Honors College Theses
Publication Date
4-20-2015
Major
International Trade (B.S.)
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (open access)
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Darin Van Tassell
Abstract
My research is interested in examining product perceptions and the importance of national identity on the marketability on a variety of foreign and domestic consumer products. I am also interested in determining whether the process of globalization has weakened an individual’s sense of national identity and whether that changes their preference for purchasing a foreign and/or domestic product. Primarily, my research question asks whether nationalism influences a product’s marketability. My hypothesis suggests that individual perceptions are heavily influenced by a sense of nationalism and ultimately affects an individual’s decision whether or not to buy a foreign good. To test this hypothesis, I constructed two original surveys that were distributed to university students at two different universities in two separate countries, Wilfred Laurier University in Canada and Georgia Southern University in Georgia, US. From my surveys, I have found that despite the advance of globalization and the integration of markets, it appears that student consumers still tend to identify themselves with products and corporations that they perceived as domestic. When asked, they chose domestic products as a means for reaffirming their national identity.
Recommended Citation
Florence, Jenna S., "Buy American: An Introspective Look into National Corporate Consciousness" (2015). Honors College Theses. 103.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/honors-theses/103
