on consumers’ behaviors (Kotler, 2002; Mont & Power,
2009; Rutenberg, 2003). A consumer’s need is a situation in which the consumer misses something
and feels a gap between his current situation and what he wishes (Maslow, 1970). Consumers are
always looking to satisfy their need (Kurtz et al., 2009), so also in multicultural context.
Maslow (1970), classified needs in order to show their importance in the orientation and
characterization of human’s life (East et al., 2008). The three most important needs were chosen in
this current study, namely physiological, hedonic and belonging to a group (Directorate-General for
Health and Consumers, 2005). Indeed, few of them focused on satisfying their first need when they
were abroad. The reason for this was that consumers wanted to be fast in their purchase by going
directly to products they already knew and really needed. The second important reason was about the
price factor. For some respondents, the price was rather important in their consumption abroad, so
they mainly satisfy their first need with simple and cheap products. Then, consumers also wanted to
satisfy hedonic needs through the consumption of good products (Directorate-General for Health and
Consumers, 2005). This was illustrated during interviews as some respondents took advantage of
being abroad by satisfying their pleasure need or motivation through the discovery of new products.
As they wanted to discover what are the typical products in their host country, some respondents

52
consumed products they did not know before to enjoy and satisfy their wish of new experiences.
Finally, other consumers preferred consuming a particular product to create an opportunity to discuss
with friends, to be part of a group (Directorate-General for Health and Consumers, 2005). As they
wanted to be integrated in a particular group, they consumed consequently, namely they bought same
products than their group. They did it in order to share meal with it or to look like the typical customs
of their host country. So they were forced to consume accordingly by buying specific products to act
like people from other cultures and to be integrated.
Finally, others respondents showed an interesting process, with several steps, whose first was to
satisfy their physiological need in the first instance, to then, having some pleasure purchase. Those
respondents arrived in their host country, and at the beginning only consumed basic products that
they knew and were used to consume because they did not have any landmark. But after a while, after
being used to their new environment, they started to purchase typical products in order to have
pleasure and enjoy. This went through the discovery and trial of new products, products from the
culture they lived in. This consumer behavior process was gradual, from the choice of the safe side,
firstly in consuming products that are known, to the unknown side in a second phase, with
consumption of products from the host culture.
When consumers are in multicultural context consuming low products involvement, they want to
satisfy their needs in different ways than when they are in their usual environment. Some want to
satisfy their first need for some financial reason, because being abroad was proved to be expensive.
But in another way, because they are abroad, consumers want to enjoy this time and satisfy their
pleasure motivations. Consumers also want to satisfy their need to be part of a group, and this went
through the consumption of products they were not used to consume. Thus, according to what they
want to satisfy, consumers are oriented in their behavior.
5.2.2. Attitudes
During the interviews, respondents were asked about their attitudes towards low products
involvement when they were in multicultural context, namely their feelings and thoughts. When they
were abroad, most of respondents followed their feelings and thoughts about products. First, when
they had negative feelings or thoughts about products, they did not consume them. They mentioned
that they did not trust products because they looked strange for them or they were afraid of using
them. Some elements, as the language barrier, made them suspicious about some products as they
could not understand what was written on packaging. One respondent also mentioned that, for some
products, he started to have negative attitude by being bored in its use. So he changed his consumption

53
of those products by reducing his use or even changing for other products. As stated by Xia (2010),
if consumers have negative attitudes towards products, they act in a negative way towards them, that
is not buying them and changing those negative attitudes into positive ones can be hard. On the
opposite, when respondents had positive thoughts and feelings about a product, they were willing to
consume product and their attitude was positive. Respondents argued that even if they did not know
the product but it was attractive, they could easily discover and try it. This illustrates the theory which
claims that individuals’ attitudes represent their thoughts and feelings about something (Kotler, 2002)
and reflect their individuals acts and buying patterns (East et al., 2008). Here, respondents stayed on
their position and the process was simple and mechanical, if they had negative attitude, they did not
consume it, whereas if they had positive attitude, they consumed it.
However, another element appeared when asking respondents about their attitudes. Some of them did
not stayed on what they could think or feel towards a product. As they were abroad, they argued that
they were willing to try new things, to experience typical products that they never tried before. So
they did not stop on their first opinion and they consumed products they wanted to try. As it has been
demonstrated, creating a good image of a product to consumers is necessary to raise good attitudes
and lead consumers to consume the product (Kotler, 2002).
What has already been demonstrated in the existing theory is repeated in multicultural context.
Indeed, concerning low products involvement, consumers can be sometimes reluctant to consume
products, only because their first impression is not good. On the opposite, when consumers have a
good impression of a product, even one they do not know, they are willing to try it and discover new
things. This shows that it is important to take into consideration the fact that some consumers have
bad feelings towards a product, by the only fact that they cannot understand what it is or how to use
it. This proves that in multicultural context, attitudes play an important role on consumers’ behaviors.
But another element which can be brought is that, abroad, for some consumers their attitudes do not
guide them. As they are abroad and want to live new experiences, they do not care about what they
think or feel about a product, they consume it anyway.
5.2.3. Consumer orientation towards multiculturalism
The last part of the interview concerned the orientation of consumers towards multiculturalism. It
encompassed their degree of openness and knowledge of the culture in which they evolved when they
lived abroad, and also if this openness and knowledge about the culture guided their consumer
behavior.

