Cultural Similarity and National Bias: An Assessment in an International Service Context

ABSTRACT

The results of this study confirm that national bias is influenced by the extent of cultural similarity and differences across a country's regions. Canadian consumers prefer Canadian to non-Canadian service providers, although providers from English-speaking countries are close substitutes. Service providers from Asian and Spanish-speaking cultures, on the other hand, experience substantial negative biases. Furthermore, the extent of national bias differs significantly across Canadian regions—it is highest in Calgary and lowest in French Quebec.

KEYWORDS:

• National bias
• cultural similarity
• consumer ethnocentrism
• country of origin