Non-Demographic versus Demographic Determinants of “Buy Domestic” Activities in Two Nations
Abstract Multiple regression analysis of survey data from the U.S. and Portugal demonstrates that certain demographics make a moderate contribution to explaining Buy Domestic behavior. However, explanation of these reported purchase-related activities is greatly increased by adding constructs suggested by helping research, based on the premise that some purchasers buy domestic products to help domestic workers whose jobs are threatened by imported products. For both nations, the results show Buy Domestic activities increase with purchasers' older age, greater perceived empathy regarding threatened workers, and greater exposure to social norms that support helping. For the U.S. only, Buy Domestic purchase also increases with female gender and decreases with higher perceived costs of helping. For Portugal only, it increases with greater perceived ability to help the workers and stronger solidarity with the national in-group. These findings hold important implications for Buy Domestic marketers.
Impact of U.S. Consumer Motivations to “Buy or Not Buy American”
Abstract This study explores the impact of U.S. consumer motivations on cognitive and affective bases of purchasing or not purchasing American made products. Four motivational components were identified related to national pride, perceptions of product superiority, views regarding global economy, and product availability. Consumers' feelings associated with national pride/stronger economy and the disbelief that foreign products are better were found for the most part to be major reasons driving loyalty of U.S. consumers to purchase U.S. made products. However, support exists for cognitive acceptance of a global economy as evidenced by owning a foreign produced product and reduced feelings about national pride. Retailers should capitalize on these consumer beliefs if employing a “buy American” promotional by avoiding strong appeals to consumer ethnocentric tendencies. As such, promotional efforts by retailers should appeal to American pride in being able to compete on quality without crossing over into blatant flag-waving appeals that could backfire.
The role of sympathy and altruistic personality traits in helping: a reexamination.
The purposes of this study were (a) to examine the role of social evaluative concerns in the self-report of sympathy and in the relation of sympathy to helping; and (b) to determine the role of "altruistic personality" traits and situationally induced vicarious emotional responses in the intention to help. Dispositional and situational self-reports of sympathy and other vicarious emotional reactions were obtained for persons who also were given the opportunity to assist a needy other. Moreover, dispositional measures of concern with social evaluation and an altruistic orientation were obtained, and a bogus pipeline manipulation was instituted for half the study participants. Both dispositional and situational self-reported sympathy were positively related to helping, as were other personality indices viewed as reflecting altruistic characteristics. The relations for the dispositional indices of sympathy were not due solely to social evaluative concerns or to other egoistic concerns. The effects on intended helping of dispositional sympathy, perspective taking, and the tendency to ascribe responsibility for others to the self appeared to be both direct and mediated by situational sympathetic responding. Finally, situational sadness did not mediate the effects of sympathetic responsiveness.