Gender, ethnic identity and patronage likelihood for a unisex hair salon

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine whether young consumers, growing up during a time of cultural hybridization and at a time when the unisex hair salon has proliferated, will exhibit segments in their patronage likelihood toward a unisex hair salon staffed by young, white women. Based on social identity theory and the similarity-attraction principle, it was hypothesized that identity groups (white men, white women, non-white men, non-white women) would differ in patronage likelihood toward a unisex hair salon with an all-white, female staff. Further, based on prior qualitative research of African-American barbershops, it was proposed that non-white men would prefer a male haircutter. Design/methodology/approach - A convenience sample of 190 university students was obtained, self-categorized into the four identity groups. Respondents reported their perceptions of a unisex hair salon presented in text and photo-collage format. Responses were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis H test, a non-parametric analogue to one-way ANOVA. Findings - Compared to other groups, non-white men reported significantly lower patronage likelihood and image congruence for the described unisex salon. Also, the non-white male group was unique in having a strong preference for a male barber/stylist. Research limitations/implications - The non-white male group was largely composed of a single ethnic minority and the perceptions of this group may not represent those of other minorities. Originality/value - The idea that gender and ethnic identity of the servicescape affects consumer approach and avoidance behavior has not been well researched. The paper's findings suggest that if a unisex hair salon wishes to attract a non-white male clientele, the salon should have at least one non-white male service provider on staff.