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This study aims to determine and analyze the relationship between Consumer Ethnocentrism, Country of Origin, Purchase Intention, and Perceived Quality in local cosmetics of Indonesian products. This research will be conducted by the explanatory research method. The population of this study is women in Malang who already know the products of MAKEOVER but have never purchased the product. The sample from this study amounted to 186 respondents. This study, the number of variables studied as many as four variables, namely consumer ethnocentrism, country of origin, perceived quality, and purchase intention. This study was conducted to dispel the assumption that genuine local products, especially Indonesian cosmetics, are still often judged to be inferior to imported products. The data collection techniques in this study were conducted through questionnaires and documentation. The technique used in taking the sample was non-probability sampling using quota sampling from prospective consumers. Data analysis techniques used through validity tests use Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) instrument validity tests, reliability tests, and Partial Least Square (PLS) approach with Smart PLS 3 software. The results showed that consumer ethnocentrism owned by women in Malang is a prospective consumer of local products has led to the interest in purchasing MAKEOVER products as opposed to imported cosmetic products, an exciting finding in this study because the high ethnocentric spirit does not make people want to buy local products, further findings that a good image of the country of origin is proven to influence the buying interest of prospective consumers and also proven to be a good antecedent between consumer ethnocentrism and purchase intention than perceived quality managed to be the primary mediation between consumer ethnocentrism and purchase intention in local products. Based on the result of this study, the company must compete with imported products by increasing the ethnocentrism campaign to its consumers so that it can create continuous purchase intentions in many ways.

Despite extensive evidence that a brand's country-of-origin (COO) affects consumers' brand evaluations and behavioral intentions, consumers are often reluctant to admit this influence. Challenging the proclaimed irrelevance of the COO concept, the present study assesses the phenomenon of COO cue usage denial, an unconscious defense mechanism that consumers apply to maintain an acceptable self-image. Drawing on self-affirmation theory and based on two experimental studies (combined N = 462), the authors demonstrate that a substantial proportion of consumers are influenced by the COO cue when assessing brands, despite claims to the contrary. Such consumers not only differ from consumers who do not know a brand's COO but also modify their brand assessments and behavioral intentions when exposed to a COO change. This study also develops a consumer typology based on both the stated (self-reported) and actual influence of a brand's COO, thus highlighting the importance of segmenting consumers according to their susceptibility to COO influences. The authors discuss several theoretical and managerial implications and identify directions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents data on the influence of the breed of linear affiliation, country of origin on the quality indicators of sperm production of sire bulls. The research was carried out on bulls of Holstein, Black Pied, Brown Swiss and Hereford bulls at the age of 2-6 years in OOO Nizhegorodskoie for Stock Breeding. In our studies, bulls of different breeds differed from each other in qualitative and quantitative indicators. Holstein bulls had the largest volume of ejaculate, 7.57 ± 0.19 ml, in the context of the lineages the fluctuations were insignificant. The highest concentration of sperm was found in the ejaculate of Hereford beef bulls, 0.789 ± 0.105 billion/ml. The best sperm activity was found in Holstein and Brown Swiss bulls (6.42 and 6.47 points, respectively). The influence of the breed on the volume of ejaculate was 34.4%, on the concentration of sperm in the ejaculate – 18.8%, on the activity of sperm – 25.6%. The average volume of ejaculate is a rather variable sign. The coefficient of variability ranges from 10.7 to 32.1%. The sperm concentration has slightly less variability, the coefficient of variability is 11.8-24.8%. The variability in sperm activity was the lowest of the three studied parameters. The lowest value of the coefficient of variation of sperm activity was found in the Laird lineage of Brown Swiss bulls, 0.1%; the highest in Hereford bulls, 10.6%. The number of sperm doses stored in the storage depends to a greater extent on the activity of sperm cells (r = 0.421), to a lesser extent on their concentration in the ejaculate (r = 0.375). Holstein bulls from Canada are of full age (5-6 years), which is why they exceeded domestic stud bulls in terms of ejaculate volume and sperm activity with statistical significance. The difference in sperm concentration between stud bulls has not been established.

