Examining the relationship between consumer ethnocentrism, country of origin perception, consumer animosity and purchase intention

The development of international markets has enabled consumers to access foreign made products more easily. While choosing between wide variety of product alternatives in the market-place, attitudes and behaviors towards foreign made products can be influenced by many factors such as economical, social, cultural and psychological etc. This study aims to examine the effects of consumers' ethnocentric tendencies, country of origin perceptions, feelings of animosity on foreign made product judgements and purchase intentions in terms of three countries which they see as a friend nation, they see as a target of animosity and they approach neutrally. In this study it was also examined whether consumers' animosity feelings, country of origin perceptions, product judgements and purchase intentions differ towards the three countries. The research results show that country of origin perception is the most effective variable on consumers' foreign product judgements and purchase intentions for the three countries; consumer ethnocentrism is effective on purchase intention only for the country which consumers see as a target of animosity; consumer animosity is effective on product judgements and purchase intentions for the country which consumers see as a friend nation; consumer animosity is also effective on product judgements for the country which consumers approach neutrally. The findings also show that consumers' feelings of animosity, country of origin perceptions, product judgements and purchase intentions differ towards the three countries.