Oxford University Press, Usa Handbook of culture and consumer behavior, paperback/sharon ng

Research on the influence of culture on consumer decision-making and consumption behavior has witnessed tremendous growth in the last decade.

With increasing globalization, managers are becoming increasingly aware that operating in multiple markets is crucial for firms' survival and growth.

As the world's growth engine shifts from Europe and North America to Asia and Latin America, it has become apparent that an inward-looking and domestic focus strategy will not be sustainable in the long run.

And success in foreign markets requires marketers to understand not just what consumers in these markets need but also how they think, behave, consume, and purchase.

Numerous studies have documented cultural differences in values and beliefs, motivational orientations, emotions, self-regulation, and information-processing styles, and the effects of these cultural variations on consumer behavior such as brand evaluation, materialism, and impulsive consumption.

In this volume, experts from a variety of disciplines and perspectives trace the historical development of culture research in consumer psychology and examine the theoretical underpinnings that account for these findings and the current state of the field.

Collectively, the chapters provide a forum for researchers to engage in thoughtful debates and stimulating conversations and offer directions for future research.

About the Author Sharon Ng is Associate Professor of Marketing in Nanyang Business School at Nayang Technological University (NTU) and a fellow in the Institute on Asian Consumer Insights.

She received her Ph D from the University of Minnesota and has published in the top marketing journals, such as the Journal of Marketing Research and Journal of Consumer Research.

Her research focuses on culture, branding, and sustainability issues.

She was named the 2009 MSI Young Scholar by the Marketing Science Institute and was also awarded the Nanyang Excellence in Teaching Award in 2009 and Researcher of the Division Awa.