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This paper presents the results of a multimethod research study, which incorporates survey and experimental methodologies, designed to further explore the underpinnings of cultural differences in consumer responses to advertising messages. The study was designed to measure and assess differences in the self‐esteem and susceptibility to social influence of Japanese and United States college‐aged consumers. In general, it was hypothesized that Japanese consumers would have lower self‐esteem and higher susceptibility to social influence than would their US counterparts. The study provided evidence to support those hypotheses.

Empirically investigates predicted consumption pattern differences and the importance of brand name, related to specific product categories, between two distinct cultural groups – Hispanics and Anglos. The authors predicted that, due to differences in values and lifestyles of the two groups, intracultural differences would be observed in the level of importance members of each group attached to specific product attributes, the brand name of products, the influence of others on the purchase decision, and the price consumers expected to pay. Descriptive statistics, cross‐tabulations, bivariate correlations, ANOVA and MANOVA procedures provided support for three of the four hypotheses tested. Several managerial implications are drawn from the results and future research suggestions are provided.

As suggested in the lyrics from the popular Beach Boys song, students may be expected, by themselves and/or others, to ‘be true’ to their school; to be loyal to their alma mater. It is likely that the reader can readily recall their own school ‘fight’ song and rousing cheers at sporting events touting the superiority of the home team.

This study examined several factors related to the brand loyalty exhibited by fans of the Chicago Cubs major league baseball team. A total of 371 patrons of a restaurant located in Wrigleyville were surveyed prior to Cubs games at Wrigley Field. Working from a tripartite model of brand loyalty, it was predicted that, compared to less loyal fans, die‐hard (extremely loyal) Cubs fans would demonstrate different attitudes and behaviors regarding the Chicago Cubs. Several hypotheses were developed and tested using descriptive statistics, cross‐tabulations, and ANOVA procedures. Significant differences between the two fan groups were found in the areas of brand loyalty, baseball knowledge, childhood exposure to Cubs’ games, frequency of Cubs’ game attendance, and likelihood of purchasing Cubs paraphernalia. A variety of managerial implications are drawn from the results and future research suggestions are provided.

Surveys 72 female undergraduates at a US Midwestern university to establish whether or not people distort the purchase price of goods as a means of impression management, an, if so, whether they under‐ or over‐report the price, depending on their level of self‐esteem. Finds that people with low self‐esteem are more likely to use price as a surrogate indicator for taste. Links this to marketing theory in that consumers purchase products for their meaning as well as their purpose and as symbols to demonstrate social status and to communicate self‐image. Takes into account micro‐economics and the price‐quality relationship. Supposes that consumers would buy the cheaper article when confronted with two similar items at different prices but confirms that this is not necessarily the case.

The marketing literature provides substantial discussion of branding and brand equity, but reveals limited research on the use of brand name in the consumer decision‐making process. Further, most such studies have included the manipulation of product brand name as an independent variable. The primary objective in this study was to address that lack of attention to consumers’ use of brand names by developing and empirically testing a multi‐item scale called the brand dependence scale (BDS). The psychometric properties of the scale were assessed and the relationship between brand dependence and brand disparity was explored. The results of the study showed that the BDS demonstrated adequate internal reliability and that a significant positive relationship between brand dependence and brand disparity existed. Implications of the study results and managerial applications for the scale are discussed.

Using the work of earlier human needs researchers as a theoretical base, the Consumer Resource Exchange Model (CREM) has been developed. The model is based upon the concept that consumers seek to manage four fundamental resources in order to satisfy their needs. This paper is a partial replication of earlier work on the CREM and extends the stream of research to a diverse sample of “real world” consumers. The results of the study provided support for the dimensions of the model and the construct validity of a related paper and pencil assessment instrument.

A 2 × 2 full factorial between subjects experimental design was used to examine how three elements of the health care experience (patients’ freedom to choose a physician; patients receiving their preferred physician; health care outcome) impacted on patient satisfaction with health care service. All constructs with corresponding measurements were discussed, and their relationships with satisfaction were examined. Hypotheses were developed and tested for each relationship using a pencil and paper scenario of a patient’s first time service encounter at a health clinic. Results of the experiment indicated that given an undesirable health outcome, allowing patients a choice of physicians favorably raised patient satisfaction levels. Further, patients who were treated by a physician whom they preferred rated the health care experience more positively than did patients who received non‐preferred physicians.

An evolutionary approach is used to develop a resource exchange model of consumer needs and actions. Two studies are reported and differences in consumer resource needs are empirically tested. The results of the research program provided evidence of the underlying dimensions of the model and the internal reliability of the scale.

The literature provides substantial evidence of gender differences in the level of assertive and/or competitive traits an individual is likely to exhibit. Further, it has been established that those individual differences are related to certain exchange strategies employed by each gender. The primary research objectives in this study were, first, to develop a reliable pencil‐and‐paper scale assessing consumers’ propensity to employ bargaining tactics in marketing exchange situations; and second, to investigate gender differences in consumers’ bargaining propensity. The results of the study showed that the first research objective was successfully achieved in the form of the Bargaining Propensity Scale, and that statistically significant gender differences in bargaining propensity scores did occur. Managerial implications and avenues for future research are discussed.