Young consumers in cultural context: A cross-national study of Hofstede’s value dimensions

Objective: The study aims to evaluate the internal validity of a scale measuring cultural traits in relation to Hofstede’s framework and to identify the individual cultural characteristics of young people across three countries: Poland, South Korea, and the United States. Research Design & Methods: We conducted the research using the computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) method. Young participants from three culturally diverse nations received a web-based questionnaire, designed in accordance with Hofstede’s model and enriched with elements from other cultural measurement studies. Findings: The results confirmed that one can measure Hofstede’s dimensions as distinct, multidimensional constructs, with MA and IVR demonstrating strong cross-cultural validity. However, the weaker performance of IDV and UAI highlights semantic and contextual differences across societies, underlining the need for cultural adaptation of tools. The study also revealed that young cohorts often deviate from national cultural averages, reflecting their faster adoption of global trends, technology, and new media. Implications & Recommendations: Theoretically, the study supports Hofstede’s framework while pointing to the need for flexible, culturally inclusive, and dynamically validated scales. Practically, it demonstrates that youth-specific and locally tested strategies are essential in international marketing and management. Future research should extend cross-cultural validation to more countries, refine weaker items, and explore hybrid etic-emic models. Contribution & Value Added: The article contributes to cultural research by empirically testing Hofstede’s framework at the individual level, addressing generational differences, and offering methodological insights into the cross-cultural validation of measurement tools. It also provides practical recommendations for tailoring strategies to younger consumer segments across markets.