Consumer Expectations and Culture: The Effect of Belief in Karma in India

Abstract

In the customer expectations arena, relatively little attention has been paid to the impact on expectations of variation in cultural variables unique to a country. Here we focus on one country, India, and a major cultural influence there—the extent of belief in karma. Prior research in the United States suggests that disconfirmation sensitivity lowers expectations. Here we examine whether belief in karma and, consequently, having a long-term orientation, counteracts the tendency to lower expectations in two studies that measure and prime respondents’ belief in karma. Results show that the extent of belief in karma, operating largely through its impact on long-run orientation, does moderate (decrease) the effect of disconfirmation sensitivity on expectations. These findings suggest that it is important to tailor advertising messages by matching them with customer expectations and their cultural determinants.