Sadrudin A. Ahmed

The importance of country images in the formation of consumer product perceptions

Presents the results of a survey conducted among 194 retail salesmen of electronic equipment and 190 male consumers. According to salesmen, country of origin is a much less important attribute for shoppers of video‐cassette recorders and themselves than brand reputation. For the purpose of comparison, both salesmen and consumers provided direct evaluative judgements of 13 countries on their design and assembly capabilities, of three VCR brands and of the quality and purchase value of nine VCR conjoint profiles varying systematically with respect to country of design, country of assembly, brand, price and warranty. Salesmen’s direct importance weights were found to differ greatly from conjoint derived weights in that, in the latter case, country of origin cues had a significant and, with regard to quality perceptions, greater impact than the other attributes. Multiple regression models relating the direct perceptions of the countries of origin to brand evaluations indicate that the nesting of country perceptions in brand evaluation may partly explain this apparent inconsistency.

Comparison of country of origin effects on household and organizational buyers′ product perceptions

Presents the results of a study in which judgement of quality and purchase value of three different product categories were obtained from 173 purchasing managers and 190 household consumers. The products varied according to the country where they were designed, the country where they were assembled, their brand name, their price and their warranty. In addition, the respondents rated 13 developed and newly industrializing countries by their capacity to design and assemble products in general. Indicates that the respondents′ perceptions of newly industrializing countries are more negative than their perceptions of developed countries. However, when additional information concerning the product′s brand name, price and warranty is available, their perceptual differences between developed and newly industrializing countries are considerably reduced. Shows significant differences between household and organizational buyers in the relative importance given to country‐of‐origin and other product cues. Discusses s...

Cross‐national Evaluation of Made‐in Concept Using Multiple Cues

Investigates the effects of three countries of origin, three brand names and three levels of price and service on consumers′ perceptions of the purchase value of an automobile. Based on data collected from a random sample of 179 Canadians and 197 Belgians, the results indicate that the effects of price are not very important. Brand name is a more important cue than made‐in for Belgian consumers, but not for Canadian consumers. Concludes that modifications to marketing strategies for global products may be needed from one consuming country to another.

The impact of technological complexity on consumers’ perceptions of products made in highly and newly industrialised countries

This article reports the results of a survey of 151 Canadian male consumers. In this study, consumer judgements of products varying in their level of technological complexity made in both highly and newly industrialised countries (NICs) were obtained in a multi‐attribute and multi‐dimensional context. The results show that the country‐of‐origin image of NICs is less negative for technologically simpler products (i.e. television) than for technologically complex products (i.e. computers). In addition, NICs are perceived more negatively as countries of design than as countries of assembly, especially for technologically complex products, but their negative image may be attenuated by making consumers more familiar with products made in these countries and/or by providing them with other product‐related information such as brand name and warranty. Three personal variables namely, computer involvement, technological sophistication and technological innovativeness were found to moderate the perceptions of countries of origin. The more technologically sophisticated a consumer was, the more favourable he/she was towards products made in more technologically advanced NICs.

Product-Country Images in the Context of NAFTA

Abstract This article presents the results of a survey of 415 male consumers carried out in Mexico (240 respondents) and Canada (175 respondents). In this study, country-of-origin information was manipulated along three dimensions, namely country of design, country of assembly, and country of parts. Consumer judgments of the quality and purchase value of three product categories, i.e., automobiles, videocassette recorders, and shoes, were obtained in a multi-cue context. The results showed that Canadian and Mexican consumers put more emphasis on the country of origin of consumer products than on brand names. The product-country evaluations of Mexicans seemed to be affected by a strong home country bias. Implications for international marketers were derived from the results.

Understanding Residents' Reaction To Tourism Marketing Strategies

This article focuses on the reaction of Sri Lankans to foreign tourism in Sri Lanka and seeks to answer the questions of how Sri Lankans perceive the tourism product, the impact offoreign tourism on the country and tourism development alternatives and how the perceptions are related to possible strategic approaches to the development of tourism. Survey data are presented addressing these questions.

Country images of technological products in Taiwan

This article presents the results of a survey of 202 male Taiwanese consumers. In this study, consumer judgements of two technological products varying in their level of complexity made in highly, moderately, and newly industrialised countries were obtained in a multi‐attribute context. The results show that the country‐of‐origin image of moderately and newly industrialised countries was less negative for technologically simpler products (i.e. a television) than they were for technologically complex products (i.e. a computer). It appears that the negative image of moderately and newly industrialised countries can be attenuated by making Taiwanese consumers more familiar with products made in these countries and/or by providing them with other product‐related information such as brand name and warranty. Newly industrialised countries were perceived more negatively as countries of design than as countries of assembly, especially in the context of making technologically complex products. The image of foreign countries as producers of consumer goods was positively correlated with education. The more familiar consumers were with the products of a country, the more favourable was their evaluation of that country. Consumer involvement with purchasing a technologically complex product such as a computer was positively associated with the appreciation of products made in moderately industrialised countries. Managerial and research implications are derived from these results.

