Website Localization Strategies to Promote Global E-Commerce: The Moderating Role of Individualism and Collectivism

Tailai Wu; Chih-Hung Peng; Choon Ling Sia; Yaobin Lu

doi:10.25300/MISQ/2022/15542

Website Localization Strategies to Promote Global E-Commerce: The Moderating Role of Individualism and Collectivism

Tailai Wu
, Chih-Hung Peng^*
, Choon Ling Sia
, Yaobin Lu

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Website localization plays an important role in guiding firms on how to customize websites across countries in which they have a local presence. However, few studies on website localization have systematically examined this topic from a theoretically grounded perspective. Drawing upon the theoretically-driven consumer-company identification perspective, we propose that three website localization strategies (web similarity strategy, web distinctiveness strategy, and web prestige strategy) have positive effects on local users’ perceived website localization, which, in turn, is related to local users’ website loyalty. We further investigate the effects of the website localization strategies in a cross-cultural setting, focusing on the individualism-collectivism dimension of culture. By conducting online experiments in both the United States and China, we find that all the website localization strategies have significant impacts on consumers’ perceived website localization, which is related to consumers’ website loyalty. We also find that web distinctiveness and web prestige strategies are more effective for people from a collectivistic society than for those from an individualistic society, whereas web similarity strategies do not differ across society types. These findings highlight the importance of website localization strategies for customizing websites for global e-commerce. © 2024. The Authors.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	31-66
Number of pages	36
Journal	MIS Quarterly
Volume	48
Issue number	1
Online published	1 Mar 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2022/15542
Publication status	Published - Mar 2024

Bibliographical note

Information for this record is supplemented by the author(s) concerned.

Funding

We wish to thank the senior editor, Jason Bennett Thatcher, the associate editor, Xin Xu, and two anonymous reviewers who provided valuable comments and suggestions throughout the review process. This research was partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 71801100, 71810107003], the National Social Science Fund of China [Grant 18ZDA109], the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong [Grant 9042724, 9042571, 9231511], City University of Hong Kong [Grant 11504417, 11505818, 7004779], the National Science and Technology Council of Taiwan [Grant 110-2628-H-002-010-MY2, 111-2423-H-002 -010 -MY4] and E.SUN Bank.

Research Keywords

Website localization
web similarity strategy
web distinctiveness strategy
web prestige strategy
behavioral intentions
individualism-collectivism

Publisher's Copyright Statement

COPYRIGHT TERMS OF DEPOSITED FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION FILE: Wu, T., Peng, C.-H., Sia, C. L., & Lu, Y. (2024). Website Localization Strategies to Promote Global E-Commerce: The Moderating Role of Individualism and Collectivism. MIS Quarterly, 48(1), 31-66. https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2022/15542
Copyright © 2019 by the Management Information Systems Research Center (MISRC) of the University of Minnesota. Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and full citation on the first page. Copyright for components of this work owned by others than the MISRC must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, to post on servers, or to redistribute to lists requires prior specific permission and possibly a fee. Request permission to publish from: MIS Quarterly; Carlson School of Management; University of Minnesota; 321 19th Ave. So.; Minneapolis, MN 55455. ISSN: 0276-7783.

RGC Funding Information

RGC-funded

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Cite this

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title = "Website Localization Strategies to Promote Global E-Commerce: The Moderating Role of Individualism and Collectivism",

abstract = "Website localization plays an important role in guiding firms on how to customize websites across countries in which they have a local presence. However, few studies on website localization have systematically examined this topic from a theoretically grounded perspective. Drawing upon the theoretically-driven consumer-company identification perspective, we propose that three website localization strategies (web similarity strategy, web distinctiveness strategy, and web prestige strategy) have positive effects on local users{\textquoteright} perceived website localization, which, in turn, is related to local users{\textquoteright} website loyalty. We further investigate the effects of the website localization strategies in a cross-cultural setting, focusing on the individualism-collectivism dimension of culture. By conducting online experiments in both the United States and China, we find that all the website localization strategies have significant impacts on consumers{\textquoteright} perceived website localization, which is related to consumers{\textquoteright} website loyalty. We also find that web distinctiveness and web prestige strategies are more effective for people from a collectivistic society than for those from an individualistic society, whereas web similarity strategies do not differ across society types. These findings highlight the importance of website localization strategies for customizing websites for global e-commerce. {\textcopyright} 2024. The Authors.",

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Website Localization Strategies to Promote Global E-Commerce: The Moderating Role of Individualism and Collectivism

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Research Keywords

Publisher's Copyright Statement

RGC Funding Information

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Embargoed Document

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GRF: Web Strategies to Promote Internet Shopping: Is Website Localization Needed?

GRF: Development of a Model of Antecedents of Trust and Distrust: Validating through Health Information Websites

Cite this

Website Localization Strategies to Promote Global E-Commerce: The Moderating Role of Individualism and Collectivism

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Research Keywords

Publisher's Copyright Statement

RGC Funding Information

Access Output

Other Access Options

Permanent Link

Other Files and Links

Embargoed Document

Fingerprint

Projects

GRF: Web Strategies to Promote Internet Shopping: Is Website Localization Needed?

GRF: Development of a Model of Antecedents of Trust and Distrust: Validating through Health Information Websites

Cite this