Cultural antecedents to the normative, affective, and cognitive effects of domestic versus foreign purchase behavior

Abstract

The paper aims to investigate simultaneous and independent effects of cognitive, affective, and normative (CAN) decision mechanisms and cultural elements on consumer purchase behavior of foreign and domestic products. The study uses a survey to collect data from 5 086 respondents across 19 nations. The findings suggest that CAN factors independently affect purchase decisions for domestic, but not always foreign goods. Collectivism and uncertainty avoidance directly and differentially affect the CAN mechanisms. By explaining the effects of CAN and cultural elements on foreign and domestic purchase behaviour and offering product positioning strategies to internationally operating business managers the study provides important research and practical implications. The originality and value of this research lies in the theoretically proposed and empirically tested model, which incorporates consumer ethnocentrism, quality importance, national identification, cultural antecedents (collectivism and uncertainty avoidance) and domestic/ foreign product purchase behaviour.

Keywords:

• ethnocentrism
• uncertainty avoidance
• collectivism
• quality
• national identification
• domestic purchase
• foreign purchases

JEL Classification:

• M31

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Suzanne L. Conner

Suzanne L. CONNER is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Georgia Southwestern State University. She received her PhD in 2012 from New Mexico State University. Her research focuses on consumer behavior, sustainability practice and systems, green marketing, and ethics. She is an editorial review board member of Journal of Global Marketing and Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing.

James Reardon

James REARDON is the Chairperson and Professor of Marketing at the Monfort College of Business. His publications have appeared in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Retailing, Journal of International Marketing, Journal of Marketing Education, among others. He was named the UNC Distinguished Scholar and has been named the Monfort College Scholar five times. In addition, he has been named marketing professor of the year three times. His non-academic background includes managing several businesses in various functions in the Home Shopping, Construction, Casino, and Film industries.

Chip Miller

Chip MILLER has a PhD in marketing from the University of Washington. He has published in a wide range of journals including Journal of Marketing, Journal of International Marketing, International Marketing Review and European Journal of Marketing. His current research interests lie in international consumer behavior, Asian marketing practice as it relates to economic and brand development, and marketing management. He has received awards for both teaching and research during his career.

Laura Salciuviene

Laura SALCIUVIENE is a lecturer in Marketing at Lancaster University Management School in the UK. Previously she worked at Manchester Business School. Her research focuses on how consumer attitudes are formed in online retailing and cross-cultural environments. She has had articles published in international journals, including Advances in Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Management and International Business Review. She has acted as guest editor for two special issues of the Journal of Consumer Behaviour and Journal of Virtual Worlds Research.

Vilte Auruskeviciene

Vilte AURUSKEVICIENE is Professor and Vice-President for studies at ISM University of Management and Economics in Lithuania. Her research is multidisciplinary and focuses on cross-cultural behavioural issues in real and virtual environments. She has participated in a number of international and national research and development projects. The most resent project “Functional food: drivers and repulses of consumers’ preferences choices” is granted by the Research Council of Lithuania using bilateral research funding scheme of Lithuanian and Japanese government. She is an editorial board member of Baltic Journal of Management and International Director of Eastern Europe Marketing Educators’ Association.