Identity, culture, dispositions and behavior: A cross-national examination of globalization and culture change

Culture is the principal explanation of consumer behavior disparities across countries, and so research on the impact of globalization on culture is essential. Comparing Chileans and Canadians, we examine the roles played by strength of national identity (NID) and acculturation to global consumer culture (AGCC) on consumption. These multifaceted cultural constructs are linked to 54 behaviors related to eight product categories, and two dispositions, consumer ethnocentrism (CET) and materialism (MAT). Multigroup SEM analysis confirms a chiefly invariant measurement model. A positive AGCC-MAT linkage is confirmed for both countries, whereas the identity to ethnocentrism link is positive only for Chileans. Four distinct acculturation patterns are manifest according to the combined effects of NID/AGCC on behaviors. These vary considerably across product categories and often between countries. Culture's impact on consumption behavior is greatest for food products-a culture-bound category-and weakest for appliances.