54
5.2.3.1. Cultural openness
All respondents claimed that they have been open to the culture and guided by this openness in their
consumer behavior when they lived in multicultural context, using low products involvement. First,
most of respondents were very open to the culture of their host country, because they wanted to
discover new things and to have some new experiences. They were open to natives’ people and to see
how they live, what they consume and what are the typical elements of their culture. In fact, cultural
openness is defined as the willingness of an individual to create interaction with people from the other
culture who share different values (Shankarmahesh, 2006). All of those respondents claimed that they
really had this wish to interact and share with people from the other culture. Through this interaction,
they got new experiences, they discovered products they did not know. They were looking for the
learning of the other culture and the discovery of typical products of their host country. They followed
what natives’ people could recommend them and in some situation, respondents shared moments with
them, like cooking together and having conversation about what is typical in their respective cultures.
It has been demonstrated that when a multicultural oriented person wants to be open to another
culture, she has to do some voluntary efforts to start discussion with people from different cultures
(Yuri & Hongzhi, 2015). Those open consumers also have the capacity to bring an outside critical
view on their own culture (Shankarmahesh, 2006). All those respondents, open to multiculturalism,
said that they have been guided in their consumer behavior by this openness to the culture. As they
wanted to discover what is typical in their host country and try out new products they did not know
before, they had to consume consequently. This is emphasized by the current literature which shows
that consumers who are open to multiculturalism are more likely to try and consume products from
different cultures (Kipnis et al., 2014; Vera & Speight, 2003). This is exactly what respondents did
here. In those situations, consumers are aware that being open and interacting with the other cultures
and experiencing consumption in multicultural context is important and provides them great benefits
(Shankarmahesh, 2006). In the same line with this previous statement, they are also aware and
satisfied about learning other cultures around them (Yuri & Hongzhi, 2015). Respondents’ openness
towards multiculturalism showed that as they were open to the other culture, as they interacted with
people to discover new products and what is typical in this culture, their consumer behavior was
automatically guided.
But this openness towards the culture was in some cases nuanced. In fact, due to personal reasons,
like situations and experiences, some respondents showed an openness towards the other culture at
the beginning of their stay in the host country, but over time, this openness has been degraded. Due
to differences between the two cultures, some of respondents closed themselves from their host
culture because they could not find satisfaction in it. So they experienced, they observed the culture

55
and were willing to interact and share at the beginning, but after a while they stopped this interaction.
This can be due to personal patterns as the fact that, after a while, some consumers want to go back
to their usual habits. Or it can also be due to a too important gap between the two cultures, in which
consumers do not find themselves and do not feel comfortable. However, those respondents have
been guided in their consumer behavior. Indeed, even if they were not very open at the end of their
experience abroad, they were not completely closed to the other culture. Indeed, the literature
demonstrated that even if there are some cultural values differences, those do not lead to a full
rejection of the other person or culture or any preference for its culture of origin (Hong et al., 2000;
Kipnis et al., 2014).
In main cases, when consumers are in multicultural context, they show a great openness to the other
culture and are willing to interact, share and discover it. In this situation, the openness towards the
culture guides the consumer as he is willing to discover the typical elements of this one. But for some
consumers, it can happen that they do not find their place in the other culture, or feel a difference
which does not lead to an adaptation to the host culture. But in any case, when people go abroad, they
have an important likelihood to show openness to the culture in which they are going to live for a
while. So sooner or later, consumers living abroad show multiculturalism patterns, thus openness
towards the other culture. The openness of consumers towards another culture plays a role in their
consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context.
5.2.3.2. Cultural knowledge
Respondents all argued that, either they knew a little bit of the culture before arriving in their host
culture, or they did not know anything. But in each case, they all got an important amount of
knowledge when they were evolving in their host country. As stated in the literature, consumers’
knowledge of the culture concerns their personal cognitive representations of cultures they face and
their respective beliefs about the world (Yuri & Hongzhi, 2015). As respondents interacted with
natives, they got knowledge about the culture and they were guided in their consumer behavior. In
fact, the eight respondents all agreed that knowing the culture guided their consumer behavior in the
sense that when they knew the culture, they could easily discover and consume typical products from
this culture. As stated in the literature, the process of knowledge is collected from information and
experiences consumers have with multicultural groups, their opinions, values and their world views
(Vera & Speight, 2003). All respondents argued that thanks to their knowledge of the culture, they
could easily consume products from their host culture as they knew which products were typical.
Indeed, knowing the culture makes consumers having a higher level of acceptance and adaptation of
the other culture (Brannen et al., 2009).

