Salesperson's Accent and Gender, and Consumer Purchase Intentions

This study was a test of the ability of Tajfel's decoding theory to explain the influence of a Latino salesperson's credibility as measured by gender and accent on the purchase intentions of American and Mexican consumers. Tajfel predicts that the spokesperson who is a member of the majority group in a population will be the most influential for all members of the society, even minority group members, provided that they can become a member of that majority. The results of the study only provided partial support for the theory.