The effects of acculturation on Hispanic Americans' perceptions of shoplifting

Retailers face many issues, some brought by immigration, such as managing and/or appealing to an increasingly diverse population and employees, and other factors such as shoplifting, the prevalence of which continues to grow worldwide. Adoption of the host culture, or acculturation, varies across immigrant groups, increasing the challenge of managing or appealing to ethnic groups. To this end, the aim of this study was to develop and test a framework for investigating perceptions of shoplifting and the effects of acculturation on these perceptions. To test the framework, we surveyed a panel of 651 Hispanic Americans and tested the hypotheses using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The study results indicate that as acculturation decreased, the Hispanics in this study perceived a greater possibility of shoplifting, which might have made them more watchful to prevent shoplifting than did the acculturated Hispanics. As retailers' labor forces and consumers become more diverse, it is recommended that retailers train their employees to be more aware of shoplifting possibilities while maintaining a welcoming and friendly retailing environment.