56
Consequently, in the same line than for the openness towards a culture, having knowledge about it
encourages consumers who live abroad to discover the culture deeper in trying and consuming new
products from the other culture that they are not used to. Thus, it is important that consumers have
knowledge about their host culture to make them consuming typical products. Having knowledge of
the other culture can guide the consumer behavior in multicultural context for low products
involvement.
5.3.Emerging behaviors
Through the role played by all those external and internal factors, several behaviors have been raised
when respondents were abroad consuming low products involvement. For each behavior found, not
all the factors had a role in it.
5.3.1. Confirmed consumers’ behaviors
The first two behaviors detected in this study have already been discussed in the theory, by
Demangeot and Sankaran (2012) in their research about cultural pluralism consumer behaviors. Those
two behaviors are the “experimentalist” and “extensionist” and are applicable also in this current
study concerning low products involvement.
The first behavior which appeared here is the “experimentalist” one. In fact, respondents wanted to
discover a new way of doing when they were abroad. They wanted to discover new things, to adapt
themselves to something different from what they were used to. They wanted changes and novelty in
their life and they were looking for new experiences to make their life richer. When consumers are
experimentalist, trying new things make them happy and more open to people and to everything
which can reward them in multicultural context. Demangeot and Sankaran (2012) defined
experimentalists consumers as consumers who are always looking for products and experiences
coming from other cultures. They stated that people having this strategy see themselves as
adventurous and experimental, but they also feel proud when they consume products from other
cultures than their own culture (Demangeot & Sankaran, 2012). Following the current research, the
experimentalist behavior can be certified as an evident consumer behavior in multicultural context,
as consumers are looking for new experiences through consumption and also changes in their life
from their daily-routine. They also feel a certain satisfaction by adapting to their host country as this
experience make them feel “happy” “more open” and they see it as “rewarding”. This behavior is
guided by nearly all the factors mentioned previously in this paper, except the attitudes for which

57
experimentalist consumers do not care about what they could think or feel towards a product as they
only want to try and experience new things.
The second behavior which appeared is the “extensionist” behavior. Some respondents appeared quite
careful in their consumption abroad by often looking for products they know, equivalent of them or
by using products from their host culture they would not know, but that they would consume in their
own manner. This type of consumers takes a gradual process by looking for their known products in
a first instance to open themselves more and more towards the trial of products they might not know,
typical from their host culture. Demangeot and Sankaran (2012) stated that extensionist behavior
results in a gradual and careful process in which people go out from their comfort zone to try products
from other cultures. Moreover, when adopting this strategy, consumers open their cultural limits by
adopting products from the other culture which look like products they are used to consume
(Demangeot and Sankaran, 2012). Extensionist consumers are mainly guided by their host culture,
their reference groups, situational factors, theirs needs and motives, their attitudes and their
orientation towards multiculturalism.
5.3.2. Emerging consumers’ behaviors
The following behaviors have been discovered during this study and are not in line with the behaviors
discussed previously in the theoretical chapter. In fact, those behaviors come up from the combination
of the different factors playing a key role in the emergent behaviors and were analyzed in multicultural
context for low products involvement.
Thus, the third behavior which appeared regarding the present results comes in opposition with the
“extensionist” one. Indeed, some respondents took another way in their consumer behavior when they
were abroad. The one of discovering, enjoying and trying new products at the beginning of their stay
abroad, to go back gradually to their usual and own habits after a while. This behavior is named
“recidivist” as people are looking for finding back their original habits. This is illustrated by the wish
to discover a lot of elements and products from the host culture when arriving abroad to the gradual
return to habits. In this situation, consumers are facing the need to find back their products, in order
to find their own balanced rhythm back. Moreover, when consumers are alone abroad, without any
role playing by anyone around them on their consumption, they showed a tendency to go back to their
usual products. In fact, when consumers are alone, the openness or willingness to try and discover
products is less important as consumers do not have any aspect of sharing something with no one. So
when they are alone, they consume products they know. Consequently, recidivist consumers, once
they are not guided by anyone around them, have a wish to find back their own habits. Recidivist

