Title: Improving the global competitiveness of retailers using a cultural analysis of in-store digital innovations

Authors: Charles V. Trappey; Amy J.C. Trappey; Elma Mulaomerovic

Addresses: Department of Management Science, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan ' Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan ' Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan

Abstract: Global retailers are expanding their business to countries with diverse cultures and consumer preferences. Competitive and sustainable retail chains require advanced e-services linked to in-store digital innovations. This research focuses on cultural dimensions and the implications of implementing global and internet-linked e-service innovations. The research studies how cultural dimensions influence consumers' attitudes toward five types of retail innovations. The cultural dimensions include uncertainty avoidance and collectivistic cultural dimensions to predict acceptance. The research case compares differences between Taiwanese and Swedish university students. A multi-attribute model shows that Taiwanese prefer innovations with a lower level of self-service. On the other hand, Swedish prefer opposite types of retail innovations. We propose future research to show that these barriers of acceptance can be lowered through the use of advertising, social media, and in-store interaction between customers and staff. The research yields new research directions to help international retailers develop competitive strategies to fit the cultural characteristics of consumers.

Keywords: cultural dimensions; national culture; retail digital innovation; service acceptance; retail service models; global competitiveness; retailer competitiveness; in-store innovation; global retailing; internet; e-services; electronic services; online services; uncertainty avoidance; collectivism; Taiwan; Sweden; university students; higher education; cultural differences; self-service; acceptance barriers; advertising; social media; customer-staff interaction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2016.074647

International Journal of Technology Management, 2016 Vol.70 No.1, pp.25 - 43

Received: 21 Aug 2013
Accepted: 22 Feb 2014
Published online: 12 Feb 2016 *

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