The Italian export of agri-food products has been increasingly threatened by the unfair use of misleading Italian symbols (such as the national flag or the green-white-red colors) by non-Italian producers. This research paper investigated what English and Spanish consumers know about "Made in Italy" food, and their attitude towards Italian appearance food products. Primary data were collected in Spain and England, and a probit model was used to identify the determinants of consumers' vulnerability to misleading Italian symbols. We found that merely having Italian symbols on the package might lead almost half of the consumers in the sample to consider food as Made in Italy, regardless of the actual origin. This result confirms the severity of the problem. The econometric model provides suggestions for public actions to mitigate the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Gestão e Regionalidade is the property of Universidade Municipal de Sao Caetano do Sul and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Economics & Development (2008-4722) is the property of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Anti‐vaccination sentiment and vaccine hesitancy are on the rise. This is unfortunate given the world's coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic response plan relies on a global vaccination program the likes of which has never been attempted. Using an anti‐consumption lens, this study utilizes a qualitative approach and 53 interviews revolving around people's attitudes towards the COVID‐19 vaccination plan. The findings reveal that COVID‐19 vaccination hesitancy comes from two major factors: stable factors and contextual factors. Stable factors refer to factors that are consistently found in anti‐vaccination movements and include political and philosophical opposition. Contextual factors refer to factors that are highly dependent on the COVID‐19 situation and relates to a negative benefit to risk ratio informed by information overload and the influence of marketing phenomena such as branding and country of origin effects. Finally, theoretical and managerial contributions are offered for public policymakers and social marketers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A smartphone is now part of Filipino consumers' lifestyles, so smartphone brands are becoming more competitive and innovative to become the top brand in consumers' choice. There are many factors to consider in determining how Filipino consumers choose their preferred smartphone brands. As past studies show, Filipino consumers are xenocentric and prefer to buy products made internationally and not locally. The researchers focused on three (3) Independent variables and one (1) Moderating Variable to understand if Filipino consumers are xenocentric in buying smartphones. (1) Brand Preference, to understand the factors that affect their preference in buying. (2) Brand Equity, to study how the consumers value the brand. (3) Purchase Intention, to know the factors that contribute to the consumers' purchase decision, and (1) Country of Origin as moderating variable on the three (3) variables. The result revealed that the Country of Origin has no moderating influence on the three (3) Independent variables. This study used the descriptive-correlational and quantitative method in collecting data from the respondents through an online questionnaire. The survey was divided into sections to aid researchers in determining the relationship between these three variables. Country of Origin is not the priority of Filipino consumers in terms of smartphone brands. Consumers are focusing more on their Brand Preference and Brand Equity in purchasing smartphones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on perspectives on triadic group relations and status hierarchies, we predicted that Americans would be more likely to expect immigrants from a perceived low-status rather than high-status country of origin to assimilate to the U.S. mainstream culture and that ethnocentrism would mediate this effect (N = 2,246). Using 60 countries/areas as targets, Study 1 showed that perceived country status negatively predicted assimilation expectations for immigrants from that country. In Studies 2 through 3, participants were exposed to a news article which emphasized China's shortcomings, achievements, or status-irrelevant attributes. In Studies 4 through 7, including one preregistered study, participants were presented with a portrayal of a fictitious country with high (or intermediate) or low status. Compared with high-status (or intermediate status) conditions, American participants were more likely to expect immigrants from a low-status country to assimilate to the United States, and ethnocentrism (causally) mediated these effects even when alternative mediators were controlled. Moreover, assimilation expectations mediated the effect of country status on a tendency to Anglicize a new immigrant's name. A meta-analysis supported a significant effect of country status on assimilation expectations, and a mega-analysis verified the mediating role of ethnocentrism. This research reveals a status bias toward immigrants, broadening our views on how international relations affect domestic relations, highlighting the importance and malleability of ethnocentrism. The generalizability of current American findings to other countries is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare agronomic and seed traits of 135 common bean landraces originating from Korea, Bulgaria, and El Salvador, we evaluated 20 morphological traits and performed principal component analysis (PCA). In the PCA, the first and second principal components accounted for 55.15% and 15.97% of the total variance, respectively. The first component showed a strong positive correlation with seed size and 100-seed weight, whereas the second component produced a strong negative correlation with days to flowering and days to maturity, indicating that these traits may explain the differences between landraces originating from different countries. Landraces from Korea showed higher variation in days to flowering and days