In this paper we explore the insufficiently addressed domain of expatriates’ preference for local (host country) food. Extant literature on this segment of consumers shows that tensions created by moving abroad are also reflected in their varying preference for host country foods. By drawing on social identity theory, we investigate how a cosmopolitan identity drives a preference for host country food under the contingent effects of an expatriate's experiential capital and host country's retail development. Based on a unique dataset of 293 expatriates living in six countries of the Greater Middle East, the findings from binary logistic regression model show that cosmopolitanism significantly explains expatriate's preference for host country food. We also show that the dimensions of experiential capital have countervailing moderating effects on this relationship whereas in countries with lower levels of retail development, the relationship between cosmopolitanism and expatriates’ preference for host country food becomes stronger. The findings of this study imply that cosmopolitan expatriates should not be considered a uniform segment as previous studies have advocated. Eventually, this study offers valuable contributions to literature that investigates the influence of socio-cultural identities in food consumption as well as to literature dealing with expatriate consumer behaviour.

中文翻译：

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世界主义和外籍人士对东道国食物的偏好：体验资本和零售发展的条件效应

在本文中，我们探讨了外籍人士对当地（东道国）食物偏好的未充分解决的领域。关于这部分消费者的现有文献表明，移居国外造成的紧张也反映在他们对东道国食品的不同偏好上。通过借鉴社会认同理论，我们研究了在外籍人士的体验资本和东道国零售发展的偶然影响下，国际化身份如何推动对东道国食品的偏好。基于生活在大中东六个国家的 293 名外籍人士的独特数据集，二元逻辑回归模型的结果表明，世界主义显着解释了外籍人士对东道国食物的偏好。我们还表明，体验资本的维度对这种关系具有抵消调节作用，而在零售发展水平较低的国家，世界主义与外籍人士对东道国食品的偏好之间的关系变得更强。这项研究的结果表明，国际化的外籍人士不应像以前的研究所倡导的那样被视为一个统一的部分。最终，这项研究为调查社会文化身份对食品消费的影响的文献以及处理外籍消费者行为的文献提供了宝贵的贡献。这项研究的结果表明，国际化的外籍人士不应像以前的研究所倡导的那样被视为一个统一的部分。最终，这项研究为调查社会文化身份对食品消费的影响的文献以及处理外籍消费者行为的文献提供了宝贵的贡献。这项研究的结果表明，国际化的外籍人士不应像以前的研究所倡导的那样被视为一个统一的部分。最终，这项研究为调查社会文化身份对食品消费的影响的文献以及处理外籍消费者行为的文献提供了宝贵的贡献。