Effect of ethnocentrism, country of origin and perceived quality on the purchase intentions of Namibian consumers

Abstract

Globalization, the internet, and the internet of things has removed numerous physical country boundaries that previously restricted trade and access to foreign goods and services. Brands are no longer restricted to local competitors, but rather to an array of local, regional, and international competitors. This means that local brands are in direct competition only with local brands, but also with international brands. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between consumer ethnocentrism, country of origin, perceived quality, and their relative impact on the purchase intentions of Namibian consumers. Although numerous studies have been conducted on the subject matter, this area of knowledge is still at its infancy in the Sub- Saharan context. This study was a quantitative study. The questionnaire was adopted from previous studies relating to the constructs, was structured and un-disguised. Due to the risk of COVID and COVID restrictions, data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire using the Qualtrics online survey platform. A total of 367 questionnaires were collected. Data was analysed using structural equation modelling and multiple regression. The four hypotheses tested confirmed the relationship between the constructs. The strongest relationship is the one between country of origin and perceived quality. The study contributes to the literature and theoretical knowledge on consumer purchase intentions in the developing nation context. Findings from this study can be applied to similar studies in developing markets. For consumers, the relationship between local and imported products are not mutually exclusive. For managers, the study confirmed the importance that quality and quality ques have on purchase intentions.