Author(s): Karim Garrouch, Mohamed Nabil Mzoughi
The role of culture in predicting online consumer behavior for expatriates is disregarded in marketing studies. This gap needs to be bridged in online shopping research because of the cultural diversity of market segments targeted by online retailers. Indeed, the ethnic diversity in a country enhances cultural differences, and this also applies for countries having a great number of expatriates. This research aims to verify the impact of a cultural dimension that is uncertainty avoidance, on online shopping intentions by citizen and expatriate consumers. A model is adapted by integrating perceived online shopping value and uncertainty avoidance to extend the diffusion of innovation model. A survey has been distributed among 473 consumers belonging to different nationality, age and gender groups. Results showed empirical evidence supporting the impact of compatibility, relative advantage, complexity, online shopping value and uncertainly avoidance on behavioral intentions. The comparison of the impact of uncertainty avoidance on behavioral intentions, be-tween expatriates and citizens, shows a significant difference between the two segments. Managerial implications are thus proposed to enhance the effectiveness of marketing tactics in this regard.