Influence of cultural differences on «the time versus money effect» : The case of Russia and Sweden.

Abstract: The paper explores the manifestation of “the time vs. money effect” in the intercultural setting. “The time vs. money effect” reveals itself as the consequence of priming either time or money that results in shifting product attitudes expressed by consumers. The effect is mediated by the feelings of personal connection to a product. The previous research suggests that the differences in the chronically accessible self-construal were likely to lead to variations in the manifestations of “the time vs money effect”. More specifically, consumers with chronically accessible interdependent self-construal should be more likely to express more positive product attitudes towards products the value of which is derived by experiential usage than consumers with chronically accessible independent self-construal. The quasi-experimental study carried out on Swedish and Russian consumers not only did not reveal any cultural differences associated with the effect, but also the effect was not observed in either sample. The practical implications of these findings in the area of marketing suggest that the possibility of shifting product attitudes by priming either time or money is contingent and determined by the type of product under consideration.