58
consumers are guided by their host culture, their reference groups, the time pressure and their
orientation towards multiculturalism.
The fourth behavior, named “forced”, concerns consumers who were forced in particular situations
to consume products from the other culture, that they do not know or are not used to consume without
any willingness to do it. Indeed, some respondents felt forced to consume products from their host
culture under the pressure of people around them, or because product that they were looking for was
too expensive or simply not available. Those consumers employed terms as “I was forced to” or “I
had to”, to describe their experience and consumption abroad. Thus, they consumed typical products
they did not know before because they were forced to do it for some reasons and not because they
had the willingness to do it. Abroad, this situation can often appear when consumers are looking for
products they would like to consume, that they know from their home country, but cannot find them
in their new environment, or when they feel forced by their reference groups. Consequently, they
have to adapt themselves to what is available or to their groups even if they do not do it with
enthusiasm or willingness. Forced consumers are guided by their host culture, their reference groups,
their mood and conditions and their needs and motives.
The fifth behavior which appeared in the findings is the “easily annoyed/bored” behavior. This is
illustrated by the fact that, sometimes, consumers are bored by the shopping groceries tasks and just
want to do it very quickly. For them, it looks like a waste of time and they only focus on product they
know, grab them in the supermarket and leave as fast as they can. Those consumers are easily guided
and bothered by specific factors, such as the time spending in the shop or the surroundings, namely
all elements creating the shop environment and the atmosphere inside. Their attitudes towards a
product also guide them, which de facto is negative by showing a weariness in the use of a particular
product. Equally detectable when a consumer evolves in his own country, this behavior is also
applicable in multicultural context as consumers can be disturbed, annoyed or bored by elements from
their host country in their consumption.
The last behavior discovered, called “cautious”, is the one in which consumers are very cautious when
they are consuming low products involvement in multicultural context. This caution concerns mainly
two elements, the financial aspect and the consumers’ attitudes towards products. Indeed, being
abroad can turn out to be an expensive experience for some consumers. Thus, they are often looking
for basic and cheap products, and are not looking for the trial or discovery of products they do not
know. They feel a risk to lose some money because the product could not satisfy them, so they prefer
not buying it. Furthermore, the time has a role in this behavior knowing that financial resources can
be less important at some moment of their stay abroad. Consumers have to be more careful about
their money and cannot consume as they would like because of this lack of money. On another side,

59
sometimes, consumers faced some products which can appeared strange or very different from what
they are used to. They do not dare to try products they do not know because they do not have trust in
it. Cautious consumers are guided by time pressure, financial conditions and their attitudes towards
products in multicultural context.
You can see in the following Table 3, an overview table with all behaviors emerging and factors
playing a role on them.

60
Table 3. Overview table: Factors playing a role in the emergence of consumers’ behaviors in
multicultural context for low product involvement.

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6. Conclusion and contributions
In this chapter, the conclusion will meet the purpose of this study by answering the research question.
Contributions that this study brings to previous knowledge and literature will follow the conclusion.
6.1. Conclusion
Consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context is a wide topic, with a lot of variables playing a
significant role in understanding how consumers behave in some given contexts. The purpose of this
study is to explore those different consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context for low product
involvement. After the analysis of different factors, which guide consumers’ behaviors when they are
in multicultural context, researchers of this study were able to defined six consumers’ behaviors.
Those six behaviors are the following ones, experimentalist, extensionist, recidivist, forced, easily
annoyed/bored and cautious All those behaviors have been found concerning consumers and their
purchase decisions in multicultural context for low product involvement. Researchers have been able
to deepen the previous conceptual model with the different behaviors raised from the analysis of the
role factors played. The following model summarizes the consumers’ behaviors risen in this research.
Figure 2. Conceptual model - External and internal factors playing a role in the emergence of new
consumers’ behaviors for low product involvement, in a multicultural context
As it can be seen, some behaviors that already have been discovered in the existing literature, by
Demangeot and Sankaran, (2012), appeared also in this model, namely the “experimentalist” and
“extensionist” behaviors. This shows that those consumers’ behaviors are redundant in multicultural
context. But others do not appear, namely “purism” and “passivity” behaviors, which have been found
by Demangeot and Sankaran, (2012). Authors of this current research could not find representation
of these behaviors whereas they found many others, visible in this model. Consequently, the different

