Consumer animosity and cross-border market dynamics: Evidence from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Consumer animosity and cross-border market dynamics: Evidence from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Summary/Abstract: Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the influence of perceived threat/injustice against Croatia and media exposure to negative content on consumer animosity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which in turn impacts the intention to boycott/purchase products from Croatia in the context of cross-border markets. Methodology: Primary data are collected using a cross-sectional survey, and an integrated model incorporating perceived threat/injustice and media exposure to negative content, consumer animosity, and boycott and purchase intentions is validated. CFA is used to test the measurement model, whereas covariance based SEM is employed to test the relationships. Moderation by pragmatic cross-border mechanisms is tested using factor score regression with robust standard errors. Results: Perceived threat/injustice and media exposure to negative content are antecedents of consumer animosity. Consumer animosity has a significant positive impact on boycott intention and a negative impact on purchase intention. Cross-border market availability, and travel frequency and stay intensity positively affect purchase intention. Cross-border market availability acts as a moderator that amplifies the negative impact of consumer animosity on purchase intention. The moderating effect of travel frequency and stay intensity, and perceived reciprocal cross-border consumption is not significant. Conclusion: Structural market exposure has positive effects on purchase intentions, and at the same time, it can have negative consequences for affective resistance in the form of animosity. Therefore, there is a need to develop more nuanced theories of consumer behavior in politically sensitive cross-border settings.

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