The role of personal cultural orientation in consumer ethnocentrism among Indian consumers

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of personal cultural orientation variables as antecedents of ethnocentric tendencies of Indian consumers. The impact of ethnocentric tendencies on attitudes toward both foreign and domestic products and services is also investigated. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected by means of a pen-and-paper survey from 800 Indian consumers using a geographical cluster sampling method. A structural equation modeling approach was employed to analyze the data. Findings – The findings suggest that Indian consumers with high ethnocentric tendencies prefer domestic product/service while those with low ethnocentric tendencies prefer foreign product/service. Ethnocentrism is influenced by personal cultural orientations of Indian consumers (i.e. collectivism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance). Practical implications – The results reveal that both domestic and foreign marketers need to pay attention to personal cultural orientation in order to understand their customer's ethnocentricity. This could lead to development of better strategies as ethnocentrism has a direct impact on attitudes toward their products/services. Originality/value – This study contributes to the limited literature on the ethnocentric tendencies of Indian consumers.