Consumers' processing mindset as a moderator of the effect of country-of-origin product stereotype

• Chen Yang

  South China University of Technology

• Haizhong Wang

  Sun Yat-sen University

• Ke Zhong

  Sun Yat-sen University

In 2 studies we investigated the relationship between consumers’ processing mindset and the effect of a stereotype about developing countries as the country of origin (COO) of a product. Participants were 61 Chinese undergraduate students in Study 1 and 104 Chinese undergraduate students in Study 2. We found (Study 1) that, relative to a global processing mindset, inducing a local processing mindset effectively decreased negative effects of COO associated with a product made in a developing country. However, we found (Study 2) that the ethnicity of a product made in a developed country interacted with processing mindset. When the participants’ perception of the ethnicity of the product was favorable (e.g., a Swiss watch), those participants who were utilizing a global processing mindset were less likely to have a negative perception about COO than were those who were utilizing a local processing mindset. These findings show an effective way of weakening negative COO effect of developing countries in different conditions.

1. Chen Yang, South China University of Technology
   Department of Marketing
2. Haizhong Wang, Sun Yat-sen University
   Department of Marketing
3. Ke Zhong, Sun Yat-sen University
   Department of Marketing

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