The country of origin effect and the role of moral emotions

The aim of the research is to analyze the role of three specific moral emotions (gratitude, disgust, and contempt) in explaining the country of origin (CO) effect on consumer buying behavior. The methodological approach involves the use of an experimental design. We follow the procedures suggested by Muller and colleagues (2005) in order to examine the role of moral emotions. The results show that gratitude, disgust, and contempt mediate the relationship between CO information – considering country of design (CD) and country of manufacture (CM) elements – and consumer buying behaviors. In addition, the results prove the moderating effect of consumer ethnocentrism.