scholarly journals Effects of country-of-origin stereotypes on consumer responses to product-harm crises

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla Barbarossa ◽  
Patrick De Pelsmacker ◽  
Ingrid Moons
Keyword(s):  
Country Of Origin ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Consumer Ethnocentrism ◽  
Blame Attributions ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Consumer Country ◽  
A Company

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate “how” and “when” the stereotypes of competence and warmth, that are evoked by a foreign company’s country-of-origin (COO), affect blame attributions and/or attitudes toward a company’s products when a company is involved in a product-harm crisis. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 (n=883) analyzes the psychological mechanisms through which perceived COO competence and warmth differently affect blame attributions and evaluative responses. Study 2 (n=1,640) replicates Study 1’s findings, and it also investigates how consumer ethnocentrism, animosity toward a country, and product category characteristics moderate the hypothesized COO’s effects. Findings COO competence leads to more favorable attitudes toward the involved company’s products. This effect increases when the company sells high-involvement or utilitarian products. COO warmth leads to more favorable attitudes toward the involved company’s products directly as well as indirectly by diminishing blame attributions. These effects increase when consumers are highly ethnocentric, or the animosity toward a foreign country is high. Originality/value This paper frames the investigation of COO stereotypes in a new theoretical and empirical setting, specifically, a product-harm crisis. It demonstrates that consumers differently evaluate a potential wrongdoing company and its harmful products in a product-harm crisis based on their perceptions of a company’s COO competence and warmth. Finally, it defines the moderating effects of individual, consumer-country-related and product characteristics on the hypothesized COO effects.

Consumer responses to corporate offshoring practices

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 698-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Grappi ◽  
Simona Romani ◽  
Richard P Bagozzi
Keyword(s):  
Regulatory Focus ◽  
Regulatory Fit ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Consumer Evaluations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
The Public ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Psychology Theory ◽  
A Company

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer responses to company communication of offshoring strategies and tries to discover which psychological mechanisms govern these responses. To do these, the authors examine offshoring strategy communication from the point of view of Regulatory Focus Theory. Design/methodology/approach – The authors tested the hypotheses in two different studies. Study 1 examines the associations between company offshoring motives and consumer’s prevention or promotion inferences about the company’s practices. Study 2 tests if and how the interaction effect between respondents’ self-regulatory focus and the company offshoring motive affects respondents’ attitude toward the offshoring company. Findings – The study demonstrated that each of three offshoring motives activates unique self-regulatory orientations (promotion or prevention focus) in consumers, and regulatory fit positively affects consumer attitudes toward the offshoring company. Practical implications – Results suggest how to communicate company offshoring decisions to consumers. By trying to instill a particular regulatory focus in the public with their communication tools, companies can create a better match in the public eye, gaining more positive consumer evaluations. Originality/value – This research shows the mechanisms through which consumers respond differently to specific offshoring motives communicated by a company. By building on psychology theory, the study gains insights into the consumer reactions to company offshoring and, to the knowledge, no research to date has examined these mechanisms.

Consumer ethnocentrism and consumer animosity: antecedents and consequences

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pilar Fernández-Ferrín ◽  
Belén Bande-Vilela ◽  
Jill Gabrielle Klein ◽  
M. Luisa del Río-Araújo
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Single Model ◽  
Specific Product ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Ethnocentrism ◽  
Consumer Animosity ◽  
The Us ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences

Purpose – Consumer ethnocentrism and consumer animosity provide marketing management with two useful concepts to understand the reasons behind consumers’ purchase decisions concerning domestic vs imported products. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the antecedents and consequences of animosity and ethnocentrism within a single model, and respondents’ evaluations of a specific product category are solicited. Design/methodology/approach – The study is conducted within an ideal context for the study of consumer animosity: data were collected in Belgrade shortly after the US-led NATO bombings of 1999. The surveys were carried out in person at the interviewees’ home. The sample was part of a regular omnibus panel composed of 270 adult respondents, of which 92.2 percent agreed to participate. Findings – The findings indicate that animosity and consumer ethnocentrism are distinct constructs. Also consistent with previous research, results obtained confirm that each construct has unique antecedents and consequences. Practical implications – Once consumer animosity and ethnocentrism levels have been measured, managers can then make decisions about whether to promote their country of origin or, alternatively, create more powerful local connections for their products. Thus, the consideration of animosity and ethnocentrism can be part of a firm’s international strategies. Originality/value – Previous studies on consumer animosity have demonstrated through structural equation modeling that the two constructs are distinct and have distinct antecedents, but research has not examined both the antecedents and the consequences of animosity and ethnocentrism in the same study. Thus, this study investigates the antecedents and consequences of animosity and ethnocentrism within a single model.

