INTERNET BUYING BEHAVIOR: PERSONAL ATTITUDE AND NORMATIVE INFLUENCE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WEB ENTHUSIASTS IN THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO.

Personal attitudes and social norms have been tested as components of buying behavior for over 30 years, however these relationships have yet to be examined in an international context on the Internet. Mehta and Sivadas (1995) suggest the Internet traverses national boundaries, closing gaps in time and space between different cultures. Levitt (1983, p. 93) offers that technology has made the world "more homogeneous." Dop (2001) also found no differences across from different countries in their perceptions and use of the Internet. Others however, have indicated that there are still many hurdles in overcoming cultural differences when marketing on the Internet (Cutitta 2000). This study examines attitudes and normative influences on Internet buying intentions between an individualistic country (U.S.) and a collectivist country (Mexico) to observe how culture alters the influence of attitudes and social norms on buying behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]