A 2 x 4 factorial design (cultural dyads x levels of cultural adaptation) is used to investigate the effect of cultural adaptation on attraction, outcomes, perceived compliment, and perceived trustworthiness when Americans sell to Japanese and Thais. This dissertation extends the research of Francis (1989, 1991) by taking into account the influence of collectivism, perceived status differential, similarity-attraction, and social identity. The curvilinear relationship found by Francis to exist between cultural adaptation and attraction when Japanese adapt to American norms and behaviors is not replicated by the experiments. Both Thai and Japanese subjects generally perceive Americans as having a higher status than themselves. They are not threatened by Americans’ adaptation to their cultural norms and practices. For Thai subjects, the relationship between cultural adaptation and attraction, outcomes, and perceived compliment appears to be monotonic positive. For Japanese subjects, the relationship reaches a plateau beyond moderate adaptation. The no adaptation condition is rated lower in perceived trustworthiness than is the substantial adaptation condition in both the Thai and the Japanese experiments, contradicting the findings of Francis.

A 2 x 4 factorial design (cultural dyads x levels of cultural adaptation) is used to investigate the effect of cultural adaptation on attraction, outcomes, perceived compliment, and perceived trustworthiness when Americans sell to Japanese and Thais. This dissertation extends the research of Francis (1989, 1991) by taking into account the influence of collectivism, perceived status differential, similarity-attraction, and social identity. The curvilinear relationship found by Francis to exist between cultural adaptation and attraction when Japanese adapt to American norms and behaviors is not replicated by the experiments. Both Thai and Japanese subjects generally perceive Americans as having a higher status than themselves. They are not threatened by Americans’ adaptation to their cultural norms and practices. For Thai subjects, the relationship between cultural adaptation and attraction, outcomes, and perceived compliment appears to be monotonic positive. For Japanese subjects, the relationship reaches a plateau beyond moderate adaptation. The no adaptation condition is rated lower in perceived trustworthiness than is the substantial adaptation condition in both the Thai and the Japanese experiments, contradicting the findings of Francis. / Business, Sauder School of / Marketing, Division of / Graduate