Pro-veganism on Instagram

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 685-704
Author(s):  
Joe Phua ◽  
S. Venus Jin ◽  
Jihoon (Jay) Kim
Keyword(s):  
Information Value ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Message Type ◽  
Source Type ◽  
Health Marketing ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Main Effects

PurposeThrough two experiments, this study assessed source and message effects of Instagram-based pro-veganism messages.Design/methodology/approachExperiment 1 (N = 294) examined effects of organization (brand vs nonprofit) and message types (egoistic vs altruistic) on consumer responses to Instagram-based pro-veganism content. Experiment 2 (N = 288) examined effects of source type (celebrity vs noncelebrity) and message valence (positive vs negative) on consumer responses to Instagram-based pro-veganism content.FindingsResults demonstrated significant main effects of organization type, with consumers indicating more positive attitudes and higher credibility toward the brand. Significant main effects of message type were also found, with altruistic messages eliciting higher perceived information value than egoistic messages. Subjective norms had moderating effects on attitude toward the organization, while attitude toward veganism had moderating effects on perceived information value. Results also indicated significant main effects of message valence on perceived information value of pro-veganism Instagram posts and significant interaction effects of the two manipulated factors on intention to spread electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) about pro-veganism.Originality/valueImplications for use of Instagram-based health marketing communication about veganism were discussed. Specifically, organizations looking to use social media to influence attitudes and behavioral intentions toward health issues should seek to reach their target audiences through selecting endorsers and messages that will optimally present the health issue in a relatable and engaging way.

Consumer reactions to food safety scandals: A research model and moderating effects

2018 ◽  
pp. 385-402
Author(s):  
Camilla Barbarossa
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Blame Attribution ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Safety Incident ◽  
Attributions Of Blame

Food safety scandals are recurring events in the food industry worldwide. Consumers and companies are not immune to these incidents. However, there is a paucity of studies that examine consumer responses toward food companies involved in food safety scandals. This chapter attempts to address these issues. First, it provides theoretical bases for the psychological mechanisms through which consumers form judgments of blame toward food brands involved in food safety scandals. Second, it clarifies how attributions of blame negatively affect relevant consumer non-behavioural responses (emotions and attitude) and behavioural responses (purchase intention, word-of-mouth, and boycott) toward faulty food brands. Third, it provides a literature review of the most relevant consumer-related, brand-related, and context-related variables, which may influence the psychological mechanisms of blame attribution, and subsequent non-behavioural and behavioural responses, in the context of a food safety incident.

How important is country-of-origin for organic food consumers? A review of the literature and suggestions for future research

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 542-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Thøgersen ◽  
Susanne Pedersen ◽  
Maria Paternoga ◽  
Eva Schwendel ◽  
Jessica Aschemann-Witzel
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Country Of Origin ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Starting Point

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the country-of-origin (COO) effect in the context of organic food and develop suggestions for further research in this area. Research has investigated COO effects and consumer responses to organic food, but there is little research on the combination of the two. Design/methodology/approach A narrative review of two research streams and their intersection, forming the basis for the development of a research agenda. Findings There are few studies analysing the possible interaction between the effects of organic and COO on consumers’ food preferences and choices. In general, COO seems to lose impact when other quality cues are salient. This suggests a lower impact of COO for organic than for conventional food products. However, there is still no research on the possible impact of organic labelling in categories where products from a foreign country are able to demand a premium, and little is known about consumer preferences for different import countries regarding organic food. Six potential future research directions are suggested. Research limitations/implications There is a need for research that more systematically investigates the possible interactions between COO and organic labelling on consumers’ food product preferences and choices. A research agenda is suggested as a starting point. Originality/value This literature review highlights the lack of research on the interaction between COO effects and consumer responses to organic food. The literature review creates a basis for future research and a possible research agenda is suggested.

Country of origin and ethnocentrism in the context of lateral, upward and downward migration

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 330-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammadali Zolfagharian ◽  
Roberto Saldivar ◽  
Jakob Braun
Keyword(s):  
Country Of Origin ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Census Bureau ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Immigrant Communities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Ethnocentrism ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Us Census ◽  
Origin Effect

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of consumer ethnocentrism and country of origin across different immigrant communities. Design/methodology/approach A survey was used to collect data from immigrants in the USA and Mexico. Findings For immigrants with high levels of ethnocentrism, the bias for home and host country products interacts with the country of origin effect and creates multiple scenarios where the two effects move in the same or opposite directions. For immigrants with low levels of ethnocentrism, on the other hand, the country of origin effect alone is salient. Research limitations/implications The authors used a modified version of CETSCALE. Future research should revisit the content and dimensionality of consumer ethnocentrism in immigrant and other multicultural settings. Practical implications Both scholars and practitioners should exercise caution when working with ethnocentrism and country of origin as today’s societies are increasingly multicultural, which requires major modifications to the theories and tools. Social implications Similar to ways in which the US Census Bureau enabled multicultural consumers to assert their mixed identities, scholarly and business circles should embrace multiculturalism and empower immigrants. Originality/value Previous studies of consumer ethnocentrism and country of origin in multicultural contexts have restricted themselves to only one pattern of migration: consumers who move from developing to developed countries. The paper addresses this limitation by investigating various patterns of migration (including lateral, upward and downward) in multiple first-generation immigrant communities in two countries.

