Hybrid car purchase intentions: a cross‐cultural analysis

PurposeThis paper aims to compare US and Korean consumers' intentions to purchase a high involvement, environmentally friendly product: the hybrid car.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines how social factors and culture shape intentions to purchase a hybrid car using survey data from 1,083 US drivers and 783 Korean drivers.FindingsThe paper shows that self‐image congruence and propensity to seek information about green products have strong positive relationships with intentions to purchase a hybrid car among consumers from both countries. Perceived social value associated with the consumption of hybrid cars also has a strong positive relationship with intentions to purchase a hybrid car among Korean and, contrary to expectations, US consumers. In contrast, social value associated with green products, in general, has a negative relationship with US consumer hybrid purchase intentions.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of a web‐based survey of drivers regarding hybrid cars may limit the generalizability of the results to other products and countries. Therefore, it is necessary to replicate the results.Practical implicationsIn light of the results, marketers of hybrid cars in Korea and the USA should consider communicating about the social value of hybrid vehicle adoption and the positive reflection of ownership on the consumer's self‐image, focusing on consumers who actively seek information about green products. However, marketers of hybrid cars in the USA limit references to the social value of green products, in general, which may be a turn‐off.Originality/valueThis paper increases knowledge about the impact of social and cultural factors on decision making regarding hybrid cars.