ABSTRACT
Culture is one of the most important factors influencing individuals’ behaviors and decisions. This chapter discusses various approaches to culture and identifies three unique characteristics of culture. In addition, by applying the popular five stages of decision-making model developed by Engel, Blackwell, and Kollat (1978) in conjunction with the six cultural dimensions proposed by Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov (2010), this chapter explains national cultural differences in the tourism and hospitality industry and how national culture influences each stage of the decision-making process.
