Os países estão cada vez mais conscientes da importância da sua imagem, dado que, a imagem de um país representa um ativo fundamental nas novas relações econômicas e políticas. Assim, a pesquisa da imagem dos países vem ganhando relevância no campo de estudos de Marketing Internacional. Nesse contexto, o objetivo da presente pesquisa foi: investigar quais são as dimensões que compõem a imagem do Brasil e quais são os fatores que contribuem para sua formação no exterior, especificamente na América Latina. Para atingir esse objetivo, foi realizado uma pesquisa qualitativa aplicando o método ZMET e uma pesquisa quantitativa por meio de um survey junto a uma amostra de 1617 respondentes de nacionalidade mexicana, argentina, equatoriana e boliviana. Os resultados do estudo confirmaram que o construto \"Imagem de país\" compreende três componentes (cognitivo, afetivo e conativo), confirmou-se também que a imagem do Brasil pode ser analisada por uma combinação dos componentes cognitivo, afetivo e conativo, sendo que o cognitivo foi o componente mais fortemente identificado, baseado essencialmente em crenças relacionadas à política, às pessoas do país, aos aspectos socioambientais, à economia, à inovação e à cultura do Brasil. Adicionalmente, os resultados demonstraram que, para os participantes pesquisados (mexicanos, argentinos, equatorianos e bolivianos), a internet e os jornais televisivos foram os dois meios de comunicação mais importantes para obter informações sobre o Brasil. Portanto, os meios de comunicação desempenham um papel muito importante na formação da imagem do Brasil na América Latina / The countries are increasingly aware of the importance of their image, since the image of a country is a key asset in the new economic and political relations. Thus, the research of the image of the country has been gaining importance in the international marketing field studies. In this context, the objective of this research was: investigate what are the dimensions that contribute to constitute Brazilian country image and what are the factors that helps to form this particular aspect in Latin America. To achieve this goal, we performed a qualitative research applying ZMET method, and a quantitative research through a survey with a sample of 1617 respondents of Mexican nationality, Argentina, Ecuador and Bolivia. The study results confirmed that the construct \"country image\" comprises three components (cognitive, affective and conative), it was confirmed also that the Brazilian image can be analyzed by a combination of components cognitive, affective and conative. Since the cognitive was the most strongly identified component, essentially based on beliefs related to politics, the people of the country, social and environmental aspects, the economy, innovation and culture of Brazil. In addition, the results showed that the participants surveyed (Mexicans, Argentineans, Ecuadorians and Bolivians), the Internet and television news are the two most important media for information about Brazil. Therefore, the media performs one important role in the Brazilian image formation in Latin America

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The phenomenon of psychic distance has been thoroughly researched regarding its influence on the internationalization patterns of firms into foreign markets. Psychic distance has been determined by a plethora of existing literature as an inhibitor to trade; however, much of this research only takes on the perspective of the firm. The construct of psychic distance has primarily been examined on the supply side, while a lack of literature exists examining the impact of psychic distance from the consumer’s perspective. Furthermore, the academic world has devoted little attention to applying the psychic distance construct to e-commerce, especially in terms of retail. Due to the continuously rising significance of e-commerce, especially in terms of cross-border retail, understanding the way in which consumers perceive foreign international online vendors (IOVs) is essential to business success. This thesis contributes to the existing research regarding psychic distance, by seeking to answer the following research questions: "How do varying levels of perceived psychic distance impact the online purchasing behaviors of consumers?" and "How does the impact of perceived psychic distance on purchasing behaviors vary based on consumer’s nationality?". To answer these questions, empirical data is collected through the conduct of five focus groups of varying nationalities, each either containing consumers of French, German, Swedish, Russian or Chinese nationality. The analysis of empirical data is built upon a theoretical foundation using the conceptualization of distance defined by Dow & Karunaratna (2006), consumer nationality and retailer country of origin (COO). The findings of this thesis conclude that perceived psychic distance likely has somewhat of an influence on consumer online purchasing behaviors. However, factors such as development level of retailer COO, retailer COO familiarity, development level of consumer nationality, and consumer ethnocentrism have more measurable impacts on the purchasing behaviors of consumers in the online retail context.

This thesis seeks to examine what cultural work is done on behalf of the state by the Safe Third Country Agreement and Bill C-31’s designated country of origin policy? I will be drawing on the work of Critical Race feminists and Critical Security Studies theorists to examine the concept of safety, systems of domination, and the parameters of national belonging. I will be performing a discourses analysis of the government’s and the Canadian Council for Refugee’s year one report of the Safe Third Country Agreement. I will also be performing a discourse analysis of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website’s discussion of designated countries of origin. I will argue that state exaltation constructs the state, refugees, and safety in a way that reifies systems of domination.

The thesis "Perception of Chinese hi-tech brands in Europe" examines how Chinese origin affects the perception of hi-tech brands by European customers. The theoretical part deals with the concept of country of origin and its relationship to the concept of brand equity. The practical part is devoted to the research on the topic of perception of Chinese smartphones in Europe. The research results confirm both hypotheses: 1. Customers when choosing a smartphone brand are not affected by the country of origin. 2. European customers do not perceive Chinese hi-tech products as of low quality.

