The impact of values on consumer behaviour

Values are believed to have a substantial influence on the behaviour of individuals (Rokeach, 1973; Rohan, 2000) and can also provide a powerful explanation of consumer behaviour (Clawson and Vinson, 1978). Researchers have suggested that we need a better understanding of the links between values and behaviours, and special consideration of how values interact with various situations (Beatty et al., 1985). In this empirical research, we discuss the results of a survey which examined and compared values of undergraduate university students in Hungary to those of students in Connecticut, USA. We scrutinise the similarities and differences between the values of these two sample populations with respect to certain key questions. The findings offer some useful considerations for marketing managers, especially on topics such as product positioning and communications.