Citation
(2014), "Executive summary of “Extended self: implications for country-of-origin”", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 31 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-05-2014-0991
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Executive summary of “Extended self: implications for country-of-origin”
Article Type: Executive summary and implications for managers and executives From: Journal of Consumer Marketing, Volume 31, Issue 4
This summary has been provided to allow managers and executives a rapid appreciation of the content of the article. Those with a particular interest in the topic covered may then read the article in toto to take advantage of the more comprehensive description of the research undertaken and its results to get the full benefit of the material present.
Despite the well-entrenched perceptions of COO, evidence shows considerable variation in its effects across different cultures and sub-cultures. Reasons for this have, to date, not been accurately identified though.
This void inspires Cui et al. to consider the relevance of “self”. Previous research argues that the self is a concept which incorporates different aspects connected to the specific individual. Possessions, family members, friends, neighborhood and the person’s country and its historical objects are argued as being part of the concept.
In the opinion of various academics, the self is not a fixed entity but vulnerable to influence from different external forces. This leads to the creation of different contextually dependent selves that has been termed “extended self” in the literature. One feature of this is the identification of different subcultures where individuals are considered to either be members of a particular group or outside of it.
The latter is perceived as “other” and viewed unfavorably as a result. When aversion toward so-called “out-groups” is especially strong, it is typical for products which are associated with them to be negatively evaluated. On the contrary, offerings closely aligned with the self are viewed in more favorable terms. Bias toward the self is noted as being intense to the degree that “double standards” will often persist. An example would be dubious behavior. Judgment is invariably harsher when the perpetrator is someone distant as opposed to a friend or another person regarded as being part of one’s extended self or “in-group”.
Of particular relevance to the context of COO is the notion that the extended self can also include other cultures. The likelihood of this increases when the individual closely experiences a different culture, such as when moving to live in another country. It is thus argued that the extended self can help shape how COO is influenced by variables such as:
Consumer animosity that arises due to former or existing military, political or economic conflicts with another nation. These hostile feelings will frequently result in consumers avoiding products from the said country, regardless of their quality or reliability. Animosity retains the ability to influence purchase behavior, even when it has decreased in intensity over time.
Ethnocentrism: People rating high in this characteristic are patriotic and favor domestic products over imports. The strength of loyalty is such that these preferences prevail even when goods originating in their home country are of inferior quality. Commentators point to them feeling morally obliged to purchase domestic products and a belief in the otherness of foreign alternatives. However, evidence suggested that ethnocentric tendencies are lower among “bi-cultural” consumers. Individuals who move to live in a different culture relinquish some of their “home country bias” and strive to integrate and comply with host nation’s norms and values.
Acculturation: This refers to consumer adaptation to a new culture following their move to live in a different country. Studies have discovered that favorability toward goods produced in the host nation increases, as consumers become “well acculturated”. The reverse is usually true of people whose acculturation is low. It is additionally proposed that acculturation is influenced by personal factors like homesickness, level of proficiency in the host country language and degree of social interaction. Favorability toward products from their own nation is likely to be greater among consumers living abroad who feel homesick or struggle to learn the local language or socially integrate. On the other hand, competence in a foreign language increases confidence in their ability to interact socially with locals. Such individuals will normally enjoy greater exposure to local products and thus become prone to display greater positivity toward them.
These issues are examined in a study involving samples of American natives, Chinese natives, Americans living in China and Chinese people living in America. The samples varied in terms of demographic variables: age, gender, income and education level.
Subjects were randomly exposed to a home or foreign country’s fresh-milk product chosen because of a well-publicized tainted milk scandal in China. Both Chinese and American products were identical regarding their nutritional content. The questionnaire addressed consumer knowledge of the contamination issue and addressed the study variables. In addition, participants were asked to indicate their perception of risk for people consuming the product they encountered in the study.
Among the indications from the data are:
of those aware of the tainted milk occurrence in China, American study respondents felt more strongly than Chinese subjects;
both Chinese and American consumers residing in their home nation displayed greater animosity toward the other country than their counterparts living abroad;
Chinese consumers displaying high animosity toward the USA considered Chinese milk to be a high-quality, low-risk product;
ethnocentrism was lower among Chinese subjects living in the USA than among those domiciled in their home country;
COO effects are moderated by ethnocentrism in that both Chinese subjects high in ethnocentrism and American consumers low in ethnocentrism were more favorable toward Chinese milk;
homesick Americans were more negative toward Chinese milk;
proficiency in a foreign language serves to moderate COO effects; and
the impact of COO is lower when subjects socially interact with locals.
The results here generally suggest that as the self extends further, COO effects weaken. Cui et al. propose that expanding the self to incorporate “new identities” prompts consumers to loosen the prejudices generated by COO characteristics.
A surprising indication in the current work was that Americans living in China expressed greater ethnocentrism than their compatriots back home. In the authors’ view, this might be attributed to the fact that Americans in the study were relocated to China for work purposes rather than moving there through personal choice. Some resentment and unwillingness to embrace the different culture is therefore feasible. Chinese subjects residing in the USA in contrast chose to move there, mainly to study.
American consumers indicate stronger COO effects than do Chinese subjects. A logical explanation for this is the relative individualist and collectivist nature of the two cultures. Earlier studies have found members of collectivist societies to display lower tendencies toward “self-positivity biases” than people from cultures deemed more individualistic. Cui et al. also propose this as the reason why American subjects appeared less inclined than Chinese respondents to overlook any foreign product failures. This “downward comparison” serves to protect their self-image.
The notion of “malleable self” in a foreign nation can be further explored via longitudinal research which incorporates an ethnographical approach. Using different samples and other product categories is also recommended as a means to validate the findings here.
To read the full article enter 10.1108/JCM-01-2014-0820 into your search engine.
(A pre′cis of the article “Extended self: implications for country-of-origin”. Supplied by Marketing Consultants for Emerald.)