A influência do etnocentrismo na percepção do consumer innovativeness

Abstract

From the assumption that we are in touch with markets that increasingly demand a better knowledge about the consumers, this research primarily aims to analyze the influence of gaucho ethnocentrism in the process of perception of consumer innovativeness. This research has a quantitative approach with a descriptive and inferential view. The quantitative data collection took place in universities in Rio Grande do Sul, by means of two instruments. The first one, denominated “pilot study”, consisted of a survey with 100 students, asking them about what are the five most recognized trends in Rio Grande do Sul: the results of this survey showed that the two most mentioned trends were Polar and Fruki; thus, they were used as the questionnaires basis in the whole study. The second instrument was a structured questionnaire, carried out with 400 students. The study sample totalized 500 responding individuals. The data were purified and analyzed by means of techniques and tools. Most of the data were processed with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Software (SPSS). Finally, the influences of ethnocentrism (low versus high) in the process of perception of consumer innovativeness were revealed. It is possible to asseverate that the averages found in those two constructs indicate that people with low ethnocentrism have lower averages in Specific Domain of Innovation and Innovative Behavior than those ones who have high ethnocentrism, what did not occur in the construct of Original Creativity. Then, the conclusion of this study is that the ethnocentrism becomes high due to the fact that Specific Domain of Innovation and Innovative Behavior are most linked to the external environment and to the influences existent on it, what does not occur with Original Creativity, which is related to the individual’s innate element.