The effect of country image on behavioral intentions: parallel mediation effects of product and service quality

Consumers use the country image as not only heuristics to predict the quality of the products but also as a symbol of the self by which they affiliate themselves with certain groups and differentiate from others. This study intents to understand the effects of COI on product and service quality perceptions and a set of behavioral intentions through a holistic perspective in the automobile industry. Moreover, as a complementary element, some insights into the conceptualization and the measurement of the country image are meant to be gained. The findings of this study verify the assertions in the current literature on the two-dimensional country image construct, which consists of cognition and affect. The cognition-oriented country image scales threaten the validity of studies conducted in this area because the results obtained with cognition-oriented scales are inadvertently attributed to the (general) country image construct consisting of both cognitive and affective elements. In line with the service dominant logic, it is identified that a holistic approach is required predicting the effects of the country image on quality perceptions. Even in such a pure product category as automobiles, strong associations were identified between country image and perceived service quality. Therefore, regardless of the content of the market offering, it is important that quality must be evaluated under two separate dimensions as (physical) product quality and service quality. With the help of this twodimensional conceptualization of country image and quality perceptions, country of origin element attached to the market offering can be transformed into actual behaviors.