Cross-country differences in consumer cosmopolitanism and ethnocentrism: A multilevel analysis with 21 countries

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the country-level antecedents of cross-country differences in consumer cosmopolitanism and consumer ethnocentrism (CET) using samples from 21 nations. Country-level antecedents have not been examined extensively in the past, in spite of their importance in understanding consumer behavior across countries. Specifically, we perform a multilevel analysis with various country-level cultural and economic antecedents as between-country factors and individual-level demographics as within-country covariates. Our findings show that the level of consumer cosmopolitanism in a country is related to several country-level factors. It was found to be high in more individualistic, less masculine, and high-uncertainty-avoidance cultures; developing countries; and countries with trade surpluses. On the other hand, CET had a high level in economically open countries. In addition, CET was higher among older consumers across countries.