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In contrast to the abundance of research on brand- and consumer-related determinants of global/local brand preference, little is known about whether and how the product category affects consumer choices between local and global brands. Drawing from schema theory, the authors (1) argue that consumers rely on their product category schemata to form perceptions of global versus local brand superiority, (2) introduce a compact scale to measure these perceptions, and (3) identify the key antecedents and consequences of these perceptions. Two studies in developed and emerging markets empirically support the hypotheses across multiple product categories, for both real and fictitious brands. The results indicate that consumers perceive global brands as superior to local brands in product categories with strong functional character and extensive symbolic capacity. Moreover, brands congruent with category superiority perceptions are preferred because of their justifiability, while brands that deviate from these perceptions are avoided because of their proneness to normative criticism. The findings imply that global/local brand preference is largely formed at the product category level and advocate for the use of category-specific strategies in global/local brand management.

Consumers' preferences for domestic over imported products have been investigated in various isolated studies, but never in a single model incorporating several in-group and out-group consumer orientations at the same time. Building on social identity theory, this study develops and tests—in two countries—a conceptual model that assesses the relative influence of consumer ethnocentrism, national identity, and consumer cosmopolitanism on consumers' product judgments and willingness to buy domestic and foreign products. Furthermore, the study develops an empirically based typology of consumer segments using these sociopsychological traits and subsequently profiles them on consumptionrelevant variables. The findings reveal several undiscovered patterns regarding the interplay of consumer ethnocentrism, national identity, and consumer cosmopolitanism as drivers of consumer behavior and offer managerial guidance on their relevance as segmentation variables.

Research has long established the existence of a global brand halo that benefits global brands by triggering “global equals better” inferences by consumers. Nevertheless, little is known about the conditions under which this halo may or may not be used or about whether and, if so, how it can situationally fade. Drawing from regret theory, the authors posit that anticipating regret can conditionally both attenuate and accentuate consumers’ use of the global brand halo and develop a serial conditional process model to explain the mechanism underlying regret’s influence. The results of two experimental studies show that anticipated regret affects global brand halo use—and subsequently relative preference for global or local brands—by increasing consumers’ need to justify their purchase decision. Whether and how consumers will use the global brand halo depends on consumers’ product category schema, while the intensity of the halo’s use depends on consumers’ maximization tendency. The findings offer a decision-theory perspective on the competition between global and local brands and empirically based advice on managerial interventions that can influence global or local brand market shares.

International marketing research has shown vivid interest in consumers' positive dispositions toward foreign countries and globalization. Motivated by the aim to segment international consumer markets, the literature has introduced and adopted a plethora of constructs and measurement instruments to capture such dispositions. However, the current state of literature is problematic because of an unsorted range of constructs with overlapping conceptualizations, diverse operationalizations, and fragmented empirical findings regarding the impact of these constructs on consumer responses. Consequently, making an informed choice on which construct(s) to employ in substantive research (and why) is extremely difficult. This article aims to advance the international marketing literature by (1) developing a conceptual taxonomy of constructs of positive consumer dispositions that highlights their similarities and unique features; (2) undertaking a comprehensive review of the relevant conceptualizations and operationalizations; and (3) providing guidance for further research on positive dispositions, including antecedents, response variables, and potential mediating and moderating influences. To move substantive research in this field further, this article also proposes a research framework that comprises antecedents, causal sequences of dispositions, effects on consumer response variables, and potential boundary conditions.

Mounting empirical evidence shows that consumers often associate brands with the wrong country of origin (COO) or are unable to classify a brand to any COO. In this study, the authors investigate the consequences of brand origin misclassification and nonclassification on consumers' brand image evaluations and associated purchase intentions. Drawing from categorization theory, the authors test hypotheses regarding the impact of brand strength and COO image on misclassification gains and losses on a sample of U.K. consumers. The results show that both misclassification and nonclassification have mostly adverse consequences on both brand evaluations and purchase intentions. The findings further show that strong brands are not immune to misclassification and stress the importance of ensuring that consumers are aware of a brand's true COO.

