| Acculturation is a complex interactional process influential in explaining the heterogeneous attributes of a distinctive ethnic cohort. The concept of consumer acculturation, a subset of the broader notion of acculturation, refers to the process exhibited by consumers as they adapt to new attitudes, values, and behaviors in the purchasing process (O'Guinn, Lee, & Faber, 1996). This study addresses the issue of multicultural marketing in golf by assessing the relationship between Korean Americans' acculturation processes and their consumer decision-making styles (CDMS), specifically in relation to golf clubs.;The purposes of this study are: (1) to determine whether Korean Americans exhibit cultural differences among themselves throughout the process of acculturation according to pre-dispositional variables such as socioeconomic status (SES) and gender; (2) to investigate the CDMS of Korean Americans across stages of the acculturation process, from less acculturated (high Korean identity) to moderately acculturated (bicultural identity); and (3) to determine the CDMS of Korean Americans according to pre-dispositional variables such as SES, gender, and golf skill.;A purposive sampling technique was used to obtain the most representative sample, consisting of 306 Korean American amateur golfers. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were the statistical techniques used for analyzing the data and testing the hypotheses.;The results of hypothesis testing revealed significant differences: (1) in the acculturation process among Korean Americans with differing occupational statuses; (2) between less acculturated and bicultural groups for CDMS variables of novelty consciousness and brand loyalty; (3) among educational level categories for CDMS variables of novelty consciousness and style/technology consciousness; (4) among income level categories for CDMS variable of style/technology consciousness; and (5) among golf skill level categories for three CDMS variables, quality consciousness, price consciousness, and style/technology consciousness.;The results of this study may prove valuable to retail managers and to the golf industry located in Southern California that targets Korean American consumers, offering an improved understanding of how people from ethnic cultural backgrounds become American consumers during the process of acculturation. Such an understanding could improve marketers' strategic planning decisions. |
