In the process of fashion diffusion, knowledge diffuses within and among social networks. However, little knowledge and evidence exists regarding the relationships among time perception, creative attitudes, and adoption of fashion innovations across different cultures. This research on relationships among perceptions of time, creative attitudes, and adoption of innovation has important implications for global fashion marketing

Lee, Seung-Hee

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  Cross-Cultural Comparison between US and  China on Perception of Time, Creative Attitudes, and Adoption of Fashion Innovations  Seung-Hee Lee, Southern Illinois  University Funded by CASA Summer Research Grant  Purpose of the study    Various relationships may exist between different levels of innovation adoption groups and creative attitudes or time perception.    There is no research that has examined the relationships among these variables.   To examine how earlier (vs later) adopters of                        innovation differ in time perception and creative                              attitudes, comparing Chinese and U.S. college                 students.  Adoption of innovations &  time perception  Time is central to many consumer behavior issues.   Many products are time-bound, especially fashion     products.   Time perceptions are a blend of individually, socially, and culturally created traits that affect consumer                   behaviors.    Consumer variables affected by time   Earlier (vs later) adopters of fashion:     Spend more time seeking information about     fashion (e.g, shopping trips, attend fashion      shows, read more fashion advertising/magazines,     watch more TV  dealing with fashion styles)   Earlier adopters are expected to differ from later         adopters in time perception. Hypothesis 1 H1a-g: Earlier (vs. later) adopters of innovations  will differ in time perceptions.  (a) economic time  (b) non-organized time  (c) orientation toward the past  (d) orientation toward the future  (e) time anxiety  (f) tenacity  (g) preference for quick return (h) time submissiveness   Culture affects time perceptions   Time-laden activities (e.g., fashion shopping) display cultural, situational and individual variability.   According to Theory of Cultural Dimensions (Hofstede,1980)  China: 87 on long-term orientation indicating an ability to  adapt traditions to changing conditions.   US:  26 indicating a society whose members prefer to                    preserve time-honored customs and are suspicious of changes in society. => Chinese participants are expected to differ from US        participants in time perceptions.    Hypothesis 2 H2 a-g: Chinese and U.S. participants will differ         in time perceptions.   (a) economic time  (b) non-organized time  (c) orientation toward the past  (d) orientation toward the future  (e) time anxiety  (f) tenacity  (g) preference for quick return  Creative attitudes and time of adoption  Traits of creative people: achievement motivation, openness to new experiences, self-confidence, or impulsivity.    Earlier adopters of fashion display many attitudes related to creativity, e.g., greater need for variety, higher sensation seeking, less susceptible to                       boredom, and more innovative  =>  Earlier adopters are expected to differ from  later          adopters in creative attitudes.   Hypothesis 3 H3 a-d: Earlier (vs. later) adopters of innovations                                       will differ in creative attitudes  (a) general creative attitudes (b) creative capacity (c) creative collaboration (d) creative risk-taking Creative attitudes and culture  Creativity is culturally bound--not just a mental                      process (Csikszentmihalyi, 1999)  Compared to other cultures, US was high in                          self-acceptance, achievement motivation, openness          to experience, nonconformity, self-confidence,                           impulsiveness  US (vs Chinese) students were higher on divergent thinking --fluency, originality, elaboration, and titles.   => Chinese participants are expected to differ from                                   US participants in creative attitudes.  Hypothesis 4 H4 a-d: Chinese and U.S. participants will differ                                         in creative attitudes  (a) general creative attitudes (b) creative capacity (c) creative collaboration (d) creative risk-taking Culture & time of adoption  China is collectivist while US is individualist  In countries with collectivist values (e.g.,                      China), a relatively smaller group of fashion  consumers may be willing to purchase                        products early in the life cycle.   Conversely, in countries with individualist                         values (e.g., U.S.), relatively more consumers may be willing to purchase products                              early in the life cycle   Hypotheses 5 & 6  Lee and Workman (2013) found that a smaller                       percentage of fashion consumers were early                          adopters in Korea (a collectivist culture) than in                        the US (an individualist culture).   H5: Chinese and U.S. participants will                     differ in time of adoption of innovations.   H6: A smaller percentage of consumers                                 will be early adopters in China than in the US.  