to maturity; those from Bulgaria produced larger and heavier seeds; those from El Salvador produced smaller and lighter seeds and flowering and maturity occurred earlier. In addition, the landraces from El Salvador had relatively lower diversity compared to those from other countries, as they were grouped within a small cluster in the PCA. These evaluation results may provide important information for selecting breeding materials, and diversity analyses of landraces from different countries provide information for securing genetic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to provide practical implications for South Korean corporations seeking to enter the Chinese market. It explored the influences of brand image and favorability toward citizens in a product's country of origin (FCPCO) on consumers' product evaluation and repurchase intention, in addition to examining the moderating effects of procedural switching costs (economic risk costs, evaluation costs, learning costs, and set-up costs), financial switching costs (benefit loss costs and monetary loss costs), and relational switching costs (personal relationship loss costs and brand relationship loss costs) on the aforementioned influences. Although previous studies have established the relationships between some of the aforementioned variables, further research is required to determine the moderating effects of switching costs in various dimensions. Studies on the relationships of a product's country of origin with product evaluation and repurchase intention have rarely explored FCPCO. Through a questionnaire survey, this study obtained effective data from 302 respondents. Constituted of an exploratory research design, this study adopted PLS-SEM method for empirical analysis. IPMA analysis results indicated that brand image had a stronger influence on product evaluation than FCPCO did and that FCPCO had a stronger influence on repurchase intention than brand image did. Overall, the performance of FCPCO was higher than that of brand image. Moreover, economic risk costs and brand relationship loss costs positively moderated the relationship between brand image and product evaluation; monetary loss costs and brand relationship loss costs negatively moderated the relationship between FCPCO and product evaluation. These study results could help corporations gain competitive edge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid stringent traceability requirements and a nearly 14‐year ban, the U.S. beef industry is rebuilding its market presence in China. Blockchain technology offers a responsive means of meeting Chinese import traceability requirements while also addressing consumers' food safety concerns. We evaluate Chinese demand for U.S. beef and blockchain‐based traceability and find that a sizeable segment of the market (37%) is willing to pay a premium for U.S. beef that is traceable using blockchains. Results indicate that investments in traceability systems that utilize blockchain technology may be an effective way for producers to capture a significant market share in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The primary purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between the country-of-origin (COO) construct and destination brand building (DBB) to reveal whether the COO construct and its dimensions are important for DBB. More specifically, the paper explores whether COO construct dimensions can impact destination branding. Design/Methodology/Approach – The research was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire on a sample of 409 respondents from the United States and Croatia. SPSS was used for data analysis. Findings and implications – While the COO is relevant for DBB, it cannot be used in the same manner as in product/service branding. Certain COO dimensions which are extremely important for product/service brands (e.g., level of technological development, standard of living) are not as critical for DBB. The political situation and perceived safety are COO dimensions that have proven to be important in the context of DBB. Limitations – The main limitation of the paper arises from sampling, relying on Facebook and LinkedIn for questionnaire distribution. Originality – With this research, we are decomposing the COO construct and investigating the impact of its dimensions on DBB.

This study aimed to provide practical implications for South Korean corporations seeking to enter the Chinese market. It explored the influences of brand image and favorability toward citizens in a product’s country of origin (FCPCO) on consumers’ product evaluation and repurchase intention, in addition to examining the moderating effects of procedural switching costs (economic risk costs, evaluation costs, learning costs, and set-up costs), financial switching costs (benefit loss costs and monetary loss costs), and relational switching costs (personal relationship loss costs and brand relationship loss costs) on the aforementioned influences. Although previous studies have established the relationships between some of the aforementioned variables, further research is required to determine the moderating effects of switching costs in various dimensions. Studies on the relationships of a product’s country of origin with product evaluation and repurchase intention have rarely explored FCPCO. Through a questionnaire survey, this study obtained effective data from 302 respondents. Constituted of an exploratory research design, this study adopted PLS-SEM method for empirical analysis. IPMA analysis results indicated that brand image had a stronger influence on product evaluation than FCPCO did and that FCPCO had a stronger influence on repurchase intention than brand image did. Overall, the performance of FCPCO was higher than that of brand image. Moreover, economic risk costs and brand relationship loss costs positively moderated the relationship between brand image and product evaluation; monetary loss costs and brand relationship loss costs negatively moderated the relationship between FCPCO and product evaluation. These study results could help corporations gain competitive edge.

