Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Impact of country-of-origin cues on consumer judgments in multi-cue situations: a covariance analysis

  • Published:
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effect of country-of-origin labelling on consumers’ assessments of product quality, risk to purchase, perceived value and likelihood of purchasing was tested experimentally in a multi-product, multi-cue setting. Country-of-origin information was found to be more important in affecting product quality assessments than were price and brand information. Price was important in value assessment while brand was significant in a few product specific cases. Age, education, sex, and perceptions of ability to judge products were variously related to consumers’ ratings of quality, risk, value and likelihood of purchase especially when the product was more complex and difficult to judge. However, much of the variation in consumer judgments was not accounted for by the variables employed in this study, suggesting that future research should include more detailed studies of information processing whereby intrinsic and extrinsic product cues and a wide range of consumer characteristics are taken into consideration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allison, R.I. and K.P. Uhl. 1964. “Influence of Beer Brand Identification on Taste Perceptions.”Journal of Marketing Research 1: 36–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bannister, J.P. and J.A. Saunders. 1978. “U.K. Consumers’ Attitudes Towards Imports: the Measurement of National Stereotype Image.”European Journal of Marketing 12: 562–570.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barker, T. 1987. “A Study of Attitudes Towards Products Made in Australia.”Journal of Global Marketing 1: 131–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bilkey, W. and E. Nes. 1982. “Country of Origin Effects on Product Evaluations.”Journal of International Business Studies 13: 89–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collyer, C.E. and J.T. Enns. 1987.Analysis of Variance the Basic Designs. Chicago: Nelson-Hall Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowan, C.D. 1989. “Mall Intercepts and Clinical Trials: the Philosophy of Inference from Different Types of Research Designs.”Marketing Research 1: 15–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, D.F. 1962. “The Measurement of Information Value: A Study in Consumer Decision-Making.” InEmerging Concepts in Marketing. Ed. W.S. Decker. Chicago: American Marketing Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dornoff, R.J., C.B. Tankersly, and G.P. White. 1974. “Consumers’ Perceptions of Imports.”Akron Business and Economic Review 5: 26–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Enis, B.M. and J.E. Stafford. 1969. “Consumers’ Perceptions of Product Quality as a Function of Various Informational Inputs.” InMarketing Involvement in Society and the Economy. Ed. P. McDonald. Chicago: American Marketing Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Han, C. Min. 1989. “Country Image: Halo or Summary Construct.”Journal of Marketing Research. 26: 222–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han, C. Min and V. Terpstra. 1988. “Country-of-origin Effects for Uninational and Bi-national Products.”Journal of International Business Studies. 14 (Summer): 235–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heslop, L.A., J.P. Liefeld and M. Wall. 1987. “Experimental Study of the Impact of Country-of-Origin Information.” InMarketing. Ed. R. Turner. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada. 8: 179–185.

  • Hong, S. and R.S. Wyer, Jr. 1989. “Effects of Country-of-Origin and Product-Attribute Information on Product Evaluation: An Information Processing Perspective.”Journal of Consumer Research. 16 (September): 175–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hung, C.L. 1989. “A Country-of-Origin Product Image Study: The Canadian Perception and Nationality Biases.”Journal of International Consumer Marketing. 1 (3): 5–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacoby, J., J.D. Olson, and R.A. Haddock. 1971. “Price, Brand Name and Product Composition Characteristics as Determinants of Perceived Quality.”Journal of Applied Psychology. 570–579.

  • Johansson, J.K. and I.D. Nebenzahl. 1987. “Country-of-Origin, Social Norms and Behavioral Intentions.”Advances in International Marketing. 2: 65–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaynak, E. and S.T. Cavusgil. 1983. “Consumer Attitudes Towards Products of Foreign Origin: Do They Vary Across Product Classes?.”International Journal of Advertising. 2: 146–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambert, Z. 1972. “Price and Choice Behaviour.”Journal of Marketing Research. 9 (February): 35–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leavitt, H.J. 1954. “A Note on Some Experimental Findings About the Meaning of Price.”Journal of Business 27: 205–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levin, I.P. and R.D. Johnson. 1984. “Estimating Price-Quality Tradeoffs Using Comparative Judgements.”Journal of Consumer Research. 11: 593–600.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liefeld, J.P., M. Wall, G. Hofstra and L.A. Heslop. 1988. “Explicit vs. Conjoint Measurement of Attribute Importance: Convergent Validity.” InMarketing. Ed. T. Barker. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada. 9: 38–47.

