Country-of-origin image effects on satisfaction and purchase intention in the industrial market for seafood products : a study of Norwegian, Chilean and Canadian salmon buyers
Abstract
Despite the growing importance of country-of-origin (COO) effects in industrial markets,
most prior research has been concentrated on these effects only in consumer environments.
In addition, existing studies on country-of-origin image (COI) have mainly targeted the
relationship between COI and perceived product quality for durable goods. This study
examines the influence of country-of-origin image effects of three different countries on
perceived quality, buyer satisfaction and purchase intention among industrial buyers of
seafood products in the USA. Perceived supplier reliability, a new construct in COO
research, is presented and linked with COI and buyer satisfaction in the conceptual model
developed by the researcher. This research uses a mixed methods approach, utilizing both
surveys and in-depth interviews, to gather relevant B2B data for identifying the main
influencing factors of COI. Structural Equations Modeling (SEM) and multiple regression
analyses are employed in order to test the relationships proposed in the model. The
analyses show that COI impacts overall buyer satisfaction and purchase intentions
indirectly and that its influence is mediated by perceived product quality and perceived
supplier reliability. Consistent with previous studies, perceived product quality is strongly
influenced by the favorability of COI. COI is also found to strongly influence perceived
supplier reliability, although certain differences are visible between the various countries.
Following the interviews, several new relationships, such as the one between COO,
sustainability and CSR are also found.