The prevalence of ethnocentric tendencies in Bangladesh

Purpose – This paper aims to argue that the traditional belief that “consumer ethnocentrism is a phenomenon of the developed countries only” is no longer true. To establish this argument, our study assesses the applicability of the Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale (CETSCALE) in Bangladesh by judging the unidimensionality feature of the same. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is based on sample of 788 respondents collected from 27 border and non-border districts of Bangladesh. Findings – Statistically significant results show that for the consumers of border and non-border districts, the original CETSCALE is, to a great extent, applicable as those groups have shown positive attitudes in retaining 12-14 items out of the 17 items of the original scale. However, the groups and the respondents as a whole did not agree with the unidimensionality feature of the CETSCALE. Practical implications – The results of the study show that Bangladeshi consumers prefer to see “Made in Bangladesh” tags when buying consumer products – a significant potential threat that the multinational companies need to address while planning to expand business in Bangladesh. Originality/value – This type of rigorous study on Bangladesh has never been done before. Moreover, the study identifies the difference in ethnocentric behavior of the consumers living in border and non-border areas – a study of ethnocentrism from a different point of view.