An Investigation of the Influence of Consumer Acculturation in Ethnic Consumer–Banking Service Provider Relationships in New Zealand

Abstract

Cultural adaptation in consumption has become a ubiquitous phenomenon because increasing migration to industrialised Western nations and the growing processes of globalising and glocalising consumer cultures have created multicultural societies and markets in these nations. Interest in consumer acculturation is growing as researchers acknowledge the impacts of acculturation levels on consumer behaviour and practitioners recognise its implications for consumption patterns. The thesis is motivated by the fact that although many studies have examined the consumption behaviour of acculturating consumer minorities, few have considered the relational dimension between these minorities and those with whom they have a relationship. Relationship building is a complex phenomenon that should be addressed within its specific context because exchange relationships vary in the interface, motivation, and context in which they are established. The conceptualisation of the study draws on relationship marketing, services marketing, customer loyalty, social psychology, organisation behaviour, acculturation, guanxi, and cross-cultural marketing theories, and extant research related to interpersonal trust, relational bonding, perceived values, targets of commitment, and loyalty-related behavioural intentions.

The study considers the impacts of three targets of commitment within a bi-dimensional model of acculturation and explores these service provider relationships in the previously unexplored context of acculturated Chinese consumers in the New Zealand banking sector. This study examines the underlying motivations of Chinese banking relationship in the host culture and applies proven Western relational and acculturation instruments to capture the perspective of Chinese consumers’ relational and loyalty behaviours. The study contributes to this discussion by considering how the level of acculturation influences consumers’ relationship with the banking targets of commitment (bank or banking consultant) in an ethnic consumer–bank relationship context. An understanding of the influence of consumer acculturation on ethnic consumer behaviour can assist in the formulation of effective marketing strategies, such as integrated marketing communications, advertising, segmentation, and customer relationship management programmes for acculturating groups or minorities.

This thesis applied a philosophical realist and sequential mixed-method approach, comprising a ‘less-dominant’ qualitative study followed by a ‘dominant’ quantitative study. The qualitative method of convergent interviewing was used to better understand Chinese consumers’ relational and loyalty behaviours and their banking experiences and desires, and to determine if the items used in the quantitative method of a mail survey are appropriate to capture the issues of interest. Mail surveys were distributed to 2,000 Chinese residents in New Zealand, yielding a final valid sample of 368. The data were analysed using multiple methods of analytical techniques including exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation modelling (SEM), and multi-group analysis. The results indicate that seventeen out of eighteen research hypotheses are supported with statistical significance. The findings demonstrate that the acculturation levels of Chinese consumers positively influence their commitment to the banking service provider, and the targets of commitment completely mediate the relationships between relationship factors and loyalty-related behavioural intentions. Research contributions, managerial implications, limitations, and specific directions for future research are discussed in the conclusion of the thesis.