62
consumers’ behaviors identified by Demangeot and Sankaran (2012) in their study are not the only
ones.
This paper shows that some other consumers’ behaviors emerge when dealing in multicultural context
for low product involvement. Moreover, researchers noticed that consumers adopt several behaviors
when they are abroad, according to factors or situations, and are not stuck in only one behavior.
6.2. Contributions
As mentioned in the problem discussion, in previous studies about consumers’ behaviors in
multicultural context, factors playing a role on their behavior were not clearly defined. In their study
about consumers’ behaviors in cultural pluralism context, Demangeot and Sankaran (2012) declared
that external and internal factors have an important role on emerging consumers’ behaviors. But they
did not express clearly those factors. This research chose specifically factors which guide consumers’
behaviors. The external factors include culture, reference groups, situational factor. And internal
factors encompass personal needs and motives, attitudes and consumer orientation towards
multiculturalism. All these factors are seen as the most important factors playing a role on consumers’
behaviors. Thanks to a clearer explanation and use of those factors, researchers were able to discover
new consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context and consequently, to broaden and deepen the
existing literature
Moreover, as the low product involvement in multicultural context is also a not well-known topic that
other researchers did not take into account before, this paper brings a deeper knowledge about how
consumers behave in multicultural context when it comes to deal with low product involvement. It
shows equally that low product involvement has its own characteristics, which are as important as
those concerning the high product involvement, and that it is interesting to focus on this type of
involvement as consumers appear more familiar with it in their daily-consumption.
Regarding consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context, this topic was not deeply emphasized and
explored in the past. Only Demangeot and Sankaran (2012) launched the first study about this topic.
Thus, the present research can be considered as an extension and a deeper research about it as it
provides the emergence of new consumers’ behaviors which were not found in Demangeot and
Sankaran (2012) study. Thus, researchers deepened the topic of consumers’ behaviors in multicultural
environment with the discovery of those behaviors.

63
7. Research implications
This last part will present the managerial implications brought by this study and also the weaknesses
of this research linked to further research which need to be done.
7.1.Managerial implications
Results of this study can be interesting and helpful to managers at various levels. First, through this
study, marketers can see what are the role played by external and internal factors in consumers’
behaviors in multicultural context for low product involvement. They can notice that each factor
evoked in this paper can guide or not consumers regarding a given situation. Thus, marketers from
multicultural environment can take advantage of those factors to elaborate their marketing strategies
and adapt their offers in the best way.
As culture plays a significant role in the consumers’ behaviors, marketers can use and promote it in
order to attract foreigner consumers to consume typical products from the host cultures. Same goes
with the reference groups. Consumers are guided in their consumption by the group to which they
belong to. Marketers should be able to use this factor recognizing who could be the leader guiding
other consumers. Furthermore, as it is shown in the findings, consumers in multicultural context are
guided in their behavior by the time. Marketers should use strategies in order to remove this time
pressure that consumers suffer from and also adapt special offers for the time period of the year, for
example Christmas, or particular promotion at the right time (end of the month). Moreover, physical
surroundings are another factor which plays a role in consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context.
Marketers should pay attention about the atmosphere and environment of the shops, but also ease the
consumption for foreigner consumers by adapting typical products with different languages to enable
the greatest number of people to understand which products they face. As in every market, even in
multicultural one, marketers have to take into consideration mood and conditions of consumers and
try to understand it to create the best offers adapted to each consumer. This goes in line with the
personal needs and motives of consumers that marketers have to find out, especially in multicultural
market where those ones can be different than when consumers are in their usual environment.
Marketers should also not forget the attitudes, namely consumers’ thoughts and feelings towards
products, especially in multicultural market. Indeed, it has been demonstrated in this research that
consumers can be more sensitive to products when they are abroad as they do not know some of them.
Thus, this shows that it is important to give a good image of products to consumers to guide them, as
stated by Kotler (2002). Lastly, as the openness and knowledge to the culture are other important
factors guiding consumers in their behavior, which have been discovered previously, marketers

