Research gaps and future research agenda for consumer resistance in GCC
| Domain | Research gap | Research question | Inspired by |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | A complete, cross-cultural comprehension of the psychological, social, institutional and other factors fueling consumer resistance in the GCC is needed | RQ1.1 What drives consumer disinterest and disidentification with both global and local consumer cultures, and how can marketers effectively engage these consumers? | Strizhakova and Coulter (2019), Steenkamp (2019), Westjohn and Magnusson (2019) |
| RQ1.2 Do the factors underlying consumer resistance to GCC vary significantly across different cultural contexts in terms of economic development, cultural values and historical globalization experiences? | Bartsch et al. (2019), Stöttinger and Penz (2019) | ||
| RQ1.3 What psychological factors, such as reactance and perceived loss of control, contribute to consumer resistance against specific aspects of GCC? | Bartikowski and Cleveland (2017), Cleveland and McCutcheon (2022) | ||
| RQ1.4 How do strong local or national identities mitigate the perceived homogenizing effects of GCC and spur consumer resistance? | Bartikowski and Cleveland (2017), Sobol et al. (2018) | ||
| RQ1.5 To what extent do nonmarket institutions, like family and religion, shape consumer resistance to GCC and its associated values? | Jafari et al. (2022) | ||
| RQ1.6 How does the integration of a global brand within a local market impact its susceptibility to country-level boycotts prompted by non-product-related issues? | Kim et al. (2025) | ||
| RQ1.7 What are the key trigger events or catalysts that can either fuel or dampen international consumer resistance movements? | Russell and Russell (2006) | ||
| RQ1.8 In what ways do collectivistic and individualistic cultural orientations influence consumer participation in collective resistance actions against GCC? | Albinsson et al. (2010) | ||
| RQ1.9 How do different moral sentiments influence the forms and intensity of consumer resistance in a market setting? | Aboelenien and Arsel (2024) | ||
| RQ1.10 How do various dimensions of consumer ethnocentrism predict different forms of consumer resistance beyond mere purchase intentions? | Bizumic (2019) | ||
| RQ1.11 How does the nature and intensity of animosity, whether war-related, economic or political, impact specific forms of consumer resistance like boycotts, negative word-of-mouth or anticonsumption? | Mishra et al. (2023) | ||
| D | The research gap is in comprehending the intricate relationship among consumer identity, social disparities, geopolitical factors and worldwide occurrences in influencing consumer resistance (manifestations) within the GCC context | RQ2.1 How do consumers balance their materialistic desires with their resistance to GCC when making consumption decisions? | Cleveland and McCutcheon (2022) |
| RQ2.2 In what ways do power dynamics and social inequalities intersect with consumer resistance to GCC, particularly in the context of perceived cultural imperialism or economic exploitation? | Lee et al. (2011), Aboelenien and Arsel (2024) | ||
| RQ2.3 How do political and economic ties between countries shape consumer resistance toward brands from those countries over an extended period? | Kim et al. (2025) | ||
| RQ2.4 How do global events such as pandemics and environmental crises intersect with existing international geopolitical tensions to influence consumer resistance behaviors? | Ulver and Laurell (2020) | ||
| RQ2.5 How do perceptions of risk related to brand resistance (performance, social, legal, physical) vary across different cultural dimensions in international markets? | Cambefort and Roux (2019) | ||
| RQ2.6 In which specific product categories or consumption contexts does patriotism most strongly translate into resistance toward foreign brands? | Mishra et al. (2023) | ||
| RQ2.7 How does the strength and significance of ethnic identity interplay with other identity factors (e.g. national identity, global identity) to mold resistance to mainstream market offerings? | Cleveland and Bartikowski (2023) | ||
| RQ2.8 How do the distinct characteristics and constraints of various social media platforms impact consumer choices in selecting platforms for engaging in different forms of consumer resistance? | Narayanan and Singh (2024) | ||
| O | The research gap lies in exploring how consumer resistance in GCC manifests in multicultural marketplaces (consumer, firm and social impact), including the behavioral, cultural, strategic and other dimensions of resistance | RQ3.1 How does consumer resistance to GCC manifest in specific consumption behaviors like boycotting global brands, supporting local alternatives or participating in anticonsumption practices? | Cleveland and McCutcheon (2022) |
| RQ3.2 How do diverse ethnic, racial and national groups within multicultural marketplaces negotiate their stance regarding GCC, and how does resistance manifest within these varied environments? | Jafari et al. (2022) | ||
| RQ3.3 What cultural conflicts and resistance points arise when GCC confronts diverse local traditions and consumption practices in multicultural settings? | Ibarra-Cantu and Cheetham (2021) | ||
