An Empirical Investigation of Intracultural Differences in Consumer Preferences and Expectations: Navajo Indian and Caucasian Consumers

This study focuses on differences in the preferences and expectations of Navajo and Caucasian consumers. Based upon differences in values and lifestyles of the two groups, the authors predicted that intracultural differences would exist in the level of importance group members attached to specific product attributes and in the price consumers expected to pay for products featuring those attributes. Two hypotheses were developed and tested on seven products frequently purchased by members of the two cultural groups studied. Descriptive statistics, cross tabulations, bivariate correlations, and ANOVA procedures provided support for the authors’ predictions. A variety of managerial implications are drawn from the results and future research suggestions are provided.