64
should better stimulate these consumers’ openness and knowledge by launching strategies to make
them more open to culture.
In the market, where multiculturalism is continually growing, marketers have to understand what
motivations guide consumers in their behavior in order to meet their needs and satisfy them, but also
to enable companies to get more profits. Through this study, marketers can better comprehend
consumers’ behaviors evolving in multicultural context for low product involvement. The emergent
behaviors appearing will help marketers to open their panel of possibilities concerning marketing
strategies to reach foreigners consumers’ needs. They are abler to deal with solutions to help and
guide those consumers in their consumption abroad. Consequently, marketers have now a broader
knowledge and understanding about consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context for low product
involvement. Thus they can realize the great importance and the way to lead strategies regarding
foreigner consumers.
7.2.Limitations and suggestions for further research
This research presents some limitations. First of all, because of the qualitative approach, the results
interpretation may be affected by the researchers’ subjectivism, which can often occur in this type of
study. Accordingly, the elaboration of credibility and reliability may be difficult. Because of this
subjective aspect in qualitative research, it can be difficult to avoid bias during the research.
Therefore, this current study has a limited generalization. Moreover, the exploratory feature of the
study cannot encompass all aspects of the topic. Consequently, to improve the presented results, a
further quantitative research or a mix of qualitative and quantitative research can be considered useful
in order to validate statements from this study.
Moreover, the sample was chosen by researchers with the non-probability technique. In addition, the
sample is composed of persons aged from 20 to 25 years old, as researchers choose them in their
close network. Therefore, the entire population cannot be represented in the sample and it could lead
to an overrepresentation of particular groups of the population. Thus, the results cannot be generalized
to the whole population and further research need to be done with a larger sample of consumers in
multicultural context for low product involvement. This will enable researchers to have a better
understanding of the phenomenon.
Furthermore, concerning interviews, some were conducted in French. Thus, the translation from
French to English may conduct to some misinterpretations or impact on the data quality.

65
During this study, six main factors playing a role on consumers’ behaviors have been chosen by
researchers according to other studies statements. But it is possible that some other factors having
also a role on consumers’ behaviors, especially in multicultural context, exist and were not taken into
account during this exploration. Thus, further research about this topic using new factors playing a
role on consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context should be led in order to have a complete image
of the panel of factors playing a role on it.
Further, this research included low product involvement as a delimitation of the research. This is a
theme which was not deeply and widely analyzed in existing literature. So other research should be
launched in order to give more understandings and knowledge about low product involvement in
multicultural context, as it has a great weight in consumers’ behaviors (Ahmed & d’Astous, 2004;
Josiasenn et al., 2008; Nayeem, 2012; Phau & Prendergast, 2000). This would gather new and more
detailed findings about low product involvement which marketers should include in their marketing
strategies.
Also, researchers of this paper chose to analyze consumers’ behaviors in multicultural context by
mainly leaning on Demangeot and Sankaran (2012). A different approach with different frameworks,
as acculturation model (Berry, 1980), could be proposed in order to have a greater and broader
understanding of this phenomenon, which is closely linked to consumers’ behaviors in multicultural
context.
Finally, further research need to be done on the fact that one consumer can have several behaviors
when he is abroad, regarding factors he faces in a particular situation. In fact, in this present research,
according to the factors evoked, some respondents appeared to behave like experimentalist consumers
but in some situation they could appear cautious, facing some financial problem at a particular
moment of their stay abroad. Therefore, it could be interesting to study deeply what are all the patterns
and nuances of one consumer behavior.

66
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9. Appendices
9.1.Appendix 1: Interview
General information
1. Name:
2. Sex:
3. Age:
4. Nationality:
5. Host country:
6. How long did you stay in this country?
In this interview I would like to explore your consumption behavior when you were living in your
host country. When you were living there, you were in multicultural context, so you were facing some
product from other cultures, sometimes different from what you were used to consume.
During this interview, I will ask you to focus on product called “low product involvement” which
means that you think about a product which is for you a product you are used to buy often, that doesn’t
involve a lot of effort from you to think about, or to look for information about it, and which presents
an inexpensive price and a low risk.
Moreover, I would like to see if you are influenced by particular factors when you bought this product.
Keep in mind that there is any good or bad answer. Feel free to tell me everything that comes in your
mind when I’m asking you questions. What I am looking for is to discover which behaviors you could
adopt when you are consuming abroad.
In order not to lose any information you will give me, this interview will be recorded, in order to help
me when I will analyze your saying. All information coming from this interview will only be used
for this study, and to protect your anonymity, your name will be change in the results.
The interview will last approximately: 30 minutes
We will start the interview, are you ready?
Product involvement
1. First, could you think about a product or a category of product in which you were low
involved when it came to buy it and that you consumed when you were abroad?

