The digital self and virtual satisfaction: A cross-cultural perspective

This interdisciplinary cross-cultural research explores antecedents for social media networking satisfaction for Spanish and American consumers. Conceptually rooted in a sense of community, self-determination theory, and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, our descriptive study samples consist of n = 367 Americans and n = 161 Spaniards. Analysis with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) interrogates two propositions to identify recipes. Proposition 1 indicates that autonomy is not a necessary ingredient for either culture; self-presentation in the virtual world need not mirror the true self to provide short-term virtual satisfaction. Proposition 2 suggests that both cultures value relatedness and competence as motivations for social media behavior. While Americans value interactivity more than their counterparts, Spaniards value competence more, to experience social media networking satisfaction. Digital marketing managers must better understand cross-cultural differences and consider virtual value propositions offered to members of various cultures to better navigate the dynamic social media environment.