How cultural values and ethnicity influence attitude toward boycotting a company in a multicultural marketplace

This study investigates the influence of Hofstede’s cultural values on consumer attitudes toward boycotting corporations within a multicultural national context. Utilizing data from a diverse U.S. sample (N=2,574), multiple regression and ANOVA analyses were conducted to examine the predictive power of cultural dimensions and ethnic differences on boycott attitudes. Results indicate that collectivism, power distance, masculinity, long-term orientation, and indulgence significantly influence consumers’ boycott attitudes, explaining a modest but meaningful portion of the variance. Notably, African American/Black participants exhibited the most positive boycott attitudes, highlighting the interplay of cultural values and socio-historical factors. These findings underscore the importance of considering both cultural and contextual factors in understanding consumer boycott behavior, offering valuable insights for marketers and scholars studying multicultural consumer markets.