Can employers learn to hire? This article conceptualizes hiring as a dynamic experiential learning process. Instead of examining hiring as a point in time decision, I investigate whether and how employers’ past hiring experiences affect their future decisions. Drawing on evidence from a global online market for contract labor, I argue that employers revise their beliefs regarding job applicants from a particular social category following a negative hiring experience from that social category. I analyze over 16 Million applications from freelancers worldwide for over 2.2 Million jobs from 557,416 employers. I find that employers who have a negative hiring experience with a freelancer from a particular country are subsequently less likely to hire other freelancers from that country. This effect is stronger on hiring for identical subsequent jobs and weaker for other jobs. Most strikingly, evidence from the actual hiring switches following a negative experience and a simulation using data from the observed distribution of freelancers on the platform demonstrate that employers unnecessarily oversteer away from countries given the narrow distribution of observable ability among freelancers. Switches do not result in hiring from a “better” country.

Although a growing literature explores the relationship between migration and fertility, far less scholarship has examined how migrant childbearing varies over time, including across migrant cohorts. I extend previous research by exploring migrant-cohort differences in fertility and the role of changing composition by education and type of family migration. Using 1984-2016 German Socio-Economic Panel data, I investigate the transition into first, second, and third birth among foreign- born women in West Germany. Results from an event-history analysis reveal that education and type of family migration--including marriage migration and family reunions--contribute to differences in first birth across migrant cohorts. Specifically, more rapid entry into first birth among recent migrants from Turkey stems from a greater representation of marriage migrants across arrival cohorts, while increasing education is associated with reduced first birth propensities among recent migrants from Southern Europe. I also find variation in the risk of higher parity transitions across migrant cohorts, particularly lower third birth risks among recent arrivals from Turkey, likely a result of changing exposures within origin and destination contexts. These findings suggest that as political and socioeconomic circumstances vary within origin and destination contexts, selection, adaptation, and socialization processes jointly shape childbearing behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is an increasing number of local brand acquisitions by firms originating from emerging markets, there have been limited studies on consumers' responses to their acquisition strategies. In addition, little is known about whether and how the country of origin (CoO) effect interacts with perceived brand localness (i.e., the acquired local brand is recognized as a local image) in influencing the perceived brand value of acquired local brands. This study fills these gaps in the literature and provides insights on how firms from emerging markets should promote their acquisition strategies to customers. Using an experimental research design, this study aims to explore whether and how the country of origin of emerging-market firms affect consumers' responses to their acquisitions of brands overseas. This study reveals that the negative effect of an acquirer's less favorable CoO becomes stronger when the perceived brand localness of the acquired brand is high. On the other hand, there is no significant evidence of the CoO effects on the acquired local brand with low perceived localness. This study demonstrates important insights on the country of origin effect and its interaction with perceived brand localness in determining how consumers respond to emerging firms' acquisitions of local brands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To compare differences in the probability of COVID-19-related death between native Italians and immigrants hospitalised with COVID-19.Methods: This retrospective study of prospectively collected data was conducted at the ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco Hospital in Milan, Italy, between 21 February and 31 November 2020. Uni- and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the impact of the patients' origin on the probability of COVID-19-related death.Results: The study population consisted of 1,179 COVID-19 patients: 921 Italians (78.1%) and 258 immigrants (21.9%) who came from Latin America (99, 38%), Asia (72, 28%), Africa (50, 19%) and central/eastern Europe (37, 14%). The Italians were significantly older than the immigrants (median age 70 years, interquartile range (IQR) 58-79 vs 51 years, IQR 41-60; p < 0.001), and more frequently had one or more co-morbidities (79.1% vs 53.9%; p < 0.001). Mortality was significantly greater among the Italians than the immigrants as a whole (26.6% vs 12.8%; p < 0.001), and significantly greater among the immigrants from Latin America than among those from Asia, Africa or central/eastern Europe (21% vs 8%, 6% and 8%; p = 0.016). Univariable analysis showed that the risk of COVID-19-related death was lower among the immigrants (hazard ratio [HR] 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.30-0.63; p < 0.0001], but the risk of Latin American immigrants did not significantly differ from that of the Italians (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.47-1.15; p = 0.183). However, after adjusting for potential confounders, multivariable