| RQ3.4 How can marketers adjust their strategies in multicultural marketplaces to address potential consumer resistance toward globalized offerings and resonate with diverse cultural beliefs? | Bartsch et al. (2019) | ||
| RQ3.5 What specific communication strategies can global brands employ to mitigate the adverse effects of international boycotts, considering varying levels of country affinity and animosity? | Kim et al. (2025) | ||
| RQ3.6 What are the repercussions and lasting effects when companies opt to stay silent or inactive in response to consumer activism and resistance movements? | Narayanan and Singh (2024) | ||
| T | The research gap exists in enhancing theoretical models of consumer resistance in the GCC through the fusion of modern concepts to gain a deeper insight into the dynamic relationship among resistance, identity and globalization within various market settings | RQ4.1 How can the market ownership concept (territorial activism as an emerging form of consumer resistance) be further advanced and applied to better comprehend conflicts and dynamics in various market contexts, particularly beyond stigmatized markets? | Sandikci et al. (2024) |
| RQ4.2 How do different communication frames used by activist groups (beyond NGOs) shape consumer mobilization and possibly create conflicts that impede effective resistance? | Varman et al. (2024) | ||
| RQ4.3 How do various aspects of national and sub-national consumer identities (such as ethnic identity, regional identity) interact with individual motivations for consumer resistance (e.g., ideological discrepancies, perceived risk) in influencing responses to global brands and marketing practices within the GCC context? | Bartsch et al. (2019), Cleveland and Bartikowski (2023) | ||
| RQ4.4 Integrating social identity theory and the concept of “antiglobalscapes,” how do consumers with strong ethnic or national identities respond to global brands that threaten their in-group’s positive distinctiveness across different “globalscapes” (such as ethnoscapes, mediascapes, technoscapes, finanscapes and ideoscapes)? | Cleveland and McCutcheon (2022) | ||
| C | The research gap is in grasping how varied consumer segments, especially in underrepresented and growing markets, tackle, adjust to and resist GCC | RQ5.1 How do local consumer cultures choose, modify and reject aspects of GCC in specific product categories and consumption settings? | Cleveland and Bartsch (2019) |
| RQ5.2 How do consumers in bottom-of-pyramid markets perceive and engage with GCC, and what distinct forms of participation or resistance do they exhibit? | Strizhakova and Coulter (2019), Özsomer (2019) | ||
| RQ5.3 What are the differences in resistance to GCC between ethnic minority and majority consumers, and how are these variances influenced by their acculturation journeys and identity orientations? | Bartikowski et al. (2016) | ||
| RQ5.4 How do immigrant consumers balance their interaction with GCC while preserving their heritage and potentially resisting perceived challenges to their cultural identity? | Ibarra-Cantu and Cheetham (2021) | ||
| RQ5.5 How do cultural norms and ideologies in less represented regions of the Global South and Eastern Europe impact consumer motivations and behaviors regarding consumer resistance? | Narayanan and Singh (2024) | ||
| RQ5.6 How do cultural values and norms in different countries impact the effectiveness of consumer boycotts against global brands? | Albinsson et al. (2010) | ||
| RQ5.7 What influence do local interpretations of global ideologies (e.g., environmentalism, anticorporatism) have on the forms of consumer resistance across diverse international markets? | Ulver and Laurell (2020) | ||
| RQ5.8 How do generational differences, particularly the perspectives of Gen Z and Gen Alpha as digital natives, influence their engagement with and views on various types of consumer activism and resistance? | Atanga and Mattila (2023), Narayanan and Singh (2024), Cummings et al. (2025) | ||
| M | There is a need to develop and enhance longitudinal, culturally sensitive and methodologically diverse strategies to accurately portray the changing landscape of consumer resistance in the GCC within various contexts, identities and measurement systems | RQ6.1 How can longitudinal research designs be utilized to gain a better understanding of the prolonged development of consumer resistance and its implications on global and local markets? | Sobol et al. (2018), Cleveland and Bartsch (2019), Steenkamp (2019) |
| RQ6.2 What are the most effective quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches for investigating the dynamic interplay between consumer resistance, GCC and local consumer cultures in diverse cultural settings? | Strizhakova and Coulter (2019), Bizumic (2019), Okazaki et al. (2019) | ||
| RQ6.3 How can researchers create more culturally sensitive and contextually relevant metrics for consumer resistance, consumer ethnocentrism, cosmopolitanism and associated constructs that consider potential variations based on product category, cultural setting and individual backgrounds? | Bartsch et al. (2019), Samiee (2019), Mandler (2019), Jafari et al. (2022) | ||
