How inter-country similarities moderate the effects of consumer ethnocentrism and cosmopolitanism in out-group country perceptions

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how consumer ethnocentrism (CET) and cosmopolitanism (COS) may affect Asian consumers’ perceptions of out-group countries and their products, doing so by examining similar vs dissimilar countries across countries of origin. Given the strong inter-country rivalries that exist among Asian countries, the authors propose two alternative hypotheses, drawing from social identity theory and realistic group conflict theory. Design/methodology/approach To test the hypotheses, the authors examine consumer perceptions of both Western countries (dissimilar out-groups) and Asian countries (similar out-groups) within China (Study 1). In addition, the authors investigate how CET and COS affect consumer perceptions of Asian countries in Japan and in non-Asian dissimilar countries, and compare the effects between the two regions (Study 2). Findings The findings indicate that CET shows greater negative effects on perceptions of a country and its products, when the country is from a similar out-group than when it is from a dissimilar one. On the other hand, COS showed equally strong positive effects among consumers for both similar and dissimilar out-group countries. Research limitations/implications The results suggest that Asian consumers feel a sense of intergroup rivalry with other Asian countries, and, as a result, exhibit a greater degree of ethnocentric biases toward these countries and their products than they do toward Western countries and products. Also, the results suggest that COS may transcend national differences and inter-country rivalries in consumer consumption tendencies. Originality/value The study examines inter-country similarities as a moderator of CET and COS effects, which has not been extensively researched in the past. In addition, the study discusses the concept of intergroup rivalry among neighboring countries and examines how it affects consumer perceptions of out-group countries and their products in Asia, where strong inter-country rivalries exist.

Consumer reactions to unsustainable luxury: a cross-country analysis

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Cause-Related Marketing and Ethnocentrism: The Moderating Effects of Geographic Scope and Perceived Economic Threat

“…Additionally, CET's positive bias for local vs. global product purchases is stronger in low symbolic products and in countries at a lower economic development stage [64]. Therefore, CET effects are considered productand country-specific [59,63,65]. This conclusion points to the need to examine CET effects in various countries and products.…”

“…Several limitations in the present study should be acknowledged. First, other factors that could influence the in-group vs. out-group bias, such as the place of origin [59], consumer animosity [92], consumer affinity [93], or cultural similarity [65], were not considered in this study. To comprehensively explain the ethnocentric effects towards campaigns with varying geographic scopes, future studies could try also addressing these factors.…”

Country-of-origin cues: effects of country-related affect and product association on consumer responses to hospitality firms

“…The literature widely assumes that COO perceptions are formed as a function of consumers’ direct or indirect experiences in relation to the historical performance of products from a given country or to the cultural, political, religious, technological or economic factors of that country (Chen et al , 2014; Maheswaran, 1994). Recent research recognizes that such perceptions are influenced by inter-country similarity (Han and Nam, 2019), family communication patterns (Li, 2019), product beliefs (Lee and Lockshin, 2012) and anthropomorphic marketing communication (Feng et al , 2020).…”