Research Model Time of Adoption of Innovation  Fashion change agents  Early adopters  Later adopters Reluctant adopters  Culture  China  US Time Perceptions Creative Attitudes H3 H2 H1 H4 H5 & H6 Procedure   Data were collected in large lecture classes                      from US and Chinese university students.   The questionnaire contained demographic                            items and measures of  Time perception  Creative attitudes   Fashion innovativeness and opinion leadership Scales  Time  Perception Scale  (Usunier & Valette-Florence, 2007)   Creative Attitudes Scale (Serrat ,2009)    Fashion Innovativeness and Opinion Leadership  (Hirschman & Adcock, 1978)   Data Analysis   Descriptive statistics   Culture: 209 US; 193 Chinese university students   Age: M = 21.13 (17-32)  Gender: male = 215; female = 185   Cronbach’s alpha reliability: acceptable                 ranging from .60 to .90.   MANOVA/ANOVA  Pearson’s Chi-square  MANOVA Time-of-adoption & time perceptions  MANOVA was conducted with time-of-adoption groups and culture as independent variables; 7 sub-dimensions of time perception as                   dependent variables  Significant effects for time-of-adoption groups        [F(8, 387) = 4.39, p < .000] and   culture [F(8, 385) = 20.79, p < .000] on the                          dependent variables ANOVA Time-of-adoption & time perceptions  Significant effects for time-of-adoption group on                     3 of 7 time variables: economic time, future                             orientation, and time anxiety.   Earlier adopters scored higher on economic time and future time orientation, but later adopters                      scored higher on time anxiety.   H1a, d, and e were supported  ANOVA  Time-of-adoption & culture    Significant effects for culture on 5 of 7 time                      variables: economic time, non-organized time,                  past orientation, future orientation, and time                anxiety   US participants scored higher on economic               time and future orientation.   Chinese participants higher on non-organized time, past orientation, and time anxiety.    H 2a, b, c, d, and e were supported. MANOVA Time-of-adoption & creative attitudes  MANOVA was conducted with time-of-adoption groups and culture as independent variables;        four creative attitudes as dependent variables  Significant effects for time-of-adoption group                     [F(4, 391) = 4.32, p < .002] and   for culture [F(4, 389) = 6.15, p < .000] on the  dependent variables ANOVA  Time-of-adoption & creative attitudes   Significant effects for time-of-adoption group                   on all four creative attitude variables.  Earlier adopters higher on general creativity,            creative capacity, creative collaboration, and           creative risk-taking than later adopters.    H3 a-d were supported.  ANOVA Culture & creative attitudes  Significant effects for culture on creative                              capacity and creative collaboration.   US participants scored lower than Chinese          on creative capacity and creative collaboration.   Hypothesis 4 b and c were supported.  ANOVA  Time-of-adoption & culture   ANOVA revealed no significant effect for culture         [F(1, 399) = 1.14, p < .286] on time-of-adoption:    H5 was not supported. Chi-square test   Time-of-adoption & culture O Chi-square test was not significant (df = 3;                                 Pearson Chi-Square = 1.033; p < .793).   consumer change agents US (19.7%);                                      Chinese (16.1%)   early adopters US (32.7%); Chinese (35.8%)   late adopters US (28.8%) Chinese (29.5%)  reluctant adopters US (18.8%); Chinese (18.7%).    H6 was not supported.  Discussion   Differences were found in time perception and                           creative attitudes among earlier (vs later) adopters of                      innovation and between Chinese and US students.    Based on the results, cultural values seem to be a                          definitive force among Chinese students in terms of                            time perception and creative attitudes.   A better understanding of consumers in a variety of                        cultures is called for if international corporations or                           marketers want to succeed.  Implications   From academic perspective,  Adds a new perspective to the literature about  relationships among time of adoption, time perception, creative attitudes, and cultural values  From a practitioner perspective Provides information for fashion marketers or retailers that will help them understand earlier adopters’ consumption behavior.   Help international marketers to adapt their new brand marketing strategies for different cultures.    Further study  Extend to other cultures  Extend to other industry contexts  Mobile phone  Automotive  Extend to adult population  Use other measures of creativity or time-of-       adoption  Add other variables, e.g., attitudes toward                       technology  For further information contact: Dr. Seung-Hee Lee shlee@siu.edu  

Cross-Cultural Comparison between U.S. and China on Perception of Time, Creative Attitudes and Adoption of Fashion Innovations

https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1081&amp;context=asars

Cross-Cultural Comparison between U.S. and China on Perception of Time, Creative Attitudes and Adoption of Fashion Innovations

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