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1 – 10 of 82The economy of China has developed rapidly, and its international status has quickly risen in the past 30 years. China is shifting from a major exporter into a major consumer…
Abstract
Purpose
The economy of China has developed rapidly, and its international status has quickly risen in the past 30 years. China is shifting from a major exporter into a major consumer, becoming an essential part of the international market. However, some global brands make wrong market decisions because of a lack of understanding of Eastern consumer culture.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on consumer xenocentrism, this paper helps global enterprises better understand Chinese consumers' psychology in foreign goods, which is conducive to the development of transnational trade. This study proposes a hypothesis model based on previous literature. The authors collected 300 questionnaires from China and tested the model by SPSS24 and AMOS24.
Findings
The findings show that curiosity and country of origin positively affect consumer xenocentrism, consumer xenocentrism has a positive impact on word-of-mouth and purchase intention, word-of-mouth plays a mediating role in xenocentrism and purchase intention and social comparison tendency plays a moderating role in consumer xenocentrism and purchase intention. Simultaneously, this paper develops a scale measuring consumer xenocentrism to provide some quantitative support for this research.
Originality/value
The authors propose some suggestions basing on the research of consumer xenocentrism and provide some further directions.
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José I. Rojas-Méndez and Sindy Chapa
The purpose of this paper is to create and validate a scale that measures consumer xenocentrism in developing countries, where this phenomenon is furthermost prevalent. This study…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to create and validate a scale that measures consumer xenocentrism in developing countries, where this phenomenon is furthermost prevalent. This study aimed for the conceptualization, construct development and validation of a new scale labeled X-Scale. The theoretical framework was based on the theories of social comparison, system justification and culture.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed a mixed-method and multi-stage research approach to investigate the domain of xenocentrism in the context of consumer behavior and subsequently develop a scale (X-Scale), while assessing its dimensionality, reliability and validity. Qualitative and quantitative techniques were used for the development of the scale. Multi-stage data from five developing countries were collected for validation purposes: Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and China.
Findings
Results indicate that the consumer xenocentrism construct has two dimensions: foreign admiration and domestic rejection. Each dimension is comprised of five items. The reliability tests, the goodness-of-fit measures and the psychometric properties indicate a reliable construct. In addition, this study shows that consumer xenocentrism is a key predictor of consumers’ preferences for foreign brands over domestic ones.
Originality/value
This is the first empirical study on consumer xenocentrism conducted in several developing countries. The X-Scale developed here is invariant across countries and, therefore, allows for comparison among them.
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Amonrat Thoumrungroje, Adamantios Diamantopoulos and Nathalie Caroline Scherer
Drawing on cue utilization theory and the theory of motivated reasoning, we investigate the impact of consumer xenocentrism on product preferences in a situation where domestic…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on cue utilization theory and the theory of motivated reasoning, we investigate the impact of consumer xenocentrism on product preferences in a situation where domestic products objectively outperform their foreign counterparts.
Design/methodology/approach
We develop and test a model linking xenocentrism to consumers’ preference towards domestic vs. foreign products by (1) examining the mediating role of consumers’ ability to identify the superior product and (2) assessing the role of product involvement in potentially moderating this relationship. An experimental design was employed, whereby respondents (Thai consumers, N = 579) were asked to compare two products in the same product category, one foreign and one domestic. In one condition, the foreign product outperformed the domestic one on a range of relevant product attributes, whereas in a second condition, the opposite was the case.
Findings
Our findings provide clear evidence that xenocentric consumers often cannot recognize the superiority of domestic products and, even if they do, they still exhibit preferences toward (inferior) foreign products. Thus, for xenocentric consumers, it seems that the country of origin (COO) overrides other cues and often results in suboptimal product choices.
Originality/value
Our study adds to our theoretical understanding of the functioning of the consumer xenocentrism construct and has important implications for foreign companies targeting xenocentric consumers as well as for local firms seeking to counteract xenocentric tendencies.
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Adilson Mueller, Cláudio Damacena and Cláudio Vaz Torres
The purpose of this paper is to obtain evidence for validity of the consumer xenocentrism scale adapted to wine consumption in Brazil. Xenocentrism is the internalized belief of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to obtain evidence for validity of the consumer xenocentrism scale adapted to wine consumption in Brazil. Xenocentrism is the internalized belief of the consumer about the inferiority of national products, and a propensity to prefer foreign products when compared to national products for the purposes of social aggrandizement.
