The impact of consumer ethnocentrism and consumer cosmopolitanism on consumption behaviour

Table of contents

I. Introduction

II. A literature review of consumer ethnocentrism

II.1. The concept of consumer ethnocentrism

II.1.1. Ethnocentrism

II.1.2. Consumer ethnocentrism

II.1.3. Related constructs

II.2. The measurement of consumer ethnocentrism:

the CETSCALE

II.2.1. Construction of the CETSCALE

II.2.2. Psychometric properties

II.2.3. Cross-national assessment of the CETSCALE

II.2.4. The impact of consumer ethnocentrism on buying behaviour

II.2.5. Antecedents of consumer ethnocentrism

III. A literature review of consumer cosmopolitanism

III.1. The concept of cosmopolitanism

III.1.1. Definitions of cosmopolitanism

III.1.2. Conceptualizations of cosmopolitanism

III.1.3. Related concepts

III.2. The measurement of cosmopolitanism

III.3. The concept of consumer cosmopolitanism

III.3.1. Cosmopolitanism and consumer behaviour

III.3.2. Definitions of consumer cosmopolitanism

III.3.3. Conceptualization of consumer cosmopolitanism

III.4. The measurement of consumer cosmopolitanism: the CYMYC scale

III.4.1. Empirical studies on consumer cosmopolitanism

III.4.2. The need for a new scale

III.5. Summary of findings

IV. The new consumer cosmopolitanism scale

IV.1. Scale development

IV.2. Construct definition and domain of content

IV.2.1. Construct of consumer cosmopolitanism

IV.2.2. Conceptual dimensions

IV.2.3. Dimensionality

IV.2.4. Definition of consumer cosmopolitanism

IV.2.5. Conceptualization of cosmopolitanism and localism

IV.2.6. Validation items and the nomological network

IV.2.7. Indicators

IV.3. Item pool generation

IV.3.1. Domain sampling and generation of the item pool

IV.4. Response format

IV.5. Expert screening

V. Empirical study on consumer cosmopolitanism

V.1. Measures

V.2. Prestudy

V.3. Sample description

V.3.1. Sample size

V.3.2. Sample description

V.4. Analysis

V.4.1. Item analysis

V.4.2. Exploratory Factor analysis

V.4.3. Reliability analysis

V.4.4. Validity assessment

V.5. Concluding remarks

VI. Conclusion

VI.1. Summary

VI.2. Conclusion

VI.3. Future Research

Objectives & Core Topics

This thesis investigates the influence of consumer ethnocentrism and consumer cosmopolitanism on individual consumption behaviour. The central research question explores how these two cultural identities affect the decision-making process between domestic and foreign products, specifically looking at whether ideological frames influence product evaluation and purchase intentions.

• The theoretical exploration and measurement of consumer ethnocentrism, particularly through the CETSCALE.
• The conceptualization and definition of consumer cosmopolitanism in the context of marketing.
• A critical evaluation of existing measurement instruments (specifically the CYMYC scale).
• The methodological development and empirical validation of a new consumer cosmopolitanism scale.
• The relationship between cultural identities, product perception, and purchase behaviour.

Excerpt from the book

Summary of Chapters

I. Introduction: This chapter defines the theoretical background of cultural tendencies like ethnocentrism and cosmopolitanism within the context of global consumption and outlines the objectives of the thesis.

II. A literature review of consumer ethnocentrism: This section reviews the definition and measurement of consumer ethnocentrism, specifically assessing the psychometric validity of the CETSCALE.

III. A literature review of consumer cosmopolitanism: This chapter covers the definitions and various conceptualizations of cosmopolitanism in sociology and marketing, identifying shortcomings in existing scales like the CYMYC.

IV. The new consumer cosmopolitanism scale: This part details the methodological development of a new measurement instrument for consumer cosmopolitanism, from content definition to item pool generation.

V. Empirical study on consumer cosmopolitanism: This section presents the empirical validation of the new scale, including sample descriptions, item analysis, factor analysis, and reliability testing.

VI. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the research findings, offers managerial implications, and identifies directions for future academic research.

Keywords

Consumer Ethnocentrism, Consumer Cosmopolitanism, CETSCALE, CYMYC Scale, Consumption Behaviour, Marketing, Psychometrics, Scale Development, Cultural Identity, Globalisation, Localism, National Identity, Empirical Validation, Construct Validity, Consumer Research.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary focus of this research?

The work primarily focuses on empirically investigating two key antecedents of consumption behaviour: consumer ethnocentrism and consumer cosmopolitanism, and their impact on how consumers evaluate and choose between domestic and foreign products.

What are the central thematic fields?

The central themes include the construction and validation of psychometric scales in marketing, the cross-national application of these scales, and the influence of cultural identity on value-driven consumption patterns.

What is the main goal or research question?

The main goal is to address the psychometric weaknesses of existing cosmopolitanism scales and to develop a new, valid, and reliable instrument for measuring consumer cosmopolitanism.

Which scientific methods are employed?

The thesis utilizes quantitative research methods, including literature review, scale development procedures (DeVellis guidelines), surveys with international alumni samples, and complex statistical analyses such as Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Cronbach's alpha for reliability, and regression analysis for validity assessment.

What is covered in the main body?

The main body reviews existing literature on ethnocentrism and cosmopolitanism, critiques the CYMYC scale, details the step-by-step development of a new cosmopolitanism scale, and presents the empirical results of the study conducted at the University of Vienna.

Which keywords characterize this work?

Key terms include consumer ethnocentrism, consumer cosmopolitanism, CETSCALE, psychometrics, scale development, global culture, domestic vs. foreign product choice, and empirical validation.

What are the identified problems with the existing CYMYC scale?

The thesis highlights that the CYMYC scale suffers from poor psychometric properties, specifically issues with content validity, dimensionality, and inconsistent reliability across different cultural settings.

What does the empirical analysis conclude about cosmopolitanism's influence on domestic consumption?

The empirical findings suggest that consumer cosmopolitanism does not significantly bias a consumer's approach to domestic products, confirming that cosmopolitan traits do not inherently discount domestic goods, unlike ethnocentric tendencies.