Cross-cultural effects in E-retailing: The moderating role of cultural confinement in differentiating Mexican from non-Mexican Hispanic consumers

The United States Hispanic Internet user is a growing and relatively unexplored segment in the marketing literature. This research addresses this void by assessing how key cultural characteristics of U.S. Hispanic consumers influence their behaviors online. Examining a multi-cultural sample of Mexican Hispanic and non-Mexican Hispanic consumers, this study examines the influence of acculturation and cultural confinement, defined here as communal isolation, on repurchase intentions and positive word-of-mouth intentions in the context of Spanish-language websites, as well as their influence upon online social communication. The results indicate significant effects of both acculturation and cultural confinement on the behaviors of Hispanic online consumers, especially highlighting noteworthy differences between Mexican and non-Mexican Hispanic consumers regarding the interaction of these effects. The study provides implications for marketing to Hispanic consumers and future research directions.

► Purchase and Word of Mouth intentions for Mexican consumers tend to stay fairly stable over time.
► While non-Mexicans' behavioral intentions decrease over time.
► Non-Mexican Hispanics use online social communication more often.
► Cultural confinement moderates acculturation effects for Mexican consumers.