Perception plays an important role in the human assessment process. This construction of an image is based on many factors, including race, religion, national origin, income, gender, marital status - in short, the summation of our life experiences. An important consideration for the methodology consumers utilize for purchase decisions has been also referred to as the "Country of Origin" (COO) effect. This individual bias based on perceptions and attitudes has a significant impact on how consumers make their purchasing decisions. The 2008 Farm Bill legislation contained a requirement for country of origin labeling (COOL) for beef, lamb, pork, and other products. This paper examined some of the 2008 Farm Bill's impact on consumer's purchasing decisions regarding beef and related meat protein products. Of a potential population of over 700 respondents, 161 responses were received. Correspondence analysis and preferences indicated by the respondents were used to analyze the results. Respondents were mostly well educated, white, in higher income brackets, and split about 60%-40% between male and female. Food safety is considered important and respondents generally believe that the US food supply is safe. Over 40% of respondents had no knowledge of COOL and its background, but about 70% of respondents believed that COOL should be mandatory for all meat products studied. The majority of respondents (111 of 161) indicated that they would be willing to pay $0.25 to $1.00 per pound more for COOL. However when asked about the likeliness to pay, 25%-30% indicated that they were "Not at all Likely" or "Somewhat Likely" to pay. The correspondence analysis results indicated that beef was a product eaten more often, but considered expensive. Chicken was eaten more often and considered inexpensive and healthful. Turkey was a product considered healthful and inexpensive. Lamb was considered expensive, while pork was inconclusive in the two dimensions used. The results of this study provide information for producers, purveyors, retailers, and the government on the importance of COOL as perceived by consumers, and their willingness to pay for this labeling.

This dissertation examines the relative importance of country of manufacturing and country-of-brand versus the functional attributes for industrial products. The study examines country of origin, country-of-brand origin, and how they affect the purchasing team, or what is referred to in this study as the decision-making unit, when purchasing commercial refrigeration compressors. The literature reveals that the international marketing community has been looking at the country-of-origin and what effect it has on the purchasing decision-making process. Even though the world seems to be becoming smaller, purchasing people may still be valuing the country or brand effect before making final purchasing decisions. A conjoint analysis experiment was performed with a group of people who have purchased commercial refrigeration compressors in the past 5 years. The QuestionPro web page was used to collect the data from global users, where they were asked to rank the 36 conjoint analysis cards and a questionnaire which was to determine the respondents' demographic characteristics.

Este estudo aborda um tema relevante para empresas brasileiras com interesse no mercado global, que é a decisão de associar-se ou não à \"Marca Brasil\" em processos de internacionalização de suas marcas. A economia brasileira vem ocupando uma posição de mais evidência no cenário econômico mundial, trazendo oportunidades para empresas brasileiras se inserirem no mercado global. Marcas fortes são um dos meios mais efetivos de construção de valor agregado. Estereótipos que compradores possuem a respeito do país de origem de um produto influenciam sua avaliação, além das características intrínsecas deste produto. Este é o chamado efeito país de origem. Ou seja, o país de origem também é uma \"marca\", fazendo-se necessário que as empresas brasileiras compreendam este fenômeno. Embora o número de pesquisas acadêmicas brasileiras sobre o tema venha aumentando, a sua relevância justifica seu aprofundamento. A contribuição desta tese foi compreender como as empresas estudadas tomam a decisão de associar-se ou não à \"Marca Brasil\", aspecto que ainda não tinha sido especificamente estudado em outros trabalhos. Depois de estudada a literatura sobre o tema, verificou-se como empresas brasileiras específicas compreendem os conceitos de \"efeito país de origem\" e \"marca país\". Finalmente, foi investigado como estas empresas tomam a decisão de associar-se ou não à Marca Brasil. O tipo de pesquisa escolhida foi exploratória, com o método do estudo de caso, o que permitiu aprofundar a questão. As empresas selecionadas foram a rede de fast food Giraffas e a Embraer, empresas em diferentes estágios de internacionalização e de setores distintos, permitindo análises sob diferentes perspectivas. A conclusão da pesquisa de campo é de que as empresas estudadas reconhecem a existência dos conceitos \"efeito país de origem\" e \"marca país\". No entanto, como este conhecimento ainda não está devidamente suportado pela teoria disponível, o processo decisório de associação ou não com a marca país carece de melhor embasamento. Ou seja, uma decisão de relevância para as marcas brasileiras em processo de internacionalização é tomada com mais intuição do que o necessário e o recomendável. / This study addresses an important issue for Brazilian companies with interest in the global market, which is the decision to join or not \"Brand Brazil\" in processes of internationalization of their brands. The Brazilian economy has been occupying a position of more evidence in the global economic scenario, bringing opportunities for Brazilian companies to fit into the global market. It is undeniable that strong brands are one of the most effective means of building added value. Buyers\' stereotypes about the country of origin of a product influence their evaluation, beyond the intrinsic characteristics of this product. This is called the country of origin effect. That is, the country of origin is also a \"brand\", which makes it necessary that Brazilian companies understand this phenomenon. Although the number of Brazilian academic research on the subject has been increasing, its relevance justifies its deepening. The contribution of this thesis was to understand how the studied companies make the decision to join or not \"Brand Brazil\", an aspect that had not been specifically studied in previous research. After studying the literature on the subject, we examined how specific Brazilian companies understand the concepts of \"country of origin effect\" and \"country brand\". Finally, it was investigated how these companies decide to join or not Brand Brazil. The type of research chosen was exploratory, with the case study method for data collection, which allowed to further examine the issue. The companies chosen were the fast-food chain Giraffas and Embraer, companies in different stages of internationalization and different sectors, allowing analysis from different perspectives. The completion of field research is that the studied companies recognize the existence of the concepts \"country of origin effect\" and \"country brand\". However, as this knowledge is not properly grounded in theory, the decision process of association or not with the country brand lacks foundation. That is, a decision of relevance to the Brazilian brands in the internationalization process is taken more intuitively than necessary and advisable.

