A Cross-Vergence of Consumer Preferences: An Empirical Study of Ethnic Subgroups in Thailand

Abstract

Building on Bandura’s (2002) social cognitive theory and Phinney’s (1993) three-stage model of ethnic formation, this study explores the trends towards cross-vergence of consumers’ demand in the globalization era. The results from an exploratory factor analysis aiming to identify the underlying benefits that consumers of three different ethnic subgroups in Thailand have towards a non-ethnic consumer product confirms the crossvergence thesis. Thus, both sociology and psychology literature complements each other in explaining both the convergence and divergence in consumers’ preferences nowadays. Finally, this paper advocates that an in-depth understanding of cultural dynamics is crucial for scholars to advance theories as well as for practitioners to properly address consumers’ needs.