Research Proposal
Sunmyoung Cho, Ph.D.
Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
(nabaztag@yonsei.ac.kr)
Preliminary Title:
Cosmopolitanism of Asian Consumers and Its Impact on Market Behavior
In the contemporary global marketplace, cosmopolitanism has become an important
issue not only in politics but in business and social science as well. The global marketplace
provides the opportunity for consumers throughout the world to become global
cosmopolitans by connecting both directly and indirectly with those in other geographical
locations and cultures (Arnould, Price, & Moisio, 2006). As world citizens, global
cosmopolitans are key players in the next stage of globalization (Brimm, 2010), meriting
special attention as a specific consumer group. In addition, cosmopolitanism as a consumer
orientation has been also suggested as a critical segmentation base (Riefler, Diamantopoulos,
& Siguaw, 2012). Although the construct of cosmopolitanism has been proposed as an
important factor in understanding the characteristics of the next consumers, relatively little is
known about it.
The global expansion of top brands, which has accelerated the emergence of a
homogeneous global culture, has created a new cultural meaning for brandscapes in everyday
lives (Cleveland & Laroche, 2007; Fournier, 1998). The former study 1 for 2012 ACP
Conference has focused on consumers’ self-connections to global brands in Asia from the
dyadic perspectives of developmental psychology and culture of brand origin. Results have
indicated the critical role of meaningful brand episodes at an early age in the formation of
strong self-brand connections. In addition, results have provided initial evidence of the
relationship between consumers’ self-connections to global brands and cultural consumption
issues by showing that connections to global (vs. local) brands have increased the level of the
adoration of global culture, the tendency toward cosmopolitan consumption, and positive
brand attitude. Thus, the following research questions have emerged: what is the
cosmopolitanism of Asian consumers like? How do global brands affect Asian consumers’
cosmopolitan desire, their identity, and their global experience in a different global context?
In particular, how are global brands related to those consumers trying to adjust to a global
new environment?
The current study will focus on the cosmopolitan desire of Asian consumers and their
connection to global brands by examining the role of brands and their effect on cosmopolitan
identities and adaptation. A series of studies will be conducted to accomplish phenomenondriven research; a qualitative study will be done preferentially for understanding
cosmopolitanism in the Asian consumption culture and its relationship with global brands.
After conducting in-depth interviews with global cosmopolitans rooted in Asia and making
cross-cultural comparisons, determinant factors will be drawn and put into the experimental
study to identify the cosmopolitanism of Asian consumers as a consumption orientation. The
researcher expects this study will result in a prism that splits the concept into perspectives
from which to understand Asian consumers and with which to create new value for East–
West cosmopolitan consumers.
1
Self-Connections to Global Brands: Role of Meaningful Self-Brand Episode and its Impact on Global Culture Adoration
and Market Behaviors