analysis showed that there was no difference in the risk of death between the immigrants and the Italians (adjusted HR [aHR] 1.04, 95% CI 0.70-1.55; p = 0.831), but being of Latin American origin was independently associated with an increased risk of death (aHR 1.95, 95% CI 1.17-3.23; p = 0.010).Conclusions: Mortality was lower among the immigrants hospitalised with COVID-19 than among their Italian counterparts, but this difference disappeared after adjusting for confounders. However, the increased risk of death among immigrants of Latin American origin suggests that COVID-19 information and prevention initiatives need to be strengthened in this sub-population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afrikaans is regarded as a peripheral language in the global polysystem of language, as well as a minority language in terms of the proportion of South Africa's people who speak this language. In order to expand the market for Afrikaans trade books and to position Afrikaans literature internationally, there needs to be more visibility and resourcing, translation rights need to be sold, and South African publishing to be positively rebranded. This article explores the challenges and opportunities of Afrikaans publishing, applies polysystems theory as a theoretical framework, undertakes a comprehensive literature review, and discusses findings from interviews with trade publishers and observations at the Frankfurt Book Fair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, additional reviews, as a new form of online reviews, have attracted attention among the academia. However, it remains unclear whether the existing findings from initial reviews apply to the additional reviews. Based on the attribution theory, this paper explores the impacts of different attributes of online additional reviews on the sales volume of cross-border pharmaceutical platforms, and the moderate role of country-of-origin. Using addition reviews data and product information from Alihealth.tall.com, this paper successfully tests these hypotheses. The results show that the number of additional reviews and the interval between initial and additional reviews have significant positive effects on sales, and moderated by country-of-origin. However, the number of super members making additional reviews is not associated with product sales. Our findings have several implications: firstly, the additional reviews still is an important information for consumers, while attributes has different effects on products sales; secondly, information of country of origin associated with additional reviews can influence the evaluation of products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from the country-of-origin literature, this study theorizes the effect of academic affiliation origins on the academic impact of knowledge produced by teams of researchers. Our econometric analysis employing more than 65,000 peer-reviewed articles published from 1997 to 2012 in business and management journals reveals that the higher the share of co-authors with peripheral affiliations (i.e. the proportion of authors in a research team not affiliated with a US or UK institution), the lower is the number of citations their articles receive on average. Despite the globalization of knowledge production, the results show that scholars' geographic location still plays an influential role in knowledge diffusion processes, conditioning gains, or setbacks with respect to the academic impact of their work. We further show that scholars on the periphery of global scholarship can reduce this negative effect by developing 'targeting' and 'framing' legitimation efforts reflected in the composition of the team they are part of and in the positioning of the knowledge it produces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior studies intensively rely on lifestyle segmentation to investigate the patterns of purchase and consumption decisions. However, the literature does not specifically relate lifestyle profiles with the types of consumer decisions (i.e., purchasing vs. consumption decisions). Therefore, this research analyzed the issue by surveying 626 residents of Salatiga city, Indonesia, as the participants through self-administered questionnaires. By analyzing the data with factor, cluster, and chi-square analysis, this paper demonstrated that purchase decisions (i.e., the choice of brand name and country of origin) are not associated with lifestyle segments, while consumption decisions differ among the segments. Meanwhile, lifestyle is more likely associated with enduring (i.e., consumption decisions) than occasional behaviors (i.e., purchase decisions) such as the purchase of a mobile phone and its related services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Consumer Behavior Review (CBR) is the property of Consumer Behavior Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Due to an EU directive making integrated pest management (IPM) mandatory, European farmers are expected to reduce their use of chemical pesticides, which may potentially increase production costs and risk of harvest loss. Less pesticide use is appreciated by many consumers and may generate a higher willingness to pay (WTP). However, IPM is a wide concept and it is difficult for consumers to distinguish between products with high and low risk of pesticide residues. As a result, consumers might use other characteristics, such as country of origin, for the identification of safer products. In this study, we investigate if a higher WTP for Norwegian strawberries is associated with a belief that they contain less pesticide residues than imported berries. We use regression analysis to estimate to what extent the difference