| RQ6.4 In what ways can network analysis or other advanced statistical techniques help in depicting the intricate connections among various consumer identities, attitudes and resistance behaviors? | Cleveland and Bartsch (2019), Mandler (2019), Stöttinger and Penz (2019), Steenkamp (2019) | ||
| RQ6.5 How can qualitative methodologies offer deeper insights into the real-life experiences and stories of consumers who actively resist GCC, and what diverse manifestations does this resistance encompass? | Cleveland and McCutcheon (2022) | ||
| RQ6.6 What approaches can be employed to develop reliable and contextually appropriate scales for assessing fundamental concepts in the realm of consumer resistance to GCC? | Narayanan and Singh (2024) |
| Domain | Research gap | Research question | Inspired by |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | A complete, cross-cultural comprehension of the psychological, social, institutional and other factors fueling consumer resistance in the GCC is needed | RQ1.1 What drives consumer disinterest and disidentification with both global and local consumer cultures, and how can marketers effectively engage these consumers? | |
| RQ1.2 Do the factors underlying consumer resistance to GCC vary significantly across different cultural contexts in terms of economic development, cultural values and historical globalization experiences? | |||
| RQ1.3 What psychological factors, such as reactance and perceived loss of control, contribute to consumer resistance against specific aspects of GCC? | |||
| RQ1.4 How do strong local or national identities mitigate the perceived homogenizing effects of GCC and spur consumer resistance? | |||
| RQ1.5 To what extent do nonmarket institutions, like family and religion, shape consumer resistance to GCC and its associated values? | |||
| RQ1.6 How does the integration of a global brand within a local market impact its susceptibility to country-level boycotts prompted by non-product-related issues? | |||
| RQ1.7 What are the key trigger events or catalysts that can either fuel or dampen international consumer resistance movements? | |||
| RQ1.8 In what ways do collectivistic and individualistic cultural orientations influence consumer participation in collective resistance actions against GCC? | |||
| RQ1.9 How do different moral sentiments influence the forms and intensity of consumer resistance in a market setting? | |||
| RQ1.10 How do various dimensions of consumer ethnocentrism predict different forms of consumer resistance beyond mere purchase intentions? | |||
| RQ1.11 How does the nature and intensity of animosity, whether war-related, economic or political, impact specific forms of consumer resistance like boycotts, negative word-of-mouth or anticonsumption? | |||
| D | The research gap is in comprehending the intricate relationship among consumer identity, social disparities, geopolitical factors and worldwide occurrences in influencing consumer resistance (manifestations) within the GCC context | RQ2.1 How do consumers balance their materialistic desires with their resistance to GCC when making consumption decisions? | |
| RQ2.2 In what ways do power dynamics and social inequalities intersect with consumer resistance to GCC, particularly in the context of perceived cultural imperialism or economic exploitation? | |||
| RQ2.3 How do political and economic ties between countries shape consumer resistance toward brands from those countries over an extended period? | |||
| RQ2.4 How do global events such as pandemics and environmental crises intersect with existing international geopolitical tensions to influence consumer resistance behaviors? | |||
| RQ2.5 How do perceptions of risk related to brand resistance (performance, social, legal, physical) vary across different cultural dimensions in international markets? | |||
| RQ2.6 In which specific product categories or consumption contexts does patriotism most strongly translate into resistance toward foreign brands? | |||
| RQ2.7 How does the strength and significance of ethnic identity interplay with other identity factors (e.g. national identity, global identity) to mold resistance to mainstream market offerings? | |||
| RQ2.8 How do the distinct characteristics and constraints of various social media platforms impact consumer choices in selecting platforms for engaging in different forms of consumer resistance? | |||
| O | The research gap lies in exploring how consumer resistance in GCC manifests in multicultural marketplaces (consumer, firm and social impact), including the behavioral, cultural, strategic and other dimensions of resistance | RQ3.1 How does consumer resistance to GCC manifest in specific consumption behaviors like boycotting global brands, supporting local alternatives or participating in anticonsumption practices? | |
| RQ3.2 How do diverse ethnic, racial and national groups within multicultural marketplaces negotiate their stance regarding GCC, and how does resistance manifest within these varied environments? | |||
| RQ3.3 What cultural conflicts and resistance points arise when GCC confronts diverse local traditions and consumption practices in multicultural settings? | |||