Abstract Date: 2020/06/09 Level: Master Thesis in Business Administration, 15 credits. Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University. Authors: Yi Wei (85/01/01) & Jiaying Zhu (95/10/27)  Title: Factors Affecting Consumers’ Purchase Intention towards The Smartphone of The Chinese Brands  Tutor: Professor Ulf R Andersson Keywords: Country-of-Origin, Perceived Brand Quality, Chinese Brands, Subjective Knowledge, Price Sensitivity Research Question: How do the factors of perceived brand quality on COO cues, price sensitivity, and subjective knowledge of product influence consumers’ purchase intention towards the smartphones of the Chinese brands?  Purpose: This study aims to investigate factors related to the purchase intention towards smartphone of the Chinese brands in the developed market and provide managerial suggestions for Chinese smartphone firms. Method: This empirical study is conducted by the quantitative research method with an online survey for data gathering. Conclusion: It concludes that the purchase intention of western consumers towards Chinese smartphones is positively influenced by two factors: perceived brand quality on COO cues and subjective knowledge of product. The price sensitivity has no impact on purchase intention. Therefore, the lower price strategy of smartphone should not be adopted by Chinese firms. The Focus should be on brand management to convey the superior quality performance of smartphone of Chinese brands.

The study aimed to explore and describe consumers’ reliance on brands, specifically the Country of Origin (COO) of brands as a heuristic, i.e. the perceived quality of a selected category of interior merchandise and to subsequently explain how COO influences consumers’ quality perceptions and product choices. The study focussed on major household appliances, due to the prominence of brand names and the COO on these products. In other interior merchandise product categories such as furniture and textile products, the brand name and COO is not necessarily that prominent or visible. A survey was conducted in the Tshwane metropolitan, which is a wealthy urban area in South Africa and a key role player in the economic sector. The study was conducted in the context of an emerging economy, where international brands have penetrated the market and made a wider range of products and brands available to the consumer. The data was collected by using convenience sampling methods supplemented by snowball sampling. It involved the self-completion of a structured questionnaire by 450 willing respondents who fit the prerequisite for the study, i.e. males and females, 25 years and older who belong to the middle to upper socio-economic group (earn R5000 or more per month) and who have an education level of grade 12 or higher, regardless of population group. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, as well as exploratory factor analysis, specifically Principal Axis Factoring, using an Oblimin rotation with Kaiser Normalization to determine the underlying factors associated with the quality indicated by brand names and the associations consumers make of brand names and specific product characteristics. Calculations of means, standard deviations, Cronbach’s Alpha, Anova, t-tests and post hoc Sheffe’s tests were calculated where significant differences between demographics were investigated for further interpretation. The study concluded that consumers are relatively brand conscious, men more so than women and that they are brand familiar in terms of various major household appliance brands. Quality as the most important branded product meaning were confirmed, as well as the use of brands as an indicator of performance and functional product attributes, i.e. value for money. Brands are also frequently used, especially by females, as an indicator of the product’s environmental and ethical compliances, but less so to infer its status implications. The study did however confirm younger consumers use brand names to a greater extent to infer social status than older consumers. It also revealed that the Black and other population group use brand names as an indication of status characteristics significantly more than White consumers. Consumers seem to have little knowledge of the COO of brands; they do however have strong stereotypes of Western and Eastern countries as well as South Africa, where Western countries enjoy more positive stereotypes than the others. These stereotypes also seem to strongly influence their overall quality perceptions of major household appliances, especially in terms of durability, performance and prestige. The COO of a brand can therefore have implications for its brand equity and should be addressed in brand management and marketing initiatives. / Dissertation (MConsumer Science)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Consumer Science / MConsumer Science / Unrestricted