The application of SCONET scale in the research of consumer ethnocentrism in Serbia

Abstract

The study investigates whether SCONET is a reliable and one-factor scale that can be applied to measure consumer ethnocentrism (CE) in the context of the Serbian market. Additionally, the study investigates whether there is a connection between CE measured by the SCONET scale and consumer intention to buy domestic products. The aim was to investigate the strength of the link between CE and consumer purchasing intentions, i.e. to find out whether the relationships between variables are in line with previous research that involved the application of the popular CETSCALE. The research is based on the works of the authors who point to the shortcomings of CETSCALE and emphasize the need to create a new measuring instrument that would be used to measure CE. The analysis was realized based on the responses of 182 respondents in the survey of consumers in Serbia. Data were collected from the respondents electronically during June 2021. Statistical analyzes that were applied to draw conclusions are exploratory factor analysis and simple regression analysis. In addition, the analysis involves the application of descriptive statistics. The results have showed that the SCONET scale is a reliable and one-factor measuring instrument and that CE, measured by this scale, shows a statistically significant impact on consumer intentions to buy domestic products. The paper expands existing research on CE based on the new SCONET scale and formulates practical guidelines for domestic producers and traders. In accordance with the results, it is possible to create adequate marketing strategies for different categories of consumers, depending on the degree of ethnocentric tendencies.