A Cross-cultural Study of Food Purchase Decision in Taiwan and Vietnam

Abstract

Based on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, this study is to investigate the effect of culture and demographic variables on the perception of consumer related to buying decision on food. A survey was conducted in Taiwan and Vietnam, including 367 respondents (227 Taiwanese students and 140 Vietnamese students). The findings indicated that Taiwanese students perceive the factors such as price and convenience are more important than Vietnamese student in their food purchase decision on product choices. However, Vietnamese students perceived that health, sensory appeal, and weight control are more important when choosing the food. The results founded that Taiwanese students perceive the factors such as familiarity and promotion are more important than Vietnamese student in food purchase decision about brand choices. Vietnamese students perceived that ethical concern, brand value, and political concern are more important when choosing the brand of food. The findings implied that Vietnamese students, with higher power distance and lower uncertainty avoidance, perceive the factors such as health, sensory appeal, weight control, ethical concern, brand value, and political concern more important in their purchasing decision on food. On the opposite, Taiwanese students, with lower power distance and higher uncertainty avoidance, perceive that price, convenience, familiarity, and promotion are more important in their choice. This result supported that culture has effects on food purchase decision. The results also implied that gender has a significant effect on consumption of food. Female students place more emphasis on sensory appeal, weight control and ethical concern than those of male students in food purchase decision. The findings also provided that students lived in city perceived mood, sensory appeal, familiarity and promotion are more important than those lived in rural when making food purchase decisions.