Culture and Consumer Behavior 1

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 Culture and Consumer Behavior 2

The Cultural Factors and Consumer Behavior in Hotel Industry: A Case Study on Al-

Messila Resort

Introduction

The customers’ wants are the primary reason for organizational existence. Therefore,

customers are among the most critical stakeholders in a company (Durmaz, 2014). As a

marketer, it is necessary to understand the consumer wants and factors that influence their

purchase decisions. One of the most critical but ununderstood factors that affect consumer

behaviors is the cultural forces (Bamossy and Solomon, 2016; Mokhlis and Spartks, 2020). Thus,

it is imperative to analyze the cultural factors and their influence on purchase decisions. Culture

refers to underlying societal elements such as rituals, norms, values, attitudes, beliefs, artifacts,

and customs transferred across the generations (Durmaz, 2014; Auf et al., 2018). Naturally, these

cultural attributes shape people's lifestyles, behaviors, and actions. Therefore, it is not coincident

to state that cultural factors shape one’s behavior. In this proposal, the central focus is the impact

of the cultural factors on the hotel (hospitality) using Al Mesilla as the case study.

Al-Messila is a premier resort in Qatar designed to offer luxury and classic wellness and

hospitality services to high-end customers. This hotel sits on 33-acres of land within a mature

forest in Doha, Qatar (Katara Hospitality, n.d.). Force this reason, Al-Messila provides a serene

and ambiance of inspiration environment that captivates the guests that visit its premises.

Strategically, Al-Messila is within eight kilometers from Souq Wafiq, an open-air market with

historical tradition (Katara Hospitality, n.d.). At Al-Messila, the accommodations range from

refined rooms with minibars, balconies, living rooms, dining areas, and plunge pools. All

accommodation facilities have large flat-screen TVs, coffeemaking facilities, and free internet

access (Katara Hospitality, n.d.). Major menu options in this hotel are Scandinavian, Italian, and
 Culture and Consumer Behavior 3

international dishes (Katara Hospitality, n.d.). Notably, a study on the cultural factor is necessary

for marketers to make strategic decisions in marketing. For example, the marketers can

successfully use this study to get ideas on how to target customers and the services to provide in

the hotel industry. In an illustration, Al-Messila’s marketers could determine how Islam, the

dominant religion in Qatar, shapes consumer behavior. The study will also inform marketers to

avoid violating the ethical values consistent with the dominant culture in the host country.

Cultural factor is pivotal on shaping the consumer behaviors. In the hospitality industry, culture

exerts a significant effect on consumer behavior.

Literature Review

This literature review provides an in-depth analysis of the fundamental concepts (culture

dimensions) and how they shape consumer trends in the hotel industry. A literature review will

provide background knowledge on the study field and present clues on the possible findings and

implications. Moreover, a literature review is necessary to develop critical hypotheses to

investigate in this study (Bamossy and Solomon, 2016). Here, the researcher acknowledges and

constructively critiques the major argument and findings from other sources related to the study

area.

Definition of Culture and Consumers

Various authors have analyzed consumer and cultural concepts. According to Durmaz

(2014), a consumer refers to a person with specific needs or desires. While this definition is

effective, it is not exhaustive (Hussain, 2017). Its major concern is that people with specific

desires may be customers but not consumers (Hallikainen and Laukkanen, 2018). Customers are

not always consumers. For example, the business clients obtaining the goods for resale to make a
 Culture and Consumer Behavior 4

profit are customers but not consumers. Therefore, this shows the need for these authors to learn

about the differences between consumers and customers. A consumer may also refer to a service

or product end-user. Culture is an element with multiple definitions (Hussain, 2017). First,

Lamb, Hair, and Daniel (cited in Durmaz, 2014) view culture as the essential societal character

that differentiates it from other societies. According to Durmaz (2014), culture is among the most

crucial determinants of human behavior and wants. Cululeski, Cuculeski, and Tashlov (2015), on

the other hand, defines culture as a concept encompassing belief, art, morals, values, customs,

and capabilities that shape consumer patterns and behaviors. Virtually, the culture encompasses

almost everything that shapes the individuals’ life. In reality, culture can determine the nature

and frequency of all needs, from physiological to self-actualization (Handayani et al., 2019,

March). Unlike other creatures, humans learn the behavior from society. Since birth, a child

learns from observation, hearing, touch, and other senses the basic values, attitudes, preferences,

and values that shape the community behaviors.

Understanding Consumer Behaviors

While marketers can control consumer behaviors, they rarely have essential information to

make purchase decisions. Authors in multiple studies argue that consumer behavior deals with

various issues such as getting information about the products they consume, determining

alternative options, deciding the risk to assume on a product, and analyzing the purchased loyalty

(Oktadiana and Kurnia, 2011; Nan and Li, 2017, April). Such information is critical for

marketers to inform their decision-making.

