TY - JOUR
T1 - Gender differences in the response to unfair prices
T2 - A cross-country analysis
AU - Maxwell, Sarah
AU - Lee, Sanghyun
AU - Anselstetter, Sabine
AU - Comer, Lucette B.
AU - Maxwell, Nicholas
PY - 2009/10/30
Y1 - 2009/10/30
N2 - Purpose: The research questions are whether there is a difference in how men and women respond to unfair prices and, if so, whether this gender difference extends across national cultures. Is the difference due to nature or to nurture? This paper aims to answer these questions. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses scenarios to conduct a survey-based analysis of the effects of gender and country on responses to personally and socially unfair prices. Findings: The results indicate that the response to price unfairness is due more to nurture than to nature. Although American females tend to be more sensitive than men to price unfairness, there is little or no difference between men and women in Germany and South Korea: both sexes there react negatively to an unfair price, particularly when the seller has acted unjustly. Practical implications: In the USA, the gender difference in response to unfair prices suggests that different pricing tactics should be used for men than for women. However, since males in South Korea and Germany are just as sensitive as females to unfair prices, pricing tactics acceptable to American men may not work in other countries. Originality/value: This paper takes a look at the manner in which a price increase for a frequently purchased but essential product is viewed as unfair. The paper examines the issue in three contrasting countries - Germany, South Korea and the USA - to determine if any observed differences are universal or culture-specific.
AB - Purpose: The research questions are whether there is a difference in how men and women respond to unfair prices and, if so, whether this gender difference extends across national cultures. Is the difference due to nature or to nurture? This paper aims to answer these questions. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses scenarios to conduct a survey-based analysis of the effects of gender and country on responses to personally and socially unfair prices. Findings: The results indicate that the response to price unfairness is due more to nurture than to nature. Although American females tend to be more sensitive than men to price unfairness, there is little or no difference between men and women in Germany and South Korea: both sexes there react negatively to an unfair price, particularly when the seller has acted unjustly. Practical implications: In the USA, the gender difference in response to unfair prices suggests that different pricing tactics should be used for men than for women. However, since males in South Korea and Germany are just as sensitive as females to unfair prices, pricing tactics acceptable to American men may not work in other countries. Originality/value: This paper takes a look at the manner in which a price increase for a frequently purchased but essential product is viewed as unfair. The paper examines the issue in three contrasting countries - Germany, South Korea and the USA - to determine if any observed differences are universal or culture-specific.
KW - Gender
KW - Germany
KW - National cultures
KW - Prices
KW - South Korea
KW - United States of America
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=71849115395&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/07363760911001565
DO - 10.1108/07363760911001565
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:71849115395
SN - 0736-3761
VL - 26
SP - 508
EP - 515
JO - Journal of Consumer Marketing
JF - Journal of Consumer Marketing
IS - 7
ER -