South African consumer ethnocentrism and attitudes towards foreign convenience products

Abstract

The evolution of country-of-origin research has led to the development of the consumer ethnocentrism concept. This study looks into the concept of consumer ethnocentrism (CE) and its relationship with product selection and investigates the relationships between consumer ethnocentrism and South African consumers’ attitudes towards foreign convenience products. The aim of the study is to determine the extent to which CE affects consumer behavior among South African consumers. Through the use of the CETSCALE questionnaire, an analysis of the levels of consumer ethnocentrism displayed by consumers of different demographic characteristics is conducted. A research model highlighting the antecedents to consumer ethnocentrism is developed and tested using an Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) test. The study is in the form of a descriptive survey. 500 questionnaires are distributed, with 476 useable questionnaires being obtained. SPSS 21.0 is used to analyze the data. Non parametric tests are used as the data was not normally distributed using a Kolmogorov Smirnov test. The research hypotheses were tested using a nonparametric Chi square test. The Pearson chi-square test is used to test for the existence of variances within the responses provided by the respondents to individual question. The study reveals that only ethnicity has a significant relationship with CE. Ethnocentric tendencies are the strongest among Black South Africans. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are presented with the provision of suggestions regarding future research.