Social reference group influence on mobile phone purchasing behaviour: a cross-nation comparative study

It is revealed that only the utilitarian influence has resulted in statistically significant difference between China and US mobile phone buyers, and another two reference group influences, informational and value-expressive, have relative insignificant impacts.

Abstract

This paper describes a comparative study investigating the influence of different reference group on consumer purchasing behaviour between the mobile phone users of USA and China. This study reveals that among the three reference group influence examined, only the utilitarian influence has resulted in statistically significant difference between China and US mobile phone buyers, and another two reference group influences, informational and value-expressive, have relative insignificant impacts. Based on the results of this study, managerial insights and practical implications for marketing strategies in the mobile phone market are recommended accordingly.