Influence of personality on buying behaviour : a cross-cultural study comparing Poland and the UK

The present study aimed to explore whether personality traits influence buying behaviour and if this influence differs depending on a different culture. The author focused on a cross-cultural investigation of Poland and the UK. Data were collected via an online questionnaire which measured personality traits, consumer purchase behaviour and the meaning of branded products for 525 participants. The results show significant relationships between personality traits and both, consumer shopping styles and the way individuals perceived branded products. Personality traits were assessed by the MINI-IPIP test, a 20-items instrument which measures the Big Five personalities: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Intellect/Imagination (or Openness). Buying behaviour was tested by two scales. The first one was a 39-item Consumer Shopping Inventory (CSI), which indentifies eight shopping style dimensions: Perfectionist/High Quality Conscious, Brand Consciousness/Price Equals Quality, Novelty and Fashion Conscious, Recreational and Shopping Conscious, Price Conscious/Value for the Money, Impulsiveness/Careless, Confused by Overchoice, Habitual/Brand Loyal. Another instrument used was a 32-item the Meaning of Branded Products scale, presenting four dominant themes: Quality, Values, Personal Identity and Traditions. The present study also investigated the moderating effect of citizenship and other socio-demographic characteristics in the relation between personality traits and both, the meaning of branded products and shopping styles.