Changes in culture and values among Saudi students' families in the United States, and their impact on the centrality of financial management and purchasing decisions within the family

Saudi Arabia and the United States of America have a strong relationship both politically and economically. This is exemplified by the number of Saudi students sent on scholarship to study in the US. Roughly, there are 70 thousands Saudi students enrolled in such scholarships, many of which are accompanied by their wives and kids. Students and their families undergo many changes abroad that are reflected on their overall behaviour. This study aims to investigate changes in culture and values among Saudi students' families in the United States, and their impact on the centrality of financial management and purchasing decisions within the family. A correlational research design was deployed analyzing a three-part questionnaire of 174 snowball-sampled participants. The first part of the questionnaire gathered socio- demographic information, whereas the second and third parts seek the effect of acculturation to American culture on the participants lives and the changes in the financial management roles within the family. The regression analysis results showed that H1a studying in the United States has changed the values of Saudi couples (B = 1.369, p<0.001), H1b Assimilation of American culture has changed the traditional gender roles within Saudi families had (B = 1.158, p<0.001), H2a Adoption of American culture by Saudi students has influenced their financial management practices had (B = 0.112, p<0.001), and H2b Financial management is now a joint obligation between Saudi couples in the United States had (B = -0.156, <0.001). The model assumed a 5% level of significance and 95% confidence interval.