The effects of cultural orientation on perceptions of power threat

Wong, Jimmy S.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/24070 Copy

Description

Title

The effects of cultural orientation on perceptions of power threat

Author(s)

Wong, Jimmy S.

Issue Date

2011-05-25T14:53:45Z

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Shavitt, Sharon

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Shavitt, Sharon

Committee Member(s)

• Chiu, Chi-Yue
• Viswanathan, Madhubalan
• Wyer, Robert S., Jr.

Department of Study

Business Administration

Discipline

Business Administration

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• culture
• power
• cultural orientation
• services marketing

Abstract

Because culture shapes what power means to us, cultural orientation should influence what we perceive as a power threat. Thus, the same interactions between consumers and service providers in the marketplace may implicate power differently for different consumers. Across six studies, consumers’ cultural orientations influenced interpretation of and responses to the negative behavior of service personnel. These interpretations and reactions also depended on whether the service person held a high service rank (e.g., hotel vice-president) versus a low rank (e.g., hotel receptionist). Consistently, consumers whose believe that power was meant for enhancing personal status (i.e., the Vertical Individualists) interpreted rude service by a receptionist (versus vice-president) as a greater threat to their own sense of power, responded with a greater sense of indignation, and were more likely to seek high status products to compensate for this power loss. The responses of consumers with other cultural orientations revealed distinct power associations that did not reflect personal power threat. Together, these findings reinforce the key influence of culture on consumer responses in situations that implicate power.

Graduation Semester

2011-05

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/24070

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2011 Jimmy S. Wong

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