Exploring the Relationship Between Export Intensity and Exporter Characteristics, Resources, and Capabilities: Evidence From Chile

ABSTRACT This study focuses on exporters in Chile in order to compare the characteristics, resources, and capabilities for export success (RACFES) possessed by high, medium, and low intensity exporters. Data for this study were collected throughan Internet survey of Chilean manufacturers that export. Of the 480 companies in the sample, 133 responded to the questionnaire consisting of 69 items, yielding a total response rate of 28%. The analysis of variance procedure was used to analyze linear items and the chi square procedure was used for nonlinear items. The results indicated that export intensity in Chile is very strongly associated with firms that are smaller in size, have had export operations for longer periods of time, are highly involved in foreign markets, and are vertically integrated with their international target markets. These firms have also been very successful in overcoming export barriers. They make greater use of promotional strategies to expand their export markets and use sales agents as a means for reducing distribution costs. These firms are more likely to have vertically integrated their Chilean operation with their international target markets and to have created working international networks. The major limitation of this research is that it was carried out in only one South American country, with a rather limited sample size. A practical implication of this study is that companies in small countries, endowed with comparative advantages based on natural resources, can successfully penetrate export markets by imitating Chiles thriving export companies. Export penetration factors for small, resource-based countries like Chile are not very different from those for large developed countries.

Job-Related Attitudes and Motivations of English and French Canadian Students

Abstract The job-related attitudes and motivations of 265 English- and French-speaking Canadian college students were measured by a 24-item attitude questionnaire and a six-dimension achievement scale. Results indicated that the English students tended to be more pro-business, while the French were somewhat anti-business. There was a tendency for French respondents to feel a need to overcome ethnic barriers in order to succeed in their careers.

Relationship Between Success Factors and Chilean Firms' Export Performance: An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT In what seems to be a challenge to findings published in the literature, a regression model based on the relationship between 24 success factors, 2 classification variables, and the export performance of 133 Chilean exporters revealed that Chilean export companies that successfully developed foreign markets did so following a different strategy than their counterparts in more developed countries. Like such counterparts, the entry of Chilean firms into foreign markets was driven by consumer needs. They established cooperative alliances and networks with foreign companies, and gained access to foreign technology and know-how through means such as receiving foreign investment, engaging in joint research and development projects, and utilizing managers who had studied abroad. But unlike these counterparts, the Chilean firms were small, less likely to position their products in a market, less inclined to use foreign suppliers, and less likely to have a strategic plan. These differences can be attributed to the fact that unlike the export of manufactured goods, successful exporting of products based on natural resources requires different factors. RESUMEN. Presentando un reto a los hallazgos publicados en la literatura, un modelo regresivo basado en la relación que existe entre veinticuatro factores de éxito y dos variables clasificatorias y el desempeño exportador de 133 exportadores chilenos, demostró que el éxito alcanzado por las empresas exportadoras chilenas en desarrollar mercados extranjeros se basó en el uso de estrategias completamente distintas a las empleadas por otras empresas homólogas, que operaban en países más desarrollados. Asimismo, la entrada de las empresas chilenas en los mercados en el exterior surgió y se arraigó gracias a la necesidad de sus consumidores. El establecimiento de alianzas cooperativas y redes con las compañías extrajeras les permitió acceder su tecnología y know-how mediante la obtención de inversiones extranjeras, ejecución conjunta de investigaciones y desarrollo de proyectos, y empleando gerentes que habían estudiado en el exterior. No obstante lo antedicho, diferente a sus contrapartes extranjeras, las empresas chilenas eran pequeñas, disponían de menos posibilidades de colocar sus productos en un mercado poco interesado en usar proveedores extranjeros, y no contaban con un plan estratégico. Estos diferenciales pueden atribuirse al hecho de que, a diferencia de la exportación de bienes manufacturados, la exportación exitosa de recursos naturales exige un conjunto de factores bien distintos. RESUMO. O que parece ser um desafio a descobertas publicadas na literatura, um modelo de regressão, baseado na relação entre vinte e quatro fatores de sucesso e duas variáveis classificatórias e o desempenho na exportação de 133 exportadoras chilenas, revelou que as empresas exportadoras chilenas, bem sucedidas na conquista de mercados estrangeiros, utilizaram estratégias diferentes de suas congêneres de países mais desenvolvidos. Assim como no caso destas empresas congêneres, a entrada das empresas chilenas nos mercados estrangeiros atendeu às necessidades do consumidor. As empresas chilenas estabeleceram alianças de cooperação e uma rede de contatos com empresas estrangeiras e obtiveram acesso à tecnologia e ao know-how estrangeiros através de diversos meios, como o recebimento de investimentos, engajamento em parcerias para pesquisa e projetos de desenvolvimento e contratação de gerentes com curso no exterior. Mas, diferente de suas congêneres de países desenvolvidos, as empresas chilenas eram de pequeno porte, com pouca possibilidade de colocação de seus produtos em um mercado avesso a fornecedores estrangeiros e, possivelmente, sem um plano estratégico. Tais desigualdades são atribuídas ao fato de que, uma exportação bem sucedida de produtos primários exige fatores diferentes daqueles necessários à exportação de produtos manufaturados.