Purchasing foreign products may be viewed as improper because it costs domestic jobs and hurts the economy.
Consumer ethnocentrism gives individuals an understanding of what purchases are acceptable to the in-group, as well as feelings of identity and belonging.
Brodowsky suggests that understanding consumer ethnocentrism is critical for knowing the country of origin effects.
Consumers who tend to be less ethnocentric are those who are young, those who are male, those who are better educated, and those with higher income levels (Balabanis et al., 2001; Good & Huddleston, 1995; Sharma et al., 1995).
This, it was theorized, was due to Turkey's collectivist culture, with patriotism being an important expression of loyalty to the group.
In the more individualistic Czech Republic, feelings of nationalism based on a sense of superiority and dominance appeared to provide the most important contribution to consumer ethnocentrism.
Netemeyer et al. surveyed students in the U.S., France, Japan, and West Germany and compared the results.