Title: Will perception of customers of McDonald's fast food restaurant be different in India and USA? - A comparative study between the two countries' culture

Authors: R.K. Srivastava; Paul Manimoy; Sandeep Bhanot

Addresses: Sydenham Institute of Management, University of Mumbai, India ' Business Analytics and Actuarial Science, School of Business, Siena College, New York, USA ' SIESCOMS, Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Vidyapuram, Plot I-E, Sector V, Nerul, Navi Mumbai – 400706, India

Abstract: The purpose of the research is to find out about the perception level among US and Indian customers based on awareness, popularity, value for money, amenities, services, and lifestyles moderated by demographic about McDonald's - a global fast food restaurant in two distinct cultures. The study has been conducted, where primary data has been collected by means of interview method through the intercept technique in India, and in the USA through interviews after taking permission. There is a significant difference between Indian customers and US customers about perception of value for money, amenities, lifestyle, service, and classiness of a global fast food restaurant - McDonald's. An application of two theories, consumer culture theory and social exchange theory gave an insight to the customer perception towards, a global brand-McDonald's. It also developed a combination of two theories in to a new theory - CCSET, to explain the difference between two consumers, which is a take away from this study as during the last decade.

Keywords: perception; country culture; fast food restaurants; McDonald restaurants; brand communication; consumer culture theory; CCT; social exchange theory; SET.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEXPORTM.2021.115289

International Journal of Export Marketing, 2021 Vol.4 No.2, pp.150 - 177

Received: 19 Nov 2020
Accepted: 25 Jan 2021
Published online: 26 May 2021 *

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