  • McConnell, J. 1968. “An Experimental Examination of the Price-Quality Relationship.”Journal of Business. 40: 439–444.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nes, E.B. 1981. “Consumer Perceptions of Product Risk and Quality for Goods Manufactured in Developing Versus Industrialized Nations.”Dissertation. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson, J.C. 1972. “Cue Utilization in the Quality Perception Process.” InProceedings of the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Consumer Research. Ed. M. Venkatesan. Association for Consumer Research.

  • — 1972a. “Product Quality Perception: A Model of Cue Utilization.”Dissertation. Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.

    Google Scholar 

  • Papadopoulous, N.G. 1986. “Development and Organization of a Cross National Study: The Country-of-Origin Effect.” InProceedings of a Workshop on International Marketing Strategy. Ed. M.G. Bradley and N.G. Papadopoulous.

  • Peterson, R.A. 1972. “The Price-Perceived Quality Relationship: Experimental Evidence.”Journal of Marketing Research 7: 525–528.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, V.R. 1971. “Salience of Price in the Perception of Product Quality: A Multidimensional Measurement Approach.” InMarketing in Motion, Combined Proceedings of the AMA 1971 Spring and Fall Conference. Ed. F.C. Allvine. Chicago: American Marketing Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reierson, C. 1966. “Are Foreign Products Seen as National Stereotypes?”Journal of Retailing 42 (Fall): 33–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shellinck, D.A. 1989. “Determinants of Country of Origin Cue Usage.” InMarketing. Ed. A. d’Astous. Administrative Sciences Association of Canada. 10: 268–275.

  • Schooler, R.D. 1971. “Bias Phenomenon Attendant to the Marketing of Foreign Goods in the U.S..”Journal of International Business Studies 2 (Spring): 71–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schooler, R.D. and D.H. Sunoo. 1966. “Consumer Perceptions of Intermational Products: Regional vs. National Labelling.”Social Sciences Quarterly (March): 886–890.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scitovsky, T. 1944–45. “Some Consequences of the Habit of Judging Quality by Price.”The Review of Economic Studies 12: 100–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, B. 1973. “Price Relance, Existence and Sources.”Journal of Marketing Research 10: 286–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, E.M. and C.L. Broome. 1966. “Experimental Determinants of the Effect of Price and Market Standing on Consumers’ Brand Preferences.” InScience, Technology and Marketing, Proceedings of the American Marketing Association, 1966 Fall Conference. Ed. R. Haas. Chicago: American Marketing Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanton, J.L. and P.G. Bonner. 1980. “An Investigation of the Differential Impact of Purchase Situation on Levels of Consumer Choice Behavior.” InAdvances in Consumer Research VII. Ed. J.C. Olson. Ann Arbor: Association for Consumer Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sudman, S. 1980. “Improving the Quality of Shopping Center Sampling.”Journal of Marketing Research 17: 423–431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Szybillo, G.J. and J. Jacoby. 1972. “The Relative Effects of Price, Store Image, and Intrinsic Product Differences on Product Quality Evaluations.” InProceedings of the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Consumer Research, Ed. M. Venkatesan. Chicago: Association for Consumer Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Valenzi, E.R. and I.R. Andrew. 1971. “Effects of Price Information on Product Quality Ratings.”Journal of Applied Psychology 37: 106–191.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wall, M. and L.A. Heslop. 1986. “Consumer Attitudes Toward Canadian-Made Versus Imported Products.”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 14 (Summer): 27–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wall, M., L.A. Heslop, and G. Hofstra. 1988. “Male and Female Viewpoints of Countries as Producers of Consumer Goods.”Journal of International Consumer Marketing 1: 1–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wall, M., J.P. Liefeld and L.A. Heslop. 1989. “Impact of Country-of-Origin Cues and Patriotic Appeals on Consumer Judgements: Covariance Analysis.” InMarketing. Ed. A. d’Astous. 10: 303–316.

  • Will, T.R. and R.W. Hasty. 1971. “Attitude Measurement Under Conditions of Multiple Stimuli.”Journal of Marketing 35. 66–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeithaml, V.A. 1988. “Consumer Perceptions of Price, Quality, and Value: a Means-end Model and Synthesis of Evidence.”Journal of Marketing 52: 2–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

    Marjorie Wall & John Liefeld

  2. Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

    Louise A. Heslop

Authors
  1. Marjorie Wall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John Liefeld
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Louise A. Heslop
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wall, M., Liefeld, J. & Heslop, L.A. Impact of country-of-origin cues on consumer judgments in multi-cue situations: a covariance analysis. JAMS 19, 105–113 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02726002

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02726002

Keywords

Search

Navigation