The effects of cosmopolitanism and religiosity on animosity: the mediating role of ethnocentrism

Purpose This study aims to analyze the relationships between cosmopolitanism, religiosity, ethnocentrism and consumer animosity among Turkish consumers, emphasizing the mediating impact of ethnocentrism. This study uniquely highlights ethnocentrism’s mediating role, adding a deeper cultural perspective to global consumer behavior research. Design/methodology/approach Using a quantitative approach, this study examines the relationships among cosmopolitanism, religiosity, ethnocentrism and consumer animosity, focusing on the mediating role of ethnocentrism. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test hypotheses. The data collected from 435 Turkish consumers have been used to perform a series of statistical studies. Findings Based on the hypotheses developed, the authors tested direct and indirect effects. The results revealed that religiosity significantly influences both ethnocentrism and consumer animosity. At the same time, cosmopolitanism only had a direct positive effect on consumer animosity and did not considerably impact ethnocentrism. Furthermore, ethnocentrism mediated the relationship between religiosity and animosity, but no mediation was found between cosmopolitanism and animosity. Research limitations/implications This study is subject to several limitations. Data was collected from a sample of Turkish consumers using an online survey, which may lead to selection bias and limit the generalizability of the results. Second, this study is cross-sectional so that no causality can be drawn; longitudinal research may better understand how these associations change over time. Finally, while this study focused on Turkish consumers, future studies can do cross-national comparisons to explore how cultural, religious and economic factors shape consumer behavior across countries. Practical implications This study suggests for firms targeting Turkish consumers that ethnocentrism and religion must be considered in the theoretical background when analyzing consumer attitudes toward foreign products. Multinational firms planning to enter the Turkish market should also develop marketing strategies specific to local religious values, apart from managing potential repugnance toward products of certain foreign countries. These hostilities can be tempered by pointing to ethical or cultural similarities between the firm’s home country and Turkey or even local partnerships. Social implications Implications for businesses targeting Turkish consumers suggest that ethnocentrism and religion need to be considered theoretical background when analyzing consumer attitudes toward foreign products. Multinational firms planning to enter the Turkish market should also develop marketing strategies specific to local religious values, apart from managing potential repugnance toward products of certain foreign countries. These hostilities can be tempered by pointing to ethical or cultural similarity between the firm’s home country and Turkey, or even local partnerships. Originality/value This study uses ethnocentrism as a mediating variable to examine the intricate relationships among cosmopolitanism, religion and consumer animosity. This paper contributes to business practice and academic literature by investigating Turkish consumers. It fills a gap in knowledge by allowing scholars to understand better how cultural and religious factors interact with global market trends. It mainly contributes to the consumer behavior literature by exploring an underresearched route, ethnocentrism as a mediator of the relationship between cosmopolitanism and animosity, and how religious identity moderates those effects.