An investigation of elite consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions of foreign products to achieve physiological and psychological goals

This study was conducted in an emerging market namely Sri Lanka in order to enhance the current limited understanding of COO effects on elite consumers purchase intentions of foreign products across different product categories. The present study proposed TPB-COO framework, which significantly contribute to the COO field, which is often criticised for lack of conceptual, theoretical and methodological transparency. The data for the study was gathered via a self-administered survey conducted amongst 316 elite Sri Lankan consumers. Two hierarchical regression models (for technically simple vs technically complex products) were tested separately to investigate to what extent TPB components and the other two antecedents can predict elite Sri Lankan consumers purchase intentions of foreign products. The findings suggest that the addition of self-image congruity and consumption values-strengthen the cognitively driven TPB and enhance its ability to predict behavior but also makes it an actionable framework for marketers. Therefore, from a practitioner perspective the present study provides a richer understanding of cognitive, social, self-image and value driven physiological and psychological factors that affect consumer purchasing decisions. Thus, marketers can effectively utilize the extended TPB-COO framework to develop informed marketing mix strategies to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage in emerging markets.