Research and Managerial Implications

9.1. Research Implications

The present work provides theoretical contributions with a relevant impact on a variety of contiguous fields. It encompasses the elaboration of innovative research methods and tools (see Chapter 4), research implications aiming to update well-established theories (i.e. Hofstede: see Chapter 6), and the proposal of new theoretical perspectives on consumer behaviour (see Chapter 5 and Chapter 8). It is focused on drinking as a consumption habit that naturally and necessarily characterizes human behaviour. As such, it concerns the whole population investigated and is thus capable of shedding light on its relative consumer behaviour.

On the methodological side, a wide range of data analysis techniques have been employed to elaborate on the results proposed, spanning qualitative methods, such as textual data analysis and pictorial image evaluation, and quantitative methods such as factor analysis, cluster analysis, multiple regression analysis and ANOVA. In particular, we stress the usefulness of the triangulation method (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003), which mixes textual data analysis with pictorial selection (Scott & Vargas, 2007) to provide credibility and validity to the research findings, which can be potentially extended to other fields of research. At the same time, we propose the pictorial selection method as an innovative and powerful data collection tool to capture aspects that often run the risk of remaining unnoticed by the researcher.

The study contributes to scholarly debate (Chapter 5) by considering and analysing different stances on the question of whether countries and cultures should be used as units of analysis to understand and compare consumers at a cross-national level. Using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions as a starting point, the study, in Chapter 6, updates this milestone theory, which is now more than 30 years old. This is achieved by studying the differences in consumption across Europe and describing general attitudes towards consumption and brands, the significance of shopping, and how both are linked to motives of consumption of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The evaluation also takes account of regional differences within the EU, enquiring about the extent to which EU countries or regions differ with regard to the Hofstede dimensions and how cultural values influence the significance of shopping and the role of brands in consumer evaluations. Particular attention has been paid to how cultural values influence drinking patterns.