7 research outputs found
Risks and drivers of hybrid car adoption: A cross-cultural segmentation analysis
Throughout the developed world, consumers are increasingly being encouraged to adopt cleaner,
more eco-friendly behaviours. However, hybrid car adoption remains low, which impedes the move
towards a lower carbon economy. In this paper, we examine the risks and drivers of hybrid car
purchases, drawing on consumer behaviour and cultural dimensions theory to account for the
heterogeneous, segmented nature of the market. As risk perceptions differ across cultures, and in
order to address the lack of cross cultural research on eco-friendly cars, we focus on Australian,
South Korean, and Japanese consumers. Based on a survey of 817 respondents we examine how five
types of risk (social, psychological, time, financial, and network externalities) and three factors that
drive purchasing behaviour (product advantages, product attractiveness, and product superiority)
influence consumers perceptions of hybrid cars. Four segments of consumers are identified
(pessimists, realists, optimists, and casualists) that also vary according to their environmental selfimage,
and underlying cultural values. Our results extend theory by incorporating self-image and
cultural dimension theories into a multi-country analysis of the risks and drivers of hybrid car
adoption. Our findings have practical implications in terms of marketing strategies and potential
policy interventions aimed at mitigating risk perceptions and promoting the factors that drive hybrid
car adoption