A model of behavioral intention to buy domestic versus imported products in a Confucian culture

This study examines the predictors of Korean consumers’ behavioral intention to buy imported and domestic products, based on Lee’s revised Fishbein model. The revised model incorporated two salient Confucian concepts – face saving and group conformity. There were two phases to the study, qualitative (focus group interviews) and empirical (experimental survey design). From the focus group data, parallel self‐report mail survey instruments were developed and sent to Korean students studying temporarily at a large midwestern university in the USA. Instruments were randomly assigned to subjects using a between‐subject experimental design. Findings indicate that there is a positive relationship between Korean consumers’ attitudes toward a product and their product evaluation. Further, there is a positive relationship between their attitudes and their intention to buy either domestic or imported products. The components of cultural pressure, face saving and group conformity have a weaker influence on attitudes than product evaluation, and they are significant predictors for domestic products but not for imported products. Finally, managerial implications and marketing strategies are discussed for multinational and domestic marketers.