Date of Award

2-2010

Thesis Type

PhD

Document Type

Thesis

Divisions

Faculty of Business and Economics (formally known as Faculty of Business and Accountancy)

Institution

Universiti Malaya

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to examine the negative attitudes of Malaysian Muslim consumers towards US made products. The conceptual model for this study was adapted from the model developed by Klein, Ettenson and Morris (1998). In their model, two sources of negative attitudes towards foreign made products were included, i.e., consumer animosity and consumer ethnocentrism. However, this study integrated another source of negative attitude, i.e., patriotism. The framework of this study suggests that consumer animosity, consumer ethnocentrism and patriotism will negatively influence the judgment of US made products and, subsequently, their purchase willingness and purchase action. Also, product judgment may mediate the negative attitudes of consumers on the purchase willingness and purchase action of US made products. Furthermore, the role of Muslim religiosity as a predictor for consumer animosity, consumer ethnocentrism and patriotism is also examined. Generally, this study examines the effects of animosity between Malaysians and the US, which is not caused by war or major economic dispute between the two nations, but due to the involvement of the US in other Muslim countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. Thus, indirect animosity is suggested. Using the drop-off/pick-up technique, which used a self-administered questionnaire, a survey was conducted in four major geographical areas in Peninsular Malaysia, i.e., Northern, Southern, Central and East Coast. In total, 1,000 questionnaires were distributed, 710 were received back within the period of twelve weeks. However, only 663 of the respondents completed all the questions. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the 12 hypotheses of this study, including the mediating affects of product judgment on the relationship between consumer animosity, consumer ethnocentrism and patriotism with purchase willingness and purchase action of US made products. The results indicated that Muslim religiosity is significantly related with patriotism and partially related with consumer animosity and consumer ethnocentrism. Furthermore, consumer ethnocentrism was found to significantly affect the respondents’ judgment of US made products. Furthermore, the results also revealed that US product judgment can significantly mediate the relationship between economic animosity and consumer ethnocentrism with purchase willingness and purchase action. This study makes theoretical, methodological and practical contributions, especially on the role of product judgment as a mediator and Muslim religiosity as a predictor of consumer animosity, consumer ethnocentrism and patriotism. It also contributed in terms of the development of constructs measurement. Furthermore, this study also identifies some important implications for marketers and retailers of US made products with regards to the negative attitudes of Malaysian Muslim consumers arising from animosity, ethnocentric tendencies and patriotic emotions. Perhaps, the demographic profile of these consumers will help marketers to segment the market and focus on the right segments to sell their products as well as to formulate appropriate marketing strategies.

Initial

khm

Additional Information

Thesis (PhD) – Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya, 2010.

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