A research on the antecedents of poli̇ti̇cal consumer behavi̇ors

Today's consumers consume to satisfy their needs, in addition, they depend their choices on supporting or controlling the activities of businesses for different reasons. As citizens, consumers can affect political parties with their votes in elections. They can affect businesses in the same way with their economic power. Consumers may punish or reward businesses, brands, products or governments through their practices in purchasing phase. Research on the effects of consumer preferences in this phase is worth to study. In this study, the definition of political behaviour has been made to analyse consumer's political behaviours, and determinants within literature are reviewed. It is found out that political consumer behaviour is affected by ethical values, environmental values, political efficacy, post-materialism, and confidence in businesses and market operators. In addition to perspectives in the literature, ethnocentric values for Turkish consumers are considered to be determinant for political consumer behaviours. Uniqueness of this study also lies in communication through word of mouth (WOM). WOM is informal human communication of a product or business between a non-commercial informer and a recipient. Thus, it was thought that WOM could be a mediator variable between determinants and boycott and buycott. In this study, the effects of determinants on boycott and buycott, and whether WOM is a mediator between determinants and boycott and buycott has been analysed. A research model has been developed between independent variables, means and dependant variables to show the relations between them. A questionnaire form is then developed to collect data needed for testing the relations within the models and related hypotheses. 888 questionnaires obtained from the consumers have been analysed. Structural model test has been made, and definitive statistics through obtained data, reliability analysis with confirmatory factor analysis has been carried out. After assessment of study findings, no effect of ethnocentric values, which is not studied before in the literature, on boycott or buycott has been found. However, ethical values and political efficacy have direct impact on boycott and buycott. When the mediator variable, which makes this study unique, is included in the model, together with ethical values and political efficacy, WOM serves as an intermediary to tendency to boycott and buycott. Since WOM is an important variable on consumer's political behaviour and has meaningful relations with determinants, this topic is seen as an important factor in studying political consumerism. Keywords: Boycott, Buycott, Political Consumer Behaviour, Ethnocentrism, Word Of Mouth