Journals Proceedings

Abstract

Research shows that consumers share different content in online and offline settings. In offline settings, consumers tend to communicate primarily rational content with strangers and emotional content with people they know. In addition, previous findings indicate that consumers in collectivistic cultures (interdependent self-construal) display more emotional content than consumers in individualistic cultures (independent self-construal). Our results reveal considerable differences between online and offline content of communications and differences according to the self-construal of Austrian and Thai consumers. Out of this, theoretical and managerial implications emerge.