Design/methodology/approach
Two samples composed of wine consumers were investigated (online and paper-and-pencil questionnaires), and the scale validation process was carried out in two studies. The sample of the first study was composed of 195 participants, and in the second study, 258 participants were investigated. Data were treated with confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling.
Findings
Main results pointed to the discriminant and predictive validity for the Brazilian version of the scale of consumer xenocentrism adapted to the context of wine consumption.
Originality/value
This study expands on the original one by Balabanis and Diamantopoulus (2016), proposing the validation of the scale with Brazilian consumers. It also expands on the understanding of this behavior to a specific product (domestic wines) and offers evidence of scale validity in a culturally and economically context different from that of the original study, suggesting some evidence that the xenocentrism construct may actually occur in different cultures. An agenda of empirical research is suggested, to the understanding of the antecedents of xenocentric consumption behavior that will help Brazilian wineries to come up with more effective marketing strategies.
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Jiali Xie, Ho Jung Choo and Ha Kyung Lee
This study aimed to investigate the influence of brand-targeted animosity on consumers' boycott intentions for target fashion products via their cognitive and affective…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to investigate the influence of brand-targeted animosity on consumers' boycott intentions for target fashion products via their cognitive and affective evaluations, in the context of the “Xinjiang cotton ban” incident. The moderating role of xenocentrism was also examined.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through an online survey in China using convenience sampling, and 411 valid responses were obtained. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 for the descriptive statistics, frequency analysis and reliability analysis. AMOS 24.0 was employed for the confirmatory factor and structural equation modeling analyses. Bootstrapping analysis using PROCESS Macro was employed to analyze the moderating effects.
Findings
This study found that consumers' brand animosity directly and positively affected boycott intentions and that this influence was sequentially mediated through cognitive-affective evaluations. However, cognitive product judgment did not directly affect boycott intentions. The results showed that xenocentrism had a moderating effect on the relationship between animosity and cognitive judgment. The higher the xenocentrism of consumers, the weaker the negative effect of animosity was on cognitive judgment.
Originality
This study bridges the gap in the literature on animosity and xenocentrism in a fashion-related context through examining the consequences of brand animosity.
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Mahmoud Abdulai Mahmoud, Tracy Nana Ebaskwa Mallen-Ntiador, Dominic Andoh, Mustapha Iddrisu and Adelaide Naa Amerley Kastner
The purpose of this study is to test consumer xenocentric tendencies on foreign goods purchase intention and to examine the mediating role of cultural openness on the relationship.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to test consumer xenocentric tendencies on foreign goods purchase intention and to examine the mediating role of cultural openness on the relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
A total number of 204 respondents participated in the study. Web-based sampling technique was employed to select a cross-section of consumers. Structural equation modelling technique of AMOS 21 version was used to test the nature of relationships in the research hypotheses.
Findings
The results suggest that except country image and interpersonal influence, all other constructs had a positive significant relationship with the intention to purchase. Country of origin, self-confidence and self-esteem had impact on consumer intention to purchase foreign products, though exposure of consumers to other cultures did not endear them to the products of those foreign markets.
Practical implications
From a managerial perspective, management awareness of xenocentrism tendencies is the surest way to make prudent decisions with respect to stocking and distributing foreign and local products or services.
Originality/value
The current study brings newness to the phenomenon as it tests consumer xenocentric (C-XEN) constructs in an emerging economy, and cultural openness as a mediating variable.
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Melvin Prince, Mark A.P. Davies, Mark Cleveland and Dayananda Palihawadana
A first objective is to add insight into how constructs of ethnocentrism, xenocentrism and cosmopolitanism relate to each other. Knowledge of how these constructs overlap or work…
Abstract
Purpose
A first objective is to add insight into how constructs of ethnocentrism, xenocentrism and cosmopolitanism relate to each other. Knowledge of how these constructs overlap or work together in affecting consumer preferences will offer global marketers insights for designing appropriate marketing strategies. The second objective is to extend this knowledge by examining the correspondence of these three constructs to a nomological network of dispositional concepts pertinent for product positioning and market segmentation. The third objective is to empirically examine the extent to which the measures, construct structure and associative relationships are robust in different national research settings. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Surveying British and American consumers, this study examines and analyzes the correspondence of these identity-relevant constructs within a nomological net of pertinent concepts: consciousness-of-kind, global consumption orientation, materialism and natural environment concern.
Findings
The hypothesized negative links between CET-XEN and CET-COS, and the predicted positive connection between XEN-COS were all confirmed on the latent factor results for the combined data set. The negative correlation between CET-XEN was of a considerably lower magnitude than that for CET-COS.
