The Effects of Tangible and Intangible K-contents on Chinese Consumers’ Purchase Intention to Korean Products: Focusing on the Moderating Effect of Ethnocentrism

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is investigating the moderating effects of ethnocentrism, which has been overlooked in the research on the effect of K-contents on the intention to purchase Korean products. Design/Methodology/Approach - To test the hypothesis, a survey was conducted among Chinese consumers. The survey was conducted mainly through social media and online surveys. A total of 329 responses were collected, out of which 300 were used for empirical analysis, after excluding 29 incomplete responses. Findings - As a result of the empirical analysis, it was found that the ethnocentrism of Chinese consumers negatively moderates the relationship between the perception of tangible K-content, which is classified as Korean fashion and Korean food, on their intention to purchase Korean products. On the other hand, it was found that Chinese consumers’ ethnocentrism did not show a significant moderating effect in the relationship between their perception of intangible K-content classified as K-drama and K-pop and Chinese consumers’ purchase intention to Korean products. Research Implications - The results of this study can have important implications for multinational corporations in international markets, to manage their brand image in countries with strong ethnocentrism. It helps in identifying the negative moderating effect of ethnocentrism in the relationship between the Korean Wave (especially tangible K-content) and the consumers’ intention to purchase Korean products.