THE INFLUENCE OF ETHNOCENTRICITY IN PURCHASE BEHAVIOR AND ETHNOCENTRIC ATTITUDES

Abstract

This research examines the effect of Consumer Ethnocentricity (CE) under conditions of persistent financial crisis. The conceptual underpinnings of CE imply that consumers, at least some, respond to foreign goods negatively based on the idea of preserving the domestic economy. Thus, it would logically follow that when the economy is in recession or crisis, this phenomenon might be exaggerated. Spain is one of the areas most affected by the global economic crisis, and within this country, young students have been among the hardest hit. There are four hypotheses: H1a: Ethnocentric attitudes of consumers have a positive effect on Domestic Purchase Behavior; H1b: Ethnocentric attitudes of consumers have a negative effect on Foreign Purchase Behavior; H2: National Identification has a positive effect on Ethnocentricity; H3: Cosmopolitanism has a negative effect on Ethnocentricity. Hypotheses H1a, H1b, and H2 are supported while H3 is not supported.