Love of Country, Love of Wheels: Patriotism’s Role in Consumer Decision Intentions on Locally Manufactured Automobiles

The study examines the purchase intentions of Ghanaian consumers towards locally manufactured automobiles with the moderating role of patriotism. It investigates four factors in the literature discussed as influencing the purchase intentions of consumers: perceived quality, perceived risk, perceived price and subjective norms. The study adopted quantitative analysis on a sample of 205 respondents from the Greater Accra region of Ghana. The respondents were drawn from Ghanaian consumers of automobiles through convenient sampling. Structural equation modelling (SEM) (Amos version, 21) and Andrew Hayes’s process model software were adopted to aid in the analysis. The findings reveal four correlations: (a) perceived quality negatively predicts the purchase intentions of Ghanaian consumers of locally manufactured automobiles; (b) perceived risk significantly predicts purchase intention; (c) perceived price fails to significantly predict purchase intention; and (d) subjective norms significantly predict purchase intentions. The findings also suggest a mixed moderation effect of patriotism on the independent constructs and purchase intentions. These findings underscore the complex interplay of factors shaping consumer behaviour in the automobile market in Ghana. Addressing perceived quality, perceived risk and subjective norms is crucial for manufacturers and marketers to enhance consumer purchase intentions to penetrate the Ghanaian automotive market.