Culture shock and consumer acculturation – double filter, interdisciplinary approach
(A2020-63896)

AUTHORS

Eszter Bogáromi, Corvinus University of Budapest; Erzsebet Malota, Associate Professor, Corvinus University Budapest

KEYWORDS

culture shock; consumer acculturation; consumption habits

ABSTRACT

The present paper explores consumer acculturation from two sides, facilitated by a special methodology. 107 semi structured interviews with foreigners living in the host country investigated the assimilation process and changing consumption habits. The interviews were carried out by university students, their knowledge of cultural differences and the main discourse elements in their topic description were also analyzed. Through these two filters, the analysis reveals various culture shock effects and acculturation strategies, significant factors that define consumer acculturation. Also, analyzing the student reports reveals a ‘mirror effect’, the knowledge and viewpoint - dual circuit attitude - of the host society. The research is unique for its large sample size, for the broad spectrum of the respondents’ county of origin, for combining assimilation with consumption habits, and for the joint use and analysis of the double filter specified above.