Key Factors Determining the Ethnocentric Tendencies of Consumers in Serbia

Abstract

Ethnocentric behaviour of consumers is related to the attitude and intentions of consumers when deciding upon purchasing a product, i.e., it is such a kind of behaviour which implies giving priority to purchasing domestic rather than foreign products. The results of a large number of studies show that not all consumers are equally ethnocentric. Therefore, it is of utmost significance to realize that consumers rely on various signals and make different decisions depending on their inclinations towards consumer ethnocentrism. The aim of this paper is to examine the influence and interaction of demographic characteristics of respondents in Serbia on consumer ethnocentrism. Several statistical techniques that provided support during the testing of research hypotheses have been applied in the preparation of this paper. We used nonparametric techniques (Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test). The results indicate that men are more ethnocentric than women, as well as persons with lower level of education than those with higher level of education. Also, the results have shown that respondents who achieve the highest level of income are not ethnocentric in the least. In addition, it has been established that there is no statistically significant impact of the criteria of the year on the level of consumer ethnocentrism. The research results provide useful information for marketers and managers of companies that currently operate or are planning to enter Serbian market in the forthcoming period. Another great benefit is reflected in the fact that these results draw the managers’ attention to the fact which consumer groups are the most ethnocentric and thus allow the creation of high quality strategies.