| The Problem. The study sought to determine the similarities and differences between American, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian family consumer decision-making patterns regarding the product/service areas of transportation, education, health care, food purchased for household consumption, appliances, furniture and decorating objects, personal items, in-home entertainment, housing and recreation and entertainment outside the home.; Method. The sample was composed of 75 Americans, 75 Middle Easterners and 75 Southeast Asian graduate students in business and human behavior at United States International University, San Diego. A self-administered questionnaire handed out and completed in the classroom was the data source.; Results. The results of the study showed that the husband was perceived as the dominant individual in decisions regarding the purchase of an automobile in each of these sample groups, while women were dominant in the purchase of food for household consumption. Contrastingly, eating-out decisions were husband dominated across the cultures.; The selection of a university or college education for a male was perceived as within the male province for all the groups. For females, it was seen as female dominated among Americans and Southeast Asians and slightly male dominated among Middle Easterners.; Medical and dental service decisions among Americans showed a slight male dominance, while for the other two groups, a female dominance. Health care item purchases for all groups were perceived as female dominated decisions.; For all groups, the purchases of minor appliances were a female province, while major appliances tended to be a joint decision. Furniture and home decorating items also were female dominated decisions, while in-home entertainment was in the male dominance realm for all groups.; The selection of vacations among each of the groups was slightly male dominated, while the renting or purchase of a home was a definite male dominated decision among all the groups. |
