Favoritism Toward Foreign and Domestic Brands: A Comparison of Different Theoretical Explanations

Five theoretical approaches can predict favoritism toward domestic and foreign brands. This article applies a contrastive perspective to examine social identity, personal identity, cultural identity, system justification, and categorical cognition theories and their attendant constructs. The authors propose a set of main-effects hypotheses as well as hypotheses related to both product and country moderation effects on attitudes toward and loyalty to domestic and foreign brands. They test the hypotheses on a sample of Chinese consumers with respect to salient brands from 12 product categories. The results indicate that three of the theoretical approaches examined can explain only one side of favoritism—most commonly favoritism toward domestic brands—but not favoritism toward both domestic and foreign brands. Consumer xenocentrism, a concept rooted in system justification theory, seems to provide more consistent predictions for both domestic- and foreign-brand bias

Customer Evaluation of Products in a Global Market

Marketing scholars' interest in the influence of source countries on product evaluations has intensified during the past twenty-five years. As this research tradition has evolved, the literature has gradually gained more depth and sophistication. Nevertheless, research in this area lacks a common conceptual framework. Furthermore, research priorities with regard to the role of this area of inquiry within the broader field of consumer behavior, marketing and general business decisions have not been made clear. This article rationalizes the buying decision processes within the context of source-country influences and offers a conceptual framework for further development. In addition, it links country-level considerations to firm-level decisionmaking, thus providing a foundation for meaningful managerial decisions.© 1994 JIBS. Journal of International Business Studies (1994) 25, 579–604

Advancing the country image construct -- A commentary essay

This article provides a review of the study by Roth and Diamantopoulos (2009), "Advancing the country image construct," with a view towards highlighting the gaps in the broader country-of-origin literature. The literature mostly ignores pivotal points that should influence both the direction and the design of country-related research in international marketing. At least six key considerations in country-of-origin research deserve concurrent attention in future studies. They include: (1) the globalization of markets, (2) ecologically appropriate designs, (3) country-of-origin knowledge, saliency, and use, (4) labeling practices and requirements, (5) a focus on appropriate segments, and (6) the role of country of origin in foreign direct investment process. This commentary essay explores these issues with a view towards enhancing the relevance, ecological validity, and the quality of future research efforts.Country-of-origin research Globalization Country image Brand origin

Transnational Data Flow Constraints: A New Challenge for Multinational Corporations

This article examines the implications of transnational data flow constraints for international business. The need for a free flow of information across national boundaries—facilitating international business and reducing costs for multinational corporations—is discussed. Although both large and small firms are affected by transnational data constraints, companies that are managed in a decentralized fashion are affected to a lesser degree. Economic protectionism has emerged as a major reason for regulating transnational data flow by nation states.© 1984 JIBS. Journal of International Business Studies (1984) 15, 141–150