Decision-Making Styles of Young Malay, Chinese and Indian Consumers in Malaysia

Abstract

Although consumer decision-making style represents a relatively consistent pattern of cognitive and affective responses, culture has been proven to impact significantly on individual values and attitudes, thus, culture is expected to have a significant influence on consumer decision-making styles. This paper investigates the decision-making styles of young Malay, Chinese and Indian consumers in Malaysia using Consumer Style Inventory (CSI) developed by Sproles and Kendall (1986). An examination of the psychometric properties of CSI shows some similarities and differences in consumer decision-making styles among the three ethnic groups, suggesting that ethnicity affects shopping behavior. Identification of new traits exclusive to each ethnic group suggests that CSI cannot be applied without considering the cultural factors. Keywords: