Globalization and reluctant buyers

Abstract

This study attempted to empirically test a debatable hypothesis that globalization entails homogenization in consumers’ mind and behavior. Using samples from two countries (USA, n = 120 and Korea, n= 128), this study explored a path model centered on consumers’ reluctance to purchase foreign goods. The findings indicated that, in the US sample only, consumer ethnocentrism plays a mediating role between global openness and the reluctance to buy, although it is on the decrease with the increasing level of global openness. Consumer ethnocentrism is still an important factor in determining the magnitude of reluctance to buy a foreign product in both samples, while product judgment also plays an important role, but only in a certain cultural context (i.e. the USA). It is concluded, therefore, that consumers in a different culture, who are different in their attitudes and perceptions, tastes and preferences, and values, are still different even after being exposed to the massive wave of globalization.

Antecedents, moderators and dimensions of country‐of‐origin evaluations

“…For example, in a study involving American and Japanese consumers, Gurhan-Canli and Maheswaran (2000a) found that the cultural value of individualism/collectivism significantly explains COO perceptions. Similar findings were reported by Suh and Kwan (2002) with American and South Korean respondents. As discussed earlier, Canadians are much more individualistic than Moroccans and Taiwanese.…”

The Effects of Consumer Ethnocentrism and Consumer Animosity on the Willingness to Buy with the Mediating Role of Products Judgments: Children's Food Case

“…Therefore, evaluations and buying intentions of such consumers are influenced by consumer ethnocentrism. This conclusion has pointed out in some particular research for example ethnocentrism of American consumers influence to buying intentions to buy foreign-made automobiles [26] or studies with Portuguese and Korean consumers showed that ethnocentrism increases the rejection of foreign products and enhances the purchase intentions towards domestic products [10,28]. Studies showed that consumers prefer to buy domestic products rather than foreign imports as a consequence of their ethnocentrism.…”

“…It was found that ethnocentric consumers tend to avoid buying products from any foreign country [2,10,25,26,28]. Therefore, evaluations and buying intentions of such consumers are influenced by consumer ethnocentrism.…”

The Relationship between Consumer Ethnocentrism, Cosmopolitanism and Product Country Image Among Younger Generation Consumers: The Moderating Role of Country Development Status

“…This is supported from research in developed countries (Baughn & Yaprak, 1996;Sharma et al, 1995). However, other research in developing countries has suggested that the relationship is non-significant and that the two constructs are distinct (Suh & Kwon, 2002;Vida & Reardon, 2008). According to these findings, it is possible for consumers in developing countries to be both patriotic about the home country and curious about foreign cultures (Strizhakova et al, 2008).…”