The Impact of Attitudes Toward Foreign Products on Purchase Intention with the Moderating Role of Consumer Ethnocentrism: A Study in International Marketing
Keywords:
Consumer ethnocentrism, attitudes toward foreign products, purchase intention, international marketingAbstract
The present study was conducted with the aim of examining the impact of attitudes toward foreign products on the purchase intention of Iranian consumers and explaining the moderating role of consumer ethnocentrism in this relationship. This study was carried out within the framework of a descriptive-survey correlational design using a quantitative approach. The statistical population consisted of all undergraduate students at public and Islamic Azad universities in Tehran, who, as representatives of Generation Z, possessed extensive familiarity with global brands and continuous experience in making decisions between domestic and foreign products. Among them, 387 participants were selected through convenience sampling. The data collection instrument was a composite questionnaire consisting of three standardized scales, including the 14-item version of the CETSCALE for measuring ethnocentrism, a 5-item questionnaire assessing attitudes toward foreign products, and a 3-item purchase intention questionnaire, all of which had previously been validated in Iran. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS version 3. The findings indicated that attitudes toward foreign products had a positive, strong, and significant effect on purchase intention (β = 0.561, t = 9.845, p < 0.001). Furthermore, consumer ethnocentrism significantly moderated this relationship (β = -0.247, t = 2.816, p < 0.01), such that increasing levels of ethnocentrism weakened the effect of positive attitudes on purchase intention. Simple slope analysis revealed that at low levels of ethnocentrism, the coefficient of the effect of attitudes on purchase intention was 0.708, whereas at high levels of ethnocentrism, this coefficient decreased to 0.414. The model fit indices (SRMR = 0.058, R² = 0.456, Q² = 0.338) indicated satisfactory model fit and acceptable predictive capability. The findings of the present study, while confirming the theories of reasoned action and social identity, demonstrate that even among the seemingly cosmopolitan Generation Z, ethnocentrism can alter the pathway from attitudes to purchase intention. These findings provide important implications for international marketing managers and policymakers supporting domestic production.
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