Various scholars have different definitions for consumer behavior. Wilkie et al. define

consumer behavior as emotional, physical, and mental activities involved in information

gathering, selecting, purchasing, and disposing of products (Durmaz, 2014; Wang, 2017). This
 Culture and Consumer Behavior 5

definition is exhaustive and relevant. However, one may also add that consumer behavior action

before, during, and after the purchase related to consumer decision-making.

Significant Characteristics of a Culture

Culture has various features. As a marketer, it is imperative to understand the significant

characteristics of culture to develop a culturally competent marketing plan. A major

characteristic is that culture is a comprehensive phenomenon, implying that all its elements must

fit together logically (Cululeski et al., 2015; Durmaz, 2014, Oktadiana and Kurnia, 2011). For

instance, bowing is compatible with the desire to maintain face, reflecting that all parts of culture

must fit logically (Baía, 2021; Das, n.d.). It is laudable for these authors to reflect the major

characteristics that shape consumer behavior.

Another essential feature is that people acquire culture via learning from others. For

example, new generations learn the cultural values, norms, traditions, and rituals from the older

generations (Cululeski et al., 2015; Durmaz, 2014). Thus, this suggests that the culture from one

generation to another. Boundaries are also major characteristics that define a culture

(Wróblewski, Dacko-Pikiewicz, and Cuyler, 2017). Notably, the boundaries within acceptable

behaviors define and distinguish one culture from another. For example, it is unacceptable to

have sex in public in almost all societies. Failure to observe the established boundaries may

attract sanctions, such as disownment, ridicule, and condemnation (Cululeski et al., 2015;

Durmaz, 2014). Therefore, this reflects how these boundaries influence the social conduct and

behaviors within the society.

The limited conscious awareness of the social-cultural standards is also a critical feature of

culture. For instance, individuals in some cultures identify outsiders based on their behaviors and
 Culture and Consumer Behavior 6

actions. Another characteristic that defines culture is that is the susceptibility to change differs

from one society to another (Cululeski et al., 2015; Durmaz, 2014). For example, western culture

is more accommodative to change, unlike the Arabic cultures.

Cultural Factors Shaping Consumer Behaviors

The authors in different studies identify various factors that shape consumer behaviors

(Durmaz, 2014). Juneja (n.d.) defines cultural factors as the values and ideologies in a

community that defines their behaviorism. In his argument, Juneja (n.d.) claims that culture is

nothing but an individual's values. However, this definition is too simplistic and narrow-minded.

While the culture includes values that people drive from their society, they are not the only

components that distinguish one culture from another (Roberts, 2016; Suarez et al., 2020).

Therefore, this is a weakness in Juneja’s argument that cultural values.

One major factor explained by many authors is the subculture. In marketing management,

marketers should examine this factor to develop a marketing plan that resonates with subgroups

within a culture (Wang, Lin, and Spencer, 2019). Some factors that define subculture are age,

gender, sexual orientation, and other aspects. For example, people within the same age are likely

to have cultural attributes different from people in other demographic groups. Therefore,

understanding the subcultural attributes is essential for marketers to develop demographic and

psychographic segmentation. It is also laudable for the above authors to reflect the need for

marketers to identify the demographic factors that shape consumer behaviors.

Social class is also a major cultural factor that shapes consumer behavior. Notably, all

societies have social classes that reflect their social-economic status in society (Isaacson,

Jordaan, and Van Heerden, 2018). For example, income level, education, political affiliation,
 Culture and Consumer Behavior 7

occupation, residence location, and family background define the social status among individuals

(Baía, 2021). In marketing, it is commendable to determine individuals’ social status and predict

consumer behavior (Wang, Lin, and Spencer, 2019). The marketers can also use social class in

their market segmentation and targeting.

The geography of an area is also instrumental in defining the culture. Naturally, people in

different geographical areas have different cultures that define their unique history and predict

their purchase behaviors. The geographical locations also shape the subcultures within a society.

For instance, they shape how subcultures shape buying patterns.

https://globaljournals.org/GJMBR_Volume14/4-The-Influence-of-Cultural-Factors-on.pdf

Religion is another cultural factor that shapes consumer behavior. According to Juneja

(n.d.), the world has thousands of religions. However, some of the most popular religions are

Jainism, Shintoism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Religion is

among the most influential factor in shaping mannerisms and behaviors (John, 2016). For

example, Hindus consider cattle as holy animals and eating beef is a sin, while there is nothing

wrong with eating beef among the Judaists, Muslims, and Christians. At Al-Messila, the owners’

and dominant customers’ religious beliefs will shape the consumers' foods.

Gender is another central element that shapes consumer behavior in all industries. In the

hotel industry, some foods are popular among particular gender than the other (Deshpande and

Saxena, 2017). For example, ice cream and pizza demand are common among women’s and

men’s consumers. Therefore, understanding the gender-based purchasing trends is pivotal to

develop effective marketing plans to target and meet the needs of the specific genders in the

market environment.
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Research Question

What are the cultural factors that shape the purchase behaviors at Al-Messila Resort &

Spa? Notably, this question reflects that the author narrows the topic to a specific area on the

cultural factors shaping the consumer behavior in the above hotel. While the findings are specific

for Al-Messila, they may apply in other cases, especially firms operating in the hospitality

industry. The proposed research will provide insightful results that the company or other

hospitality firms could use to improve their strategic advantage.

