The Relationship between Status Consumption and Materialism: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Chinese, Mexican, and American Student

This paper examines the individual difference variables of materialism (as measured by Richins and Dawson 1992) and status consumption (as measured by Kilsheimer 1993) across three countries (U.S.A., Peoples Republic of China, and Mexico) of college students. The study addresses the reliability of the two constraints as well as the relationship between these two constructs within and between countries. The results suggest that status consumption and materialism are significantly different constructs in all three countries surveyed. Additionally, while there are statistically significant differences in the materialism levels across all three countries, there are no statistically significant differences in the level of status consumption for the American, Chinese, and Mexican consumers surveyed. This suggests that consuming for status has equal importance in all three countries. The implications for international Marketing Managers are suggested.