Extending consumer ethnocentrism theory: the moderating effect test

Purpose While the idea that consumer ethnocentrism influences the willingness to buy domestic products is a well-known assumption for marketers, the purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating effect of consumer ethnocentrism on the willingness to buy domestic products in developing countries. Design/methodology/approach Hierarchical moderator regression analysis and simple slope analysis are used to test the postulated hypotheses, and 385 consumers in Taiwan are studied. Findings The findings revealed that consumer ethnocentrism, perceived quality, perceived price and perceived brand image are significantly associated with the willingness to buy domestic products. Moreover, consumer ethnocentrism significantly moderates the relationships of the model. Research limitations/implications Consumer ethnocentrism increases the positive effects of perceived quality and perceived brand image on the willingness to buy domestic products in developing countries, whereas it may increase the negative effect of perceived price on the willingness to buy domestic products. Practical implications The results of this study suggest that practitioners should not only improve the quality and brand image of domestic products but also avoid putting a high price on domestic products to increase the willingness to buy domestic products for consumers in developing countries. Originality/value This study advances the consumer ethnocentrism theory by adding the moderating effect of consumer ethnocentrism to the model.