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External factors
- Culture
So, focusing on the low product/category involvement you choose,
2. When you were abroad, what can you tell me about the consumption norms? = common
consumption practices in your host country (time of dinner, use of a particular product, consumption
of typical product of the country…)
3. Would you say you were observing them afterwards?
4. Would you say you imitated them afterwards?
5. Would you say you adopted these norms? Which one? How ?
6. Would you say these “norms” of the country were influencing you in your consumption?
According to that, what did you do?
-Were you seeking for new products of the country? Looking for opportunity to discover something
new of the country? to try new products of the country? to experience new things of the country?
(EXPERIMENTALIST)
-Did you find another one which could look like more to a product you are used to in your home
country? (EXTENSIONIST)
-Were you looking for product which met with your values? What are those values? (PURIST)
-Were you indifferent to them? Did you just choose a product you knew from your own country that
you were used to use? (PASSIVITY)
-If none of them, what was your behavior regarding the norms of the country where you were? (NEW
BEHAVIOR?)
- Reference groups
When people live abroad, they associate to particular groups. Still keeping in mind the
product/category you chose,
7. Could you tell me about any group you think you belonged to? Which one was it?
Friends, family, religious, school, particular community
8. Would you say that this group had an influence on you and your consumption? How?
If this group influenced you in your consumption, would you say you followed their
suggestions?

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-Would you say you followed these suggestions because you were looking for the discovery of new
products/new experience etc.…? (EXPERIMENTALIST)
-Although the suggestion of your group could be interesting/pleasant, did you still look for a product
which looked like more a product you are used to in your home country? (EXTENSIONIST)
-Did you accept to try this product, because it met your values? (PURIST)
-Would you say you didn’t follow what they suggested because this “experience” was not significant
for you? (PASSIVITY)
-If none of them, what was your behavior regarding this group? (NEW BEHAVIOR?)
- Situational factors
When you were consuming abroad, I would like to know if there are any elements which could
influence you. Keep in mind your product/category.
o TIME PRESSURE
9. Would you say you had any time pressure? For example, about the time you spent to find
a product, or information about it, to pay it, to use it? Can you tell me some example of
moments in which you met this situation?
According to this product and if you are in a time pressure, what did you do?
-Were you seeking for new products of the country? Looking for opportunity to discover something
new of the country? to try new products of the country? to experience new things of the country?
(EXPERIMENTALIST)
-Did you find another one which could look like more to a product you are used to in your home
country? (EXTENSIONIST)
-Were you looking for product which met with your values? What are those values? (PURIST)
-Were you indifferent to them? Did you just choose a product you knew from your own country that
you were used to use? (PASSIVITY)
-If none of them, what was your behavior regarding the time pressure where you were? (NEW
BEHAVIOR?)
10. Would you say that the current time had an influence on you when you were buying?
For example: the time of the day (morning, evening), the time of the week (week end etc.) or
the period of the year? Can you tell me some example of moments in which you met this
situation?

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According to that, what did you do?
-Were you seeking for new products of the country? Looking for opportunity to discover something
new of the country? to try new products of the country? to experience new things of the country?
(EXPERIMENTALIST)
-Did you find another one which could look like more to a product you are used to in your home
country? (EXTENSIONIST)
-Were you looking for product which met with your values? What are those values? (PURIST)
-Were you indifferent to them? Did you just choose a product you knew from your own country that
you were used to use? (PASSIVITY)
-If none of them, what was your behavior regarding the time pressure where you were? (NEW
BEHAVIOR?)
o PHYSICAL SURROUNDINGS
11. Would you say that the spatial (physical) elements had an influence on you? (store design,
furniture, location); How?
According to that, what did you do?
-Were you seeking for new products of the country? Looking for opportunity to discover something
new of the country? to try new products of the country? to experience new things of the country?
(EXPERIMENTALIST)
-Did you find another one which could look like more to a product you are used to in your home
country? (EXTENSIONIST)
-Were you looking for product which met with your values? What are those values? (PURIST)
-Were you indifferent to them? Did you just choose a product you knew from your own country that
you were used to use? (PASSIVITY)
-If none of them, what was your behavior regarding physical elements which were around you? (NEW
BEHAVIOR?)
12. Would you say that the non-spatial (non-physical) elements had an influence on you?
(atmosphere, noise, lights …); How?
According to that, what did you do?

