The Effect of Consumer Ethnocentrism on Purchase Intentions Toward Electric Vehicles: An Examination of Domestic and Foreign Brands
Özlem Akgün1* , Ulvi Rustamli2
Abstract. Today, consumers’ purchasing decisions are influenced not only by product characteristics but also by factors such as national identity, a sense of belonging, and cultural values. In this context, consumer ethnocentrism is regarded as one of the important psychological factors affecting purchase intentions toward electric vehicles. This study aims to examine the effects of consumer ethnocentrism on purchase intentions toward electric vehicles. The main objective of the research is to evaluate the attitudes of individuals living in Türkiye toward domestic and foreign electric vehicle brands and to reveal the role of consumer ethnocentrism in purchasing decisions. Within the scope of the study, individuals who currently use electric vehicles or intend to purchase one in the future were selected as the sample, and data were collected from 409 participants. The questionnaire was administered online, and the data were analyzed using SPSS software. The findings indicate that the level of consumer ethnocentrism is moderate, while positive attitudes toward domestic products are high. It was found that individuals with a high level of ethnocentrism have a statistically significantly higher purchase intention toward domestically branded electric vehicles. While no significant differences were observed in terms of demographic variables (gender, age, and income), consumer ethnocentrism was found to have a significant and positive effect on purchase intention. This study contributes to a better understanding of consumer behavior in Türkiye’s developing electric vehicle sector and provides scientific support for the importance of consumer ethnocentrism in areas such as marketing, brand management, and consumer awareness.
Keywords: Consumer ethnocentrism, electric vehicle, purchase intention