Research Design and Methods

Sampling and Data Collection

The researcher will use the purposive sampling method. It is a judgmental sampling

approach that allows the researcher to classify the target audience and collect views from the

people likely to provide the most credible insights related to the study (Rahi, 2017). In this study,

the tourists in Qatar, especially around Doha, are the primary research subjects. Strategically, the

researcher will select tourists because they are the primary consumers of hospitality services. For

example, the visitors in Doha are major consumers requiring accommodation and menu items

depending on their needs and desires (Bell, Bryman, and Harley, 2018). Since this study is about

consumer behavior in a hospitality firm, it is imperative to collect the data from the consumers

(visitors) who directly experience the hospitality services provided. The study targets to gather

research from at least 200 people.

Besides the target consumers, employees such as bartenders, attendants, and receptionists

are also part of the research subjects. Notably, these participants must provide valid information

because of the regular and direct interaction with the consumers (Martelli and Greener, 2018).
 Culture and Consumer Behavior 9

Employees will also provide information on how they serve the customers and cultural

considerations in their decisions (da Silva, 2017). For example, they could provide reasons for

prohibiting the sale of pork in their locations.

Al Mesilla location at Doha is the primary research site that the researcher will visit to

extract the relevant information needed to meet the research objectives. At Doha, the researcher

will interview the guests that they will find. Crucially, the researcher will collect the data during

peak hours (morning rush hours and lunchtimes). This will allow the researcher to meet the most

guests and collect their views from them.

Besides the interviews, the researcher will also use natural observation in collecting data.

Notably, the researcher will record all relevant observations they will make in the study. For

example, the researcher will observe the food customers at Al-Messila location orders. The

researcher will also observe the customer reactions and the change of their moods once they get

into a hotel. For instance, the researcher will read the participants' moods, such as whether they

smile when served.

Research Objectives

Each research has various objectives a researcher aspires to achieve. In this study, the researcher

intends to achieve following objectives:

 To learn how cultural factors affect consumer decisions at Al-Messila.

 To recommend interventions that Al-Messila could tap the market potential

 Help the audience learn how to structure their marketing strategies as per the local

cultures in various jurisdictions.

Research Method
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In this proposed study, a qualitative method is an adequate approach to answering the

research question and meeting the objective. A qualitative method entails a strategy involving

non-numerical data collection and analysis (Rahi, 2017). The researcher will choose this

approach because of various reasons. For example, the time limitation to collect mixed results is

a top reason for using the qualitative method. Another reason is that the method allows the

researcher to get broader views about consumer attitudes (Abutabenjeh and Jaradat, 2018). Some

of the views that the researcher may get may beyond the scope of the study questions. As a

result, the researcher will get richer insights about cultural factors shaping consumer behavior in

the hospitality industry. A qualitative method is also livelier because it does not limit a

researcher to the predetermined responses (Queirós, Faria, and Almeida, 2017). However, its

major shortcoming is that it hinders the researcher from meeting the precision aspect of the

study. Opinions are also rarely measurable. Another issue is the inevitable sampling bias. Instead

of choosing the sample from the whole population, the researcher used purposive sampling.

Therefore, it is hard for the researcher to generalize results. Despite these limitations, the

researcher will accept these risks.

Ethical Considerations

There are various ethical considerations that the researcher will make in informing the

research. One major ethical consideration is that the researcher will seek permission from Al

Melissa authorities by writing a formal letter to use their location as the research site (Martelli

and Greener, 2018). In the letter, the researcher will be genuine and inform the researcher that

they want to learn about the cultural factors affecting consumer behaviors at Al Melissa. The

researcher will also clarify in the letter that the research is not for ill motives but academic

reasons. Another ethical consideration is that the researcher will respect the participants’ rights,
 Culture and Consumer Behavior 11

including anonymity, confidentiality, informed consent, and privacy (Masanja, 2018). Before

collecting the participants’ views, the researcher will give verbal informed consent on the

reasons and nature of the study. In the informal consent, the researcher will assure the

respondents that they will respect their rights (Masanja, 2018). Above all, the researcher will

respect respondents and conduct themselves with the highest integrity.

 Culture and Consumer Behavior 12

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Appendix: Timetable

Deliverable Timeline

Topic approval Two Weeks

Writing a proposal One Week

Reception and marking the proposal Three weeks

Starting the project (introduction) Three days

Literature review One week

Writing the methodology Four days

Choosing a sample One day

Writing an informed consent and questions to Two days

use in an interview

Seeking permission from research site One day

authorities

Interviews Two weeks

Report writing One week

Proofreading One week

Submission One day