Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

8-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Marketing

First Advisor

Peter Magnusson

Second Advisor

Xiaojing Sheng

Third Advisor

Sunaina Chugani

Abstract

Loyal consumers are prized assets for brands, as even minor improvements in customer retention can lead to significant increases in company profits. Most research has examined brand loyalty as a brand-specific concept and explored what brands can do to develop loyal consumers, overlooking the role of individual-level psychological and cultural factors.

This dissertation aims to address this gap by examining brand loyalty as a personality disposition and investigating its relationship with cultural values. Drawing on the extensive body of research linking culture to consumer judgments and decisions, the central hypothesis proposes that cultural values, particularly uncertainty avoidance, systematically influence individuals' predisposition to exhibit brand loyalty.

To test this proposition, the first two studies employ a multi-method approach, combining cross-national survey with individual-level data collected across multiple countries, and an experiment with U.S. consumers to provide both correlational and causal evidence for the influence of uncertainty avoidance on brand loyalty as a personality disposition. A subsequent experimental study explores the underlying psychological mechanism by testing the mediating role of the desire for predictability in this relationship. Furthermore, this dissertation investigates whether the structural features of a firm’s branding strategy, specifically, the use of brand extensions versus new brand introductions, moderate the behavioral expression of this dispositional loyalty.

By advancing our understanding of consumer loyalty in culturally diverse contexts, this dissertation will offer valuable insights for marketers aiming to foster enduring customer loyalty in new and unfamiliar territories.

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Copyright 2025 Khondoker Sayeed Hossain. All Rights Reserved.

https://proquest.com/docview/3247603585

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