Antecedents and consequences of consumer ethnocentrism: evidence from South Africa

Purpose - Despite today’s globalised business world, there is a dearth of knowledge on the influence of consumer ethnocentrism on the purchasing behaviour of consumers in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer ethnocentrism, its antecedents and consequences in a developing country (South Africa) and makes recommendations to firms wishing to do business in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach - The study was conducted among a national sample of South African respondents using a structured questionnaire. The study is unique in that two samples were used, a sample of white and a sample of black respondents. By using two ethnically diverse samples, it was possible to investigate whether there are similarities and/or differences in terms of consumer ethnocentrism, its antecedents and consequences among two major ethnic groups in South Africa. Findings - The findings suggest that the antecedents of cultural openness, patriotism, individualism and a history of oppression influence consumer ethnocentrism among both black and white South Africans. It was further established that the antecedent nationalism exerts an influence on consumer ethnocentrism among white South African consumers, but not among black South African consumers. Practical implications - The results of the study are of value for South African firms as well as those further afield, when developing marketing strategies for the diverse consumer market in South Africa. Originality/value - This study adds to the existing body of knowledge on consumer ethnocentrism in an emerging market, and more specifically, among different ethnic groups in the same country.