piIn an era of intensified globalization and changing geopolitical power relations, consumer behavior increasingly reflects a complex interaction between economic, cultural, and political factors. This paper explores consumer attitudes toward domestic and foreign products in several Western Balkan countries, with a particular focus on the relationship between ethnocentric and multicultural orientations. The research analyzes how patriotism, dogmatism, and cultural openness shape consumer preferences, especially in environments marked by political or economic tensions. The aim of the paper is to determine the extent to which personal characteristics and socio-political contexts influence purchase decisions and perceptions of product origin. The research was conducted using a quantitative approach through an online survey conducted among consumers in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia (N=420). The analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation and regression methods, t-test and chi;sup2; test, to examine the relationships between key variables. The results confirm that ethnocentric attitudes remain strongly present in societies exposed to political and economic pressures, often accompanied by animosity towards products from ldquo;hostilerdquo; countries. In contrast, cultural openness and international experience tend to mitigate ethnocentric tendencies and encourage more inclusive consumer choices. The research contributes to a better understanding of how ideological, emotional and cultural dimensions influence the consumer decision-making process in transitional and geopolitically sensitive regions, providing useful insights for policymakers and marketing experts in their efforts to align national economic interests with the realities of the global market./i/p
Vujović et al. (Mon,) studied this question.