Country-of-Origin Effects on Consumers’ Evaluations of Automobiles: Perspectives from a Developing Nation

ABSTRACT

The article analyzes the influence of country of origin and the critical function country of origin plays in consumers’ automobile purchase decisions. Primary data were collected through a survey from a sample of 940 users of cars across Saudi Arabia. Results suggest that country of origin has a significant impact on Saudi consumers in the automobile industry. The findings of this study provide useful insights to auto manufacturers serving the Saudi market in marketing-strategy development. This study makes a valuable contribution given the fact that there is a dearth of empirical studies of this nature focusing on Saudi Arabia.

KEYWORDS:

• Country of origin
• consumer behavior
• product image
• automobiles
• Saudi Arabia

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors acknowledge the financial and facilities support received by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia, in completion of this research.