Although prior research is congested with constructs intended to capture consumers’ dispositions toward globalization and global/local products, their effects appear to replicate with difficulty, and little is known about the underlying theoretical mechanisms. This investigation revisits the relationship between prominent consumer dispositions (consumer ethnocentrism, cosmopolitanism, global/local identity, globalization attitude) and perceived brand globalness as determinants of consumer responses to global brands. Drawing on selective perception and social identity theories, the authors consider several theory-based model specifications that reflect alternative mechanisms through which key consumer dispositions relate to brand globalness and affect important brand-related outcomes. By employing a flexible model that simultaneously accounts for moderating, mediating, conditional, and direct effects, we empirically test these rival model specifications. A meta-analysis of 264 effect sizes obtained from 13 studies with 23 unique data sets and a total sample of 1,410 consumers raises concerns regarding the (potentially overstated) utility of consumer dispositions for explaining consumer responses to global brands. It also reveals a need for further conceptual contemplation of their function in international consumer research and managerial practice.

One of the oldest concerns of international marketers is whether the \"foreignness\" of a product will make it less preferable to consumers in different countries. This study uses a multidimensional unfolding approach to examine the preference patterns of UK consumers for domestic products and those originating from specific foreign countries for eight product categories. Results indicate that the observed variability in preferences is linked to consumer ethnocentrism. However, the latter's capability in explaining consumer bias in favor of domestic products is dependent both on the specific country of origin and the particular product category. Implications of the findings are considered and future research directions identified.

Formatively measured constructs have been increasingly used in information systems research. With few exceptions, however, extant studies have been relying on the partial least squares (PLS) approach to specify and estimate structural models involving constructs measured with formative indicators. This paper highlights the benefits of employing covariance structure analysis (CSA) when investigating such models and illustrates its application with the LISREL program. The aim is to provide practicing IS researchers with an understanding of key issues and potential problems associated with formatively measured constructs within a covariance-based modeling framework and encourage them to consider using CSA in their future research endeavors. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Purpose Drawing from the entitativity theory, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the European Union (EU) as a superordinate entity and investigate the extent to which a “Made-in-EU” designation leads to superior/inferior brand evaluations and through them to higher/lower purchase intentions than different country-specific designations. Design/methodology/approach Prior literature and qualitative interviews with consumers are used to generate several propositions regarding the role of the EU as a brand origin. These are subsequently tested in a series of four experimental studies using a common design but different country-specific origins as stimuli. Findings While a “Made-in-EU” designation is interpreted as a quality signal, linking a brand to the EU fails to generate positive affective associations. Furthermore, the exact impact of a “Made-in-EU” brand designation very much depends on the standard of comparison, that is, the specific country against which the EU is evaluated. Research limitations/implications Superordinate designations such as the EU can indeed represent distinct entities in consumers’ minds which strongly impact their perceptions and intended behavior. Practical implications Moving from a “home country” label to a “Made-in-EU” label is not advisable for owners of domestic brands. For foreign brands from EU countries with an unfavorable country image, adopting a “Made-in-EU” label is worth considering since it can strengthen quality perceptions. However, any quality advantage might be offset by weaker brand affect perceptions. Originality/value The concept of entitativity introduces a new conceptual lens in the context of origin research which – almost exclusively – has previously focused on the individual country as the unit of analysis.

Drawing from negativity bias, fading affect bias, and ambivalence literature, we provide evidence that consumer nostalgia acts as a countervailing force to consumer animosity in historically connected markets (HCMs), that is, trading countries that previously were part of the same country but are now independent. For both Soviet-era and (new) Russian brands, our findings show that nostalgia can compensate for the negative effects of animosity on product judgment and product ownership in HCMs characterized by intense negative past events (Lithuania). In contrast, in HCMs experiencing current/recent negative events (Ukraine) animosity is a stronger predictor of product judgment and ownership than nostalgia. Importantly, in both HCM settings, consumer ethnocentrism only plays a minor role when both nostalgia and animosity are simultaneously considered as predictors in the model. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are considered and future research directions are identified.