Originality/value
To date, no research has used an identity theory framework and simultaneously examined in a cross-cultural context the interrelationships of consumer ethnocentrism consumer xenocentrism and cosmopolitanism – and their differentiating linkages to a multiplicity of consumer dispositions.
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Sanjaya S. Gaur, Hanoku Bathula and Carolina Valcarcel Diaz
The purpose of this study is to identify the main cultural factors that influence Latin American consumers’ intentions to purchase US brands. Although culture and cultural…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify the main cultural factors that influence Latin American consumers’ intentions to purchase US brands. Although culture and cultural orientation have been well researched in international business and marketing literature, there is a lack of research on the relationship between consumers’ cultural orientation and their bias towards foreign and domestic products.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews the extant literature with a particular emphasis on the key constructs of consumer ethnocentrism, consumer xenocentrism, conspicuous consumption and consumers’ national characteristics. Based on this review, the authors propose a conceptual model showing the influence of cultural orientation on the selection of US brands in Latin America.
Findings
The review of the literature shows that previous studies support the proposition of cultural orientation and preferences for foreign versus domestic products among Latin American consumers. Accordingly, in their conceptual framework, the authors posit that consumer ethnocentrism negatively influences the selection of US brands, while xenocentrism does the opposite. Conspicuous consumption is posited as moderating the influence of consumer xenocentrism on purchase intentions of the US brands. On the other hand, national characteristics of consumers in Latin America are posited as moderating the influence of both consumer ethnocentrism and consumer xenocentrism on the selection of US brands.
Practical implications
The authors also present important theoretical and practical implications that contribute to the growing body of research on consumer acculturation and country of origin effects, providing a better interpretation of consumer behaviour in the context of international and domestic markets.
Originality/value
This study fills a significant gap in the understanding of the impact of cultural orientation and conspicuous consumption on selection of US brands in Latin America. Its conceptual framework can provide the basis for future empirical studies and also improve understanding of emerging markets.
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José I. Rojas-Méndez and Gary Davies
The purpose of this study is to compare two different types of measures of social desirability bias (SDB), a short form of the Marlowe–Crowne measure, a popular direct measure…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to compare two different types of measures of social desirability bias (SDB), a short form of the Marlowe–Crowne measure, a popular direct measure, and an example of a projective technique where half of the respondents record the views of their “best friends”.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected using an online survey of members of a consumer panel. The context chosen to test the SDB measures was that of attitudes toward counterfeit products and xenocentrism in Colombia. Counterfeit proneness, attitude toward counterfeit products and consumer xenocentrism were selected as variables likely to be affected by SDB. Vertical and horizontal collectivism were included as variables likely to influence the first group of variables while not being themselves subject to SDB.
Findings
The projective technique consistently identified higher levels of SDB effects, as hypothesized. Marked differences emerged in the apparent strength of the relationships between the operational constructs depending upon which measure of SDB was used. At times, whether any such relationship might exist depended on the SDB measure used. Contrary to some prior work, no systematic gender effects were identified using either approach.
Originality/value
The first study to provide evidence of the comparative effects of different types of measures of SDB in research into ethical issues. One of the few to demonstrate how apparent relationships between variables can be created by SDB.
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Chunyan Nie and Xing Zhao
Rapid globalization has continually promoted integration between different cultures. This study attempts to examine responses toward culture mixing based on spatial metaphor…
Abstract
Purpose
Rapid globalization has continually promoted integration between different cultures. This study attempts to examine responses toward culture mixing based on spatial metaphor theory. Specifically, it focuses on power relationships to explore the impact of space image schemas on consumer attitudes. The boundary conditions of this effect, the significance of cultural symbols and the dominance trait are also analyzed.
Design/methodology/approach
Three experiments are conducted, and 567 participants are involved in this research. The data are analyzed using ANOVA and Process 213.
Findings
The results show that the relative vertical positions of cultural symbols significantly impact consumer attitudes toward culture mixing, and demonstrate that perceived cultural threat enhances ethnocentric tendencies. The data also indicate that individuals only express their distinct attitudes toward culture mixing when significant cultural symbols are presented, and only high-dominance individuals, who prefer to link vertical spatial metaphor with power relationships, are sensitive to vertical spatial metaphor.
Originality/value
This research highlights the underlying mechanism, encouraging ethnocentric tendencies among the young population in China. It extends work on the use of metaphorical concepts and contributes to the increasing literature on power in consumer behavior. Additionally, it generates useful suggestions for multinational entrepreneurs who want to facilitate symbolic localization.
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