| RQ3.4 How can marketers adjust their strategies in multicultural marketplaces to address potential consumer resistance toward globalized offerings and resonate with diverse cultural beliefs? | |||
| RQ3.5 What specific communication strategies can global brands employ to mitigate the adverse effects of international boycotts, considering varying levels of country affinity and animosity? | |||
| RQ3.6 What are the repercussions and lasting effects when companies opt to stay silent or inactive in response to consumer activism and resistance movements? | |||
| T | The research gap exists in enhancing theoretical models of consumer resistance in the GCC through the fusion of modern concepts to gain a deeper insight into the dynamic relationship among resistance, identity and globalization within various market settings | RQ4.1 How can the market ownership concept (territorial activism as an emerging form of consumer resistance) be further advanced and applied to better comprehend conflicts and dynamics in various market contexts, particularly beyond stigmatized markets? | |
| RQ4.2 How do different communication frames used by activist groups (beyond NGOs) shape consumer mobilization and possibly create conflicts that impede effective resistance? | |||
| RQ4.3 How do various aspects of national and sub-national consumer identities (such as ethnic identity, regional identity) interact with individual motivations for consumer resistance (e.g., ideological discrepancies, perceived risk) in influencing responses to global brands and marketing practices within the GCC context? | |||
| RQ4.4 Integrating social identity theory and the concept of “antiglobalscapes,” how do consumers with strong ethnic or national identities respond to global brands that threaten their in-group’s positive distinctiveness across different “globalscapes” (such as ethnoscapes, mediascapes, technoscapes, finanscapes and ideoscapes)? | |||
| C | The research gap is in grasping how varied consumer segments, especially in underrepresented and growing markets, tackle, adjust to and resist GCC | RQ5.1 How do local consumer cultures choose, modify and reject aspects of GCC in specific product categories and consumption settings? | |
| RQ5.2 How do consumers in bottom-of-pyramid markets perceive and engage with GCC, and what distinct forms of participation or resistance do they exhibit? | |||
| RQ5.3 What are the differences in resistance to GCC between ethnic minority and majority consumers, and how are these variances influenced by their acculturation journeys and identity orientations? | |||
| RQ5.4 How do immigrant consumers balance their interaction with GCC while preserving their heritage and potentially resisting perceived challenges to their cultural identity? | |||
| RQ5.5 How do cultural norms and ideologies in less represented regions of the Global South and Eastern Europe impact consumer motivations and behaviors regarding consumer resistance? | |||
| RQ5.6 How do cultural values and norms in different countries impact the effectiveness of consumer boycotts against global brands? | |||
| RQ5.7 What influence do local interpretations of global ideologies (e.g., environmentalism, anticorporatism) have on the forms of consumer resistance across diverse international markets? | |||
| RQ5.8 How do generational differences, particularly the perspectives of Gen Z and Gen Alpha as digital natives, influence their engagement with and views on various types of consumer activism and resistance? | |||
| M | There is a need to develop and enhance longitudinal, culturally sensitive and methodologically diverse strategies to accurately portray the changing landscape of consumer resistance in the GCC within various contexts, identities and measurement systems | RQ6.1 How can longitudinal research designs be utilized to gain a better understanding of the prolonged development of consumer resistance and its implications on global and local markets? | |
| RQ6.2 What are the most effective quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches for investigating the dynamic interplay between consumer resistance, GCC and local consumer cultures in diverse cultural settings? | |||
| RQ6.3 How can researchers create more culturally sensitive and contextually relevant metrics for consumer resistance, consumer ethnocentrism, cosmopolitanism and associated constructs that consider potential variations based on product category, cultural setting and individual backgrounds? | |||
| RQ6.4 In what ways can network analysis or other advanced statistical techniques help in depicting the intricate connections among various consumer identities, attitudes and resistance behaviors? | |||
| RQ6.5 How can qualitative methodologies offer deeper insights into the real-life experiences and stories of consumers who actively resist GCC, and what diverse manifestations does this resistance encompass? | |||
| RQ6.6 What approaches can be employed to develop reliable and contextually appropriate scales for assessing fundamental concepts in the realm of consumer resistance to GCC? |
Note(s): A = antecedents, D = decisions, O = outcomes, T = theories, C = contexts, M = methods
Source(s): Authors’ own work
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