Why do Chinese people prefer domestic products: the role of consumer ethnocentrism, social norms and national identity
Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics
ISSN: 1355-5855
Article publication date: 1 May 2023
Issue publication date: 16 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to find out the reasons why Chinese people prefer domestic products. The authors examine the effect of consumer ethnocentrism (CE), social norms (SNs) and national identity (NI) on willingness to buy (WTB) domestic products in two time points and test the product category differences and age group differences.
Design/methodology/approach
Two survey studies (n1 = 314; n2 = 346) were conducted in China in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The authors measured CE, SNs, NI and WTB domestic products in both studies and WTB four categories of products in study 2. Multiple hierarchical linear regression was conducted to test the hypotheses.
Findings
In study 1, the authors found that SNs and NI significantly predicted WTB domestic products, but CE did not. In study 2, the authors found that all three indicators significantly predicted WTB domestic products. CE played a significant and consistent role in different product categories, while SNs and NI had inconsistent effects. NI predicted WTB domestic products for younger people but not for older people.
Originality/value
This research is the first to examine CE, SNs and NI in the same study and the first to explore the role of SNs and NI in WTB domestic products in China. It promotes the understanding of CE and other related factors, increases the knowledge of Chinese consumers’ purchasing behavior and indicates the power of the situation. Practical implications are also discussed.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Sizhe Zhou for his research assistance.
Citation
Jia, Q., Chen, R., Zuo, Y., Liu, R., Gong, R., Huang, L., Chen, C. and Xue, B. (2023), "Why do Chinese people prefer domestic products: the role of consumer ethnocentrism, social norms and national identity", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 35 No. 10, pp. 2582-2598. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-08-2022-0718
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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