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-Were you seeking for new products of the country? Looking for opportunity to discover something
new of the country? to try new products of the country? to experience new things of the country?
(EXPERIMENTALIST)
-Did you find another one which could look like more to a product you are used to in your home
country? (EXTENSIONIST)
-Were you looking for product which met with your values? What are those values? (PURIST)
-Were you indifferent to them? Did you just choose a product you knew from your own country that
you were used to use? (PASSIVITY)
-If none of them, what was your behavior regarding non-physical elements which were around you?
(NEW BEHAVIOR?)
o BUYER’S CURRENT MOOD OR SITUATION
13. Would you say that your mood had an influence on you? (your health, exhaustion) How?
According to that, what did you do?
-Were you seeking for new products of the country? Looking for opportunity to discover something
new of the country? to try new products of the country? to experience new things of the country?
(EXPERIMENTALIST)
-Did you find another one which could look like more to a product you are used to in your home
country? (EXTENSIONIST)
-Were you looking for product which met with your values? What are those values? (PURIST)
-Were you indifferent to them? Did you just choose a product you knew from your own country that
you were used to use? (PASSIVITY)
-If none of them, what was your behavior regarding your mood? (NEW BEHAVIOR?)
14. Would you say that your financial situation had an influence on you? How?
According to that, what did you do?
-Were you seeking for new products of the country? Looking for opportunity to discover something
new of the country? to try new products of the country? to experience new things of the country?
(EXPERIMENTALIST)
-Did you find another one which could look like more to a product you are used to in your home
country? (EXTENSIONIST)
-Were you looking for product which met with your values? What are those values? (PURIST)

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-Were you indifferent to them? Did you just choose a product you knew from your own country that
you were used to use? (PASSIVITY)
-If none of them, what was your behavior regarding your financial situation? (NEW BEHAVIOR?)
Internal factors
- Personal needs and motives
I would like to know your motivation when you were buying a product abroad. Please stay focused
on the product/category you chose at the beginning of this interview;
15. When you were consuming abroad, and choosing a product, which needs did you want
to fill? What was your main motivation? Satisfy a first need? (eat, drink…), For your
pleasure? To be a part of a group?
According to that, what did you do?
-Were you seeking for new products of the country? Looking for opportunity to discover something
new of the country? to try new products of the country? to experience new things of the country?
(EXPERIMENTALIST)
-Did you find another one which could look like more to a product you are used to in your home
country? (EXTENSIONIST)
-Were you looking for product which met with your values? What are those values? (PURIST)
-Were you indifferent to them? Did you just choose a product you knew from your own country that
you were used to use? (PASSIVITY)
-If none of them, what was your behavior regarding your personal needs and motives? (NEW
BEHAVIOR?)
- Attitudes
16. Would you say your feelings towards this product influenced your consumption about
it?
17. Would you say your thoughts towards this product influenced your consumption about
it?
18. How did you behave when they were negative?
19. How did you behave when they were positive?
According to that, what did you do?

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-Were you seeking for new products of the country? Looking for opportunity to discover something
new of the country? to try new products of the country? to experience new things of the country?
(EXPERIMENTALIST)
-Did you find another one which could look like more to a product you are used to in your home
country? (EXTENSIONIST)
-Were you looking for product which met with your values? What are those values? (PURIST)
-Were you indifferent to them? Did you just choose a product you knew from your own country that
you were used to use? (PASSIVITY)
-If none of them, what was your behavior regarding your feelings or thoughts? (NEW BEHAVIOR?)
- Consumer orientation towards multiculturalism
o OPENESS
20. What could you say about your openness towards the culture where you were?
21. Would you say that you were open to interact with people from there? How?
22. Would you say that you were open to share with them? How?
23. Would you think this openness to the culture had an influence on your consumption?
According to that, what did you do?
-Were you seeking for new products of the country? Looking for opportunity to discover something
new of the country? to try new products of the country? to experience new things of the country?
(EXPERIMENTALIST)
-Did you find another one which could look like more to a product you are used to in your home
country? (EXTENSIONIST)
-Were you looking for product which met with your values? What are those values? (PURIST)
-Were you indifferent to them? Did you just choose a product you knew from your own country that
you were used to use? (PASSIVITY)
-If none of them, what was your behavior regarding your openness about the culture you were? (NEW
BEHAVIOR?)

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o KNOWLEDGE
24. What could you say about your knowledge about the culture in which you were? Would
you say you know the culture?
25. Would you say that this knowledge of the culture had an influence on your consumption?
According to that, what did you do?
-Were you seeking for new products of the country? Looking for opportunity to discover something
new of the country? to try new products of the country? to experience new things of the country?
(EXPERIMENTALIST)
-Did you find another one which could look like more to a product you are used to in your home
country? (EXTENSIONIST)
-Were you looking for product which met with your values? What are those values? (PURIST)
-Were you indifferent to them? Did you just choose a product you knew from your own country that
you were used to use? (PASSIVITY)
-If none of them, what was your behavior regarding your openness about the culture you were? (NEW
BEHAVIOR?)
The interview is now over; do you have anything to add about the topic?
Many thanks for your participation 