Conceptualising and measuring the influence of corporate image on country of origin image: The case of Spain
Year: 2011
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Place branding scholars and practitioners increasingly highlight the influence that corporate image can exert on the image of the country of origin (COI).Yet, there is remarkably little theoretical and empirical research on this influence.In this qualitative and quantitative study the researcher aims ( 1) to analyse whether corporate image affects COI; (2) to identify consumer-related and company-related factors that affect the influence of corporate image on COI; (3) to examine the influence of corporate image-(net valence and consistency) and corporate-related factors (number of corporate brands and accessibility) on COI; (4) to investigate the moderating effects of corporate familiarity, business familiarity and consumer ethnocentrism on the influence of corporate image-related factors on COI; and (5) to describe the COI not only in terms of lists of attributes, but also in terms of holistic impressions.This study focuses on the case of Spain and is based on empirical evidence provided by undertaking, firstly, in-depth interviews with 13 place branding experts and, secondly, a face-to-face survey of 300 British people aged 18 and over living in London or Greater London, selected using a multi-stage area sampling technique.The findings reveal (1) the statistically significant positive impact of corporate image on one dimension of COI (political beliefs); (2) six consumer-related (awareness of the corporate brand"s COO; power of the corporate brand image; strength of the corporate brand-country association; brand image fit; brand image unfit; strength of the industry-country association) and four company-related (extent to which the company plays up or down its COO; the company"s international and market visibility; the number of corporate brands operating in the market) factors that influence the impact of corporate image on COI; (3) that corporate image-and corporate-related factors explain collectively 10 per cent or over of variance in the affective dimensions of COI and a smaller proportion of variance in the cognitive dimensions of COI; (4) that business familiarity has a significant effect moderating the influence of net valence on COI; and (5) that tourism is the dominant element of the image that British people have of Spain.Theoretical (conceptual model, first study testing the influence of corporate image on COI) and managerial (guidelines for selecting corporate brands to be included in country branding campaigns) implications of these findings are considered, and finally, limitations of the study and future research directions are suggested.CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION H 1 : Corporate image evaluations positively influence COI evaluations.H 2 : The higher the net valence of the evaluations of corporate brands, the more positive the COI evaluations.H 3 : The greater the consistency of the evaluations of corporate brands, the higher the COI evaluations.H 4 : The higher the number of corporate brands that come to the respondent"s mind, the higher the COI evaluations.H 5 : The more accessible the corporate brands, the higher the COI evaluations.H 6a : The higher the country familiarity, the greater the positive effect of net valence on COI evaluations.H 6b : The higher the country familiarity, the greater the positive effect of consistency on COI evaluations.H 7a : The higher the business familiarity, the greater the positive effect of net valence on COI evaluations.H 7b : The higher the business familiarity, the greater the positive effect of consistency on COI evaluations.H 8a : The lower the consumer ethnocentrism, the greater the positive effect of net valence on COI evaluations.H 8b : The lower the consumer ethnocentrism, the greater the positive effect of consistency on COI evaluations. CONTRIBUTION OF THE STUDYAlthough place branding scholars and practitioners increasingly highlight the influence that corporate image can exert on the COI, there is remarkably limited academic Figure 1.1.
Authors: Lopez Lamelas, María del Carmen
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W115674162