The impact of avoiding uncertainty and consumer ethnocentrism on the acceptance of foreign brands - the mediating effect of cultural intelligence

Prilikom internacionalizacije poslovanja, od ključnog značaja je da marketari istraže tržište, kako bi se formulisala adekvatna marketing strategija koja će uvažiti potrebe lokalnog tržišta na kome se nastupa. Osnovni cilj doktorske disertacije je analiza uticaja dimenzije nacionalne kulture izbegavanja neizvesnosti i potrošačkog etnocentrizma na odluku ispitanika iz balkanskih i skandinavskih zemalja da prihvate strane brendove, uz ispitivanje medijatorskog efekta kulturalne inteligencije (metakognitivni, kognitivni, motivacioni i bihevioralni faktor) u odnosu navedenih varijabli. Sprovedeno je empirijsko istraživanje u kome je učestvovalo ukupno 617 ispitanika iz balkanskih zemalja (Srbija, Hrvatska, Bosna i Hercegovina) i skandinavskih zemalja (Švedska, Norveška, Danska). U okviru empirijskog istraživanja rezultati su pokazali da izbegavanje neizvesnosti i potrošački etnocentrizam ostvaruju statistički značajan negativan uticaj na odluku ispitanika iz balkanskih i skandinavskih zemalja da prihvate strane brendove, kao i da kulturalna inteligencija ostvaruje signifikantnu pozitivnu medijatorsku ulogu. Naučni doprinos i originalnost doktorske disertacije se ogleda u primeni holističkog pristupa koji podrazumeva sagledavanje zajedničkog efekta dimenzije nacionalne kulture izbegavanja neizvesnosti, potrošačkog etnocentrizma i kulturalne inteligencije na odluku potrošača da prihvate strane brendove. Takođe, kros-kulturalna istraživanja omogućavaju dobijanje interesantnijih rezultata, jer pružaju mogućnost poređenja stavova pripadnika različitih nacija. Praktični doprinos se ogleda u pomoći marketarima prilikom formulisanja marketing strategija, koje uzimaju u obzir kulturalni okvir i etnocentrične tendecije potrošača u navedenim zemaljama.When internationalizing a business, it is crucial that the marketers researches the market, in order to formulate an adequate marketing strategy that will take into account the needs of the local market in which it operates. The main goal of the doctoral dissertation is to analyze the influence of the dimension of national culture of avoiding uncertainty and consumer ethnocentrism on the decision of respondents from Balkan and Scandinavian countires to accept foreign brands, as well as examining the mediating effect of cultural intelligence (metacognitive, cognitive, motivational and behavioral factors) in relation to these variables. An empirical study was conducted in which a total of 617 respondents participated from the Balkan countires (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark). Empirical research has shown that avoidance of uncertainty and consumer ethnocentrism have a statistically significant negative impact on the decision of respondents from the Balkans and Scandinavia countries to accept foreign brands, as well as that cultural intelligence have a significant positive mediating role. The scientific contribution and originality of the doctoral dissertation is reflected in the application of a holistic approach which involves considering the common effect on the dimension of national culture of avoiding uncertainy, consumer ethnocentrism and cultural intelligence on consumer’s decision to accept foreign brands. Also, cross-cultural research enables obtaining more interesanting results, because they provide the possibility of comparing the attitudes of members of different nations. The practical contibution is reflected in helping marketers when formulating marketing strategies, which take into account the cultural framework and ethnocentric tendencies of consumers in the mentioned countries