The Impact of Power Distance Belief on Consumers' Preference for Perceived Core and Peripheral Destination

ABSTRACT The role of power distance belief (PDB) as a cognitive lens shaping the mental processes underlying product selection has received limited attention. Drawing on construal level theory (CLT), this research examines how consumers' PDB influences their process‐ and outcome‐focused product evaluation, which in turn shapes their product preferences. Using a mixed‐method approach across four studies, we empirically test this model in a tourism context, focusing on consumers' choices between core and peripheral destinations. Specifically, low‐PDB consumers tend to adopt a process‐focused evaluation and therefore prefer perceived peripheral destinations, whereas high‐PDB consumers are more likely to adopt an outcome‐focused evaluation and prefer perceived core destinations. We also identify two boundary conditions—process priming and consumers' photo‐sharing intentions. Together, these findings illuminate how PDB shapes the cognitive pathway underlying product selection, offering important implications for understanding individual‐level cultural influences on consumer behaviour.