Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-1999

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Communication

Major Professor

Roxanne Hovland

Committee Members

Eric Haley, Mariea Hoy

Abstract

"Country-of-Origin (CO)" has been evaluated as a critical factor, which affect consumers' evaluations of foreign products. This study focuses on the influence of personal cognitive structures on various facets of CO. "Personal beliefs" is mainly handled as a critical factor to predict CO. Assuming that CO influences consumers' attitudes toward foreign products, this study has its research frame with two fundamental concepts: 1) Hierarchy of effects model and 2) Three facets of CO. Based on the hierarchy of effects model, personal beliefs assume a role as a cognitive dimension, which affect affective and behavioral dimensions. Affective and behavioral dimensions are measured as attitudes toward CO and intentions to purchase foreign products. Different CO facets are examined. There are three CO facets which affect consumers' evaluations on foreign products: "GCA (General Country Attributes)," "GPA (General Product Attributes)," and "SPA (Specific Product Attributes)." These three facets influence reciprocally, and the overall CO image is assumed to be integrated with them. This study conceptualized that the two product facets, GPA and SPA, have two separate dimensions: affective and behavioral dimension. South Korea and its nine product categories are dealt with in this study. The two research questions are: 1) "Do personal beliefs of consumers affect CO?" and 2) "How do the three facets of CO interrelate?" It examines if the influences of personal beliefs can predict consumers' attitudes toward and the intention to purchase foreign products by multiple and stepwise regression. The correlation method was used to examine the interrelationships among the three CO facets. Finally, the majority of product categories and the products in general showed significant results. The attitude toward Korea, Korean products, and some Korean specific product categories were significantly predicted and explained with personal beliefs. In other words, the more people know about Korea, Koreans, and Korean products, the more positive their attitudes toward and the intention to purchase Korean products. Especially, several technological products like VCRs, TVs, and automobiles were well predicted rather than other kinds of products. The interrelationships among the facets were considerably high, so it can be inferred that images of Korea, Korean products in general, and several specific Korean products are much interrelated with one another.

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