in WTP for Norwegian and imported strawberries is correlated with various perceptions about strawberries. The analyses reveal that the stronger the belief that Norwegian strawberries have less pesticide risk than imported ones, the higher the WTP for Norwegian strawberries. This means that if consumers believe domestic farmers use little pesticides, domestic products might be able to sell at considerably higher prices than imports. Hence, it may be economically beneficial for farmers to keep pesticide use at a minimum. Furthermore, we find that consumers have a higher WTP for strawberries produced with less use of pesticides, although not pesticide-free, indicating that IPM is appreciated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political risk analysis emerged as a distinctive field within applied international studies at the height of the Cold War but recently it has received a new impetus. It was preconditioned by an increasing uncertainty in many segments of world politics after a series of powerful ‘strategic shocks’ (‘Arab Awakening’, ‘Ukrainian crisis’, Brexit etc.) which brought about substantial and often completely unforeseen, direct and indirect consequences for the international business activities all over the world. This paper examines both classical approaches to defining political risk, which were elaborated by the leading experts in this field in the 1970–1980s, and its contemporary interpretations proposed in academic literature, and reports of think tanks and consultancies over the last decade. The author outlines a new classification of the main definitions of political risks, based on the factors that affect a company, be it the host government’s actions, sanctions or a general destabilization of the business environment as a result of certain political events. The paper identifies the key drivers behind the development of contemporary approaches to defining political risks, including an increasing influence of non-governmental actors, destabilizing processes in certain developed countries, etc. The author shows that these factors have broadened the concept by reinterpreting what generates political risks, in what circumstances and what impact they have on a risk bearer (a foreign company).

This article analyzes the grounds and possibility to induce and develop reshoring activities in the luxury goods sector. The premise of this analysis is the contemporary redefinition of the luxury goods sector, which relates to the increasing volume of goods marketed as luxuries. In this paper, we examine whether reshoring can develop in a similar manner on the respective tiers of the luxury ladder in the luxury fashion, automotive, and jewelry industries. Both premises and examples of reshoring in the luxury goods sector are conceptually analyzed and empirically illustrated.

The global economy is highly impacted by the new business models, based on a digital framework, combined with the country of origin, will increase the chance for global development. This will bring important changes to how companies will develop strategies for sustainability and competitive advantage in this global market. Innovative-driven companies, especially from countries in the development stage, are looking continuously for high performance, efficient processes, and cost-reduction through the use of digital tools. They consider IT solutions as a business partner, the central piece of the business, and through that, they will gain speed, efficiency, and agility to gain competitive advantage. These companies don't see the competition on price or even quality; they research for innovative products or services, and use the most advanced methods or tools for sustainable development. For international expansion, companies need to take into consideration the place where they are incubated. Sometimes, general perception puts a barrier for these companies when entering developed markets, product evaluation and success is also based on its country of origin(COO). Because of the country's brand image, the internal business ecosystem must minimize these perceptions that generally are erroneous. To improve them companies, and countries must adopt a strategy for building a trustworthiness image. This research is to determine the current state of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and collaboration with the local government to boost global recognition and increase the power of internationalization.

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh country of origin terhadap keputusan pembelian produk otomotif melalui nilai terpersepsi sebagai variabel mediasi. Produk baru yang berasal dari negara dengan stereotif negatif karena pengalaman masa lalu menghadapi tantangan besar untuk dapat memperoleh respon positif dari konsumen. Model struktural diuji untuk memvalidasi apakah country of origin relevan dalam pengambilan keputusan pembelian konsumen terhadap produk dengan keterlibatan tinggi seperti produk otomotif. Model struktural berisi variabel eksogen country of origin, variabel mediasi nilai terpersepsi, dan variabel endogen keputusan pembelian konsumen. Responden penelitian dipilih dengan menggunakan metode non-probability sampling dan teknik purposive sampling. Responden adalah sembilan puluh pemilik dan konsumen dari tiga tipe produk otomotif Wuling. yang terlibat dalam survei dengan mengisi kuesioner terstruktur. Alat analisis data menggunakan structural equation modeling partial least squares (SEM-PLS) yang terdiri dari dua tahap: pengujian model pengukuran dan pengujian model struktural. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa nilai terpersepsi secara parsial memediasi hubungan country of origin dan keputusan pembelian konsumen.

