Leonidou et al. 2006 EJM.pdf

Group Cue ReferencesDistribution/servicePrice attractivenessCost efficiency Han (1989)EconomicalDealershipnetwork/supportProduct availabilityProduct serviceabilityRepairability/maintenanceParameswaran and Yaprak (1987); Knight andCalantone (2000); Nagashima (1970, 1977); Heslopand Papadopoulos (1993); Han and Terpstra(1988); Iyer and Kalita (1997); Johansson et al.(1994); Choe and Cho (2000)Parameswaran and Yaprak (1987); Knight andCalantone (2000); Nagashima (1970, 1977);Papadopoulos et al. (1990a, b)Johansson et al. (1994)Heslop and Papadopoulos (1993); Papadopouloset al. (1990a, b)Parameswaran and Yaprak (1987); Knight andCalantone (2000); Nagashima (1970, 1977); Heslopand Papadopoulos (1993); Han and Terpstra(1988); Papadopoulos et al. (1990a, b); Johanssonet al. (1994)Parameswaran and Yaprak (1987); Knight andCalantone (2000); Haubl (1996); Choe and Cho(2000); Papadopoulos et al. (1990a, b)Promotional issues Intensively advertised Parameswaran and Yaprak (1987); Knight andCalantone (2000); Nagashima (1970, 1977); Heslopand Papadopoulos (1993); Papadopoulos et al.(1990a, b)Widely-known goods Nagashima (1970, 1977); Heslop andPapadopoulos (1993); Papadopoulos et al. (1990a,b); Choe and Cho (2000)Prestigious products Nagashima (1970, 1977); Han and Terpstra(1988); Roth and Romeo (1992); Papadopouloset al. (1990a, b); Choe and Cho (2000)InternationalrecognitionSaywell (1999)US versusChinese goods805Table III.precise information that was conducive to better shaping their perceptions of a specificmodel.The above results partially confirm both parts of the first research hypothesis (H1aand H1b), in the sense that, although consumer evaluations vary among the five levelsof analysis, this variation stemmed mainly from the different way the brand wasperceived by respondents on all product cues. This confirms earlier postulations that atangible brand may overshadow or emphasize the effects of country-of-origin image,since it provides more precise and tangible information about the characteristics of aproduct (Knight and Calantone, 2000). However, the value of the brand may be eitheroverestimated or underestimated by consumers, especially when they do not have anyknowledge and/or experience of a specific model. Indeed, the findings showed thatwhen consumers are provided with more hands-on information about a model, s/he hasa more complete picture and is in a better position to make more precise evaluations. Inthe present case, the specific Whirpool model shown had diminished the value of thebrand in the eyes of consumers, while the Haier model increased it.