This diploma thesis investigates the impact of consumer ethnocentrism and consumer cosmopolitanism on consumption behaviour. For this purpose the confirmed CETSCALE was applied however given the insufficient psychometric properties of the existing consumer cosmopolitanism scale, the need arose to develop a new measure of consumer cosmopolitanism. Accordingly, first the concept of cosmopolitanism is introduced. A cosmopolitan consumer is defined as being an open-minded individual whose consumption orientation transcends any particular culture, locality or community and who appreciates diversity including trying products and services from a variety of countries. A corresponding measure, the consumer cosmopolitanism scale, is formulated and validated. Following assessments of the scale’s structure, an extensive empirical study provides support for the consumer cosmopolitanism scale’s reliability, content and construct validity. A series of nomological validity tests show consumer cosmopolitanism to be moderately predictive of theoretically related constructs. Managerial implications of these findings are considered and future research directions are identified.
Table of contents
I. Introduction
II. A literature review of consumer ethnocentrism
II.1. The concept of consumer ethnocentrism
II.1.1. Ethnocentrism
II.1.2. Consumer ethnocentrism
II.1.3. Related constructs
II.2. The measurement of consumer ethnocentrism:
the CETSCALE
II.2.1. Construction of the CETSCALE
II.2.2. Psychometric properties
II.2.3. Cross-national assessment of the CETSCALE
II.2.4. The impact of consumer ethnocentrism on buying behaviour
II.2.5. Antecedents of consumer ethnocentrism
III. A literature review of consumer cosmopolitanism
III.1. The concept of cosmopolitanism
III.1.1. Definitions of cosmopolitanism
III.1.2. Conceptualizations of cosmopolitanism
III.1.3. Related concepts
III.2. The measurement of cosmopolitanism
III.3. The concept of consumer cosmopolitanism
III.3.1. Cosmopolitanism and consumer behaviour
III.3.2. Definitions of consumer cosmopolitanism
III.3.3. Conceptualization of consumer cosmopolitanism
III.4. The measurement of consumer cosmopolitanism: the CYMYC scale
III.4.1. Empirical studies on consumer cosmopolitanism
III.4.2. The need for a new scale
III.5. Summary of findings
IV. The new consumer cosmopolitanism scale
IV.1. Scale development
IV.2. Construct definition and domain of content
IV.2.1. Construct of consumer cosmopolitanism
IV.2.2. Conceptual dimensions
IV.2.3. Dimensionality
IV.2.4. Definition of consumer cosmopolitanism
IV.2.5. Conceptualization of cosmopolitanism and localism
IV.2.6. Validation items and the nomological network
IV.2.7. Indicators
IV.3. Item pool generation
IV.3.1. Domain sampling and generation of the item pool
IV.4. Response format
IV.5. Expert screening
V. Empirical study on consumer cosmopolitanism
V.1. Measures
V.2. Prestudy
V.3. Sample description
V.3.1. Sample size
V.3.2. Sample description
V.4. Analysis
V.4.1. Item analysis
V.4.2. Exploratory Factor analysis
V.4.3. Reliability analysis
V.4.4. Validity assessment
V.5. Concluding remarks
VI. Conclusion
VI.1. Summary
VI.2. Conclusion
VI.3. Future Research
Objectives & Core Topics
This thesis investigates the influence of consumer ethnocentrism and consumer cosmopolitanism on individual consumption behaviour. The central research question explores how these two cultural identities affect the decision-making process between domestic and foreign products, specifically looking at whether ideological frames influence product evaluation and purchase intentions.
- The theoretical exploration and measurement of consumer ethnocentrism, particularly through the CETSCALE.
- The conceptualization and definition of consumer cosmopolitanism in the context of marketing.
- A critical evaluation of existing measurement instruments (specifically the CYMYC scale).
- The methodological development and empirical validation of a new consumer cosmopolitanism scale.
- The relationship between cultural identities, product perception, and purchase behaviour.