Effects of country of origin and importers’ innovativeness in new product trials

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanna Pegan ◽  
James Reardon ◽  
Donata Vianelli
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Country Of Origin ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Industrial Purchasing

Purpose The purpose of this study is to seek to investigate whether and how country of origin (COO) cues – category-country image (CCI) and typicality – and importers’ domain-specific innovativeness (DSI) influence importers’ propensity to the trial new value and premium products. Moreover, it aims to understand whether and how the relationship between the COO effect and industrial purchase intentions is moderated by importers’ propensity to innovate (DSI). Design/methodology/approach International importers completed a quantitative online survey. Factor analysis was used to summarize the latent constructs into orthogonal scores. General linear modeling was applied to the scores to test the hypotheses. Findings The results indicate that importers’ propensity to trial value products is directly influenced by CCI and importers’ DSI. For premium products, typicality has a positive effect on their propensity to trial. Also, CCI and DSI have positive effects on the trial of value products, and the effect is more pronounced than for premium products. Importers’ DSI positively moderates CCI in premium product trials, while it negatively moderates typicality in value products. Practical implications This research provides important managerial implications for practitioners seeking to increase foreign sales, strengthening importers’ product perceived value through COO cues. Exporters should distinguish between value and premium products and, in the selection of international channel partners, they must be attentive to importers’ personal characteristics, such as their propensity to innovate. Exporters selling value products should communicate CCI more clearly and, when targeting innovative importers, opt for atypical products instead of traditional ones. For premium products, which require more complex decisions, exporters should especially underscore product typicality and, with innovative importers, emphasize positive CCI. Originality/value By focusing on the two critical issues of product selection and price levels, this study’s original contribution is to emphasize that, for the same product category, in industrial purchasing decisions of value versus premium products, the COO effect can be different. It also highlights the importance of investigating the COO effect by concentrating on industrial buyers’ personal characteristics, here the DSI of importers, as moderating variables.

Can SMEs in the food industry expect competitive advantages from proactive CSR when CSR trade-offs exist?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeonsoo Kim ◽  
Nandini Bhalla
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Strategic Decisions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Public Relations Practitioners ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Price Differences ◽  
A Company

PurposeThe study aims to examine the effects of proactive vs passive environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), factoring in the moderating effects of price and the mediating effects of company–consumer identification(C-C identification) on consumer responses.Design/methodology/approachAn experiment with general consumer samples was conducted. A randomized 2 (CSR levels: proactive CSR vs passive CSR) × 2 (price as a CSR trade-off: higher price vs lower price) full factorial design was used.FindingsThe study findings revealed that proactive environmental CSR not only engendered more positive C-C identification but also resulted in more favorable consumer attitudes, stronger supportive communication intent and purchase intent. In addition, when a company demonstrates proactive CSR, consumers' C-C identification is generally positive irrespective of price differences, and in turn, more positive reactions follow. When a company takes a passive approach and offers lower prices, respondents showed significantly less positive C-C identification, and less favorable responses. This indicates that passive environmental CSR programs can potentially backfire, especially when combined with lower prices. This study also shows the important mediating impact of C-C identification on consumer responses.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few to explore consumer perceptions of and reactions toward the food industry's environmental CSR programs by degree of CSR involvement and price differences in the context of SMEs. This study's findings provide useful information to SME managers and public relations practitioners who work closely with SMEs, allowing them to make informed strategic decisions, especially when they evaluate the extent of their company's commitment to environmentally proactive CSR practices and its communication to consumers.

Consumer responses toward online review manipulation

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoon Jin Ma ◽  
Hyun-Hwa Lee
Keyword(s):  
Online Reviews ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Consumer Trust ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Negativity Effect ◽  
Online Shoppers ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
A Company

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the effect on consumer responses of firms’ manipulating online reviews based on review valence (positive vs negative) and the relationship between consumer trust and purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach – This study was designed as an experimental study using a scenario method, and data were randomly collected from 2,080 online shoppers in the USA. Findings – Findings reveal that the unfair business practice of manipulating online postings considerably undermined consumer trust toward online reviews. Consumer trust in reviews thus seems to be a critical predictor of purchase intentions, which was strengthened even when respondents knew that online reviews were manipulated. Practical implications – Companies may thus need to focus on maintaining transparency and truthfulness in online consumer reviews rather than artificially improving ratings scores or feedback levels. Originality/value – This study was the first attempt to provide empirical supports that the level of consumer trust in online reviews significantly decreased after consumers were informed that the review content had been manipulated by a company in both the positive and negative conditions. These results also support previous research articulating the negativity effect.

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