A Model of Brand and Country Effects on Quality Dimensions

Abstract While a great deal of research has established that the country-of-origin cue affects consumers' perceptions of a product's overall quality, this research has yielded relatively few guidelines for managers on issues such as the substitutability of brand and country cues. The present paper reviews the literature on dimensions of quality in order to gain an understanding of how brand and country image might affect these dimensions. It develops a model of these effects in terms of search, experience and credence qualities. It specifies research propositions, draws managerial implications in terms of likely consequences of production shifts, and provides direction for future research.