Excerpt from the book
The conceptualization of cosmopolitanism in socio-cultural research
Considerable effort has been dedicated to the conceptualization of cosmopolitanism in the field of socio-cultural research. Hannerz (1990) proposed the constituting conceptualization which has subsequently been criticized and amplified by various authors (Werbner 1999; Urry 2000; Turner 2002; Beck 2002, 2004; Roudomethof 2005)
Ulf Hannerz’s (1990) discussion about cosmopolitanism is of particular interest, in that it offers some penetrating and subtle insights into the concept of the cosmopolitan as a sort of „ideal type“, whilst at the same time implicitly introducing some of the ideological problems with the idea21. He stuck to the bipolar distinction of cosmopolitan and local as he argued that people can relate to the globalization process in broadly two ways – as cosmopolitans or locals. He perceived locals as individuals whose cultural perspective always remains constrained to the horizon of their particular locality, while cosmopolitans are “footloose” people, “on the move in the world”, who “tend to want to immerse themselves in other cultures” (Hannerz 1990, p.240f). Thus, cosmopolitanism as a cultural perspective, is “first of all a willingness to engage with the other. It is an intellectual and aesthetic stance of openness toward divergent cultural experiences, a search for contrasts rather than uniformity.”(Hannerz 1990, p.240f)
Hannerz (1990) proceeded to distinguish true cosmopolitans from other groups of global mobile people, i.e. tourists, exiles, expatriates, transnational employees and labour migrants, who he perceives as lacking this central cultural disposition. For instance, he viewed common tourists as remaining locals at heart searching “home plus” (Hannerz 1990, p.241), thus tourists are in search for adventurous experience whilst retaining their local references, whereas cosmopolitans strive for immersion and participation in the authentic cultural environment.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: This chapter defines the theoretical background of cultural tendencies like ethnocentrism and cosmopolitanism within the context of global consumption and outlines the objectives of the thesis.
II. A literature review of consumer ethnocentrism: This section reviews the definition and measurement of consumer ethnocentrism, specifically assessing the psychometric validity of the CETSCALE.
III. A literature review of consumer cosmopolitanism: This chapter covers the definitions and various conceptualizations of cosmopolitanism in sociology and marketing, identifying shortcomings in existing scales like the CYMYC.
IV. The new consumer cosmopolitanism scale: This part details the methodological development of a new measurement instrument for consumer cosmopolitanism, from content definition to item pool generation.
V. Empirical study on consumer cosmopolitanism: This section presents the empirical validation of the new scale, including sample descriptions, item analysis, factor analysis, and reliability testing.
VI. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the research findings, offers managerial implications, and identifies directions for future academic research.
Keywords
Consumer Ethnocentrism, Consumer Cosmopolitanism, CETSCALE, CYMYC Scale, Consumption Behaviour, Marketing, Psychometrics, Scale Development, Cultural Identity, Globalisation, Localism, National Identity, Empirical Validation, Construct Validity, Consumer Research.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The work primarily focuses on empirically investigating two key antecedents of consumption behaviour: consumer ethnocentrism and consumer cosmopolitanism, and their impact on how consumers evaluate and choose between domestic and foreign products.
What are the central thematic fields?
The central themes include the construction and validation of psychometric scales in marketing, the cross-national application of these scales, and the influence of cultural identity on value-driven consumption patterns.
What is the main goal or research question?
The main goal is to address the psychometric weaknesses of existing cosmopolitanism scales and to develop a new, valid, and reliable instrument for measuring consumer cosmopolitanism.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The thesis utilizes quantitative research methods, including literature review, scale development procedures (DeVellis guidelines), surveys with international alumni samples, and complex statistical analyses such as Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Cronbach's alpha for reliability, and regression analysis for validity assessment.
What is covered in the main body?
The main body reviews existing literature on ethnocentrism and cosmopolitanism, critiques the CYMYC scale, details the step-by-step development of a new cosmopolitanism scale, and presents the empirical results of the study conducted at the University of Vienna.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include consumer ethnocentrism, consumer cosmopolitanism, CETSCALE, psychometrics, scale development, global culture, domestic vs. foreign product choice, and empirical validation.
What are the identified problems with the existing CYMYC scale?
The thesis highlights that the CYMYC scale suffers from poor psychometric properties, specifically issues with content validity, dimensionality, and inconsistent reliability across different cultural settings.
What does the empirical analysis conclude about cosmopolitanism's influence on domestic consumption?
The empirical findings suggest that consumer cosmopolitanism does not significantly bias a consumer's approach to domestic products, confirming that cosmopolitan traits do not inherently discount domestic goods, unlike ethnocentric tendencies.
- Quote paper
- Barbara Egger (Author), 2006, The impact of consumer ethnocentrism and consumer cosmopolitanism on consumption behaviour, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/112000