The paper aims to investigate and assess the decision-making process of young Slovak consumers – generation Z – in the purchase of tomatoes. The respondents participatet in a questionnaire survey and blind testing of four tomato samples (two samples were Slovak and another two were foreign tomatoes). For a deeper analysis of the collected data, five scientific hypotheses were formulated. The accuracy of provided hypotheses was verified using the following mathematical-statistical methods: Chi-Square test of independence, Mann-Whitney U-test, and as Chi test for equality of proportions between two samples. The research results show that generation Z buys tomatoes once a week or several times a month. Moreover, it was found out that most young consumers are mostly influenced by freshness, taste, quality of tomatoes, and general appearance, the least by packaging, brand/specific tomato grower, information on the packaging and references. According to all observed attributes within the blind testing of tomato by the respondents, the best-evaluated sample was the Slovak sample of tomatoes – the sample B. Subsequently, all respondents were provided with information about the tested tomatoes, and it can be stated that they would also actually buy Slovak sample B in the store. Finally, one can state that the higher price of this sample has no significant impact on the respondents of generation Z.

Consumers pay attention to the country of origin when purchasing imported products and believe that it has a significant impact on the formation of consumer attitude towards branded products. Competition among global smartphone brands is an intense, efficient and effective branding strategy, an important prerequisite for accelerating market growth and gaining a competitive market position. The purpose of this paper is recognized in assessing the impact of country of origin image, perceived quality, brand associations and brand loyalty on the consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) formation process, as exemplified by two global smartphone brands, Samsung and Huawei in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For the purposes of the study, a survey was conducted using a questionnaire on a sample of 315 respondents. The survey results indicate that country of origin image and perceived quality play a more important role in buyers in Bosnia and Herzegovina for Chinese (Huawei) than South Korean (Samsung) smartphones. This suggests that buyers from Bosnia and Herzegovina are paying more attention to the quality of Chinese compared to South Korean smartphones.

Our objective is to compare the effects of country of origin (COO) and brand on Younger Millennials’ (YM) willingness to buy global brands. We chose the United States, because it is the country of origin for the most valuable global brands. We approached Apple, Levi’s, and McDonald’s because they are iconic brands both in the US and globally. We tested constructs related to the country of origin and brand and then conducted a survey with 367 YM (17-23 years old) as potential brand consumers. We applied a structural equation model to analyze the impacts of these constructs on their willingness to buy. Results indicate that the way YM connect themselves to the brand is more important than the way they perceive or feel about the brand’s country of origin. We studied real brands within their target market and, in a current context, translated constructs for application in day-to-day consumer situations, while seeking discoveries that can be widely applied in the field of international marketing.

A study was carried out to evaluate preferences for two cuts, four countries of origin, two forms of presentation, brand and different prices of beef cattle among supermarket buyers in southern Chile, and to distinguish the existence of different market segments, through a survey of 800 people. Using a fractional factorial design for conjoint analysis, it was determined overall that the origin was more important (44.5%) than price (20.8%), form of presentation (12.2%), cut (12.0%) and brand (10.5%), with preference for Chilean and Argentinean striploin, packaged on trays, with no brand at medium price. Using a cluster analysis, three market segments were distinguished. The largest (52.3%) placed great importance on origin and preferred the highest price. The second (27.5%) also valued origin with the greatest preference for Argentinean beef, and it was the only group that preferred the ribeye as the cut. The third (20.5%) placed the greatest importance on price, and was the only group that preferred Paraguayan meat. The segments differed in the importance of eating meat for their personal well-being. The low importance of packaging and brand indicates poorly developed marketing of this product. In order to properly insert brand beef in the Chilean market, communication strategies must be implemented that identify the product with superior quality and that position the brand in the consumer's mind.