ÜLKE İMAJININ DAVRANIŞSAL NİYETLER ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİSİ: ÜRÜN VE HİZMET KALİTESİNİN PARALEL ARACI ETKİLERİ

Abstract

Tüketiciler, ülke imajını yalnızca ürünlerin kalitesini tahmin etmek için değil, aynı zamanda kendilerini belirli gruplarla ilişkilendirdikleri ve diğerlerinden farklılaştırdıkları bir benlik sembolü olarak da kullanırlar. Bu çalışma, otomobil endüstrisinde bütünsel bir bakış açısıyla ülke imajının ürün ve hizmet kalitesi algıları ve bir dizi davranışsal niyet üzerindeki etkilerini anlamayı amaçlamaktadır. Ayrıca, tamamlayıcı bir unsur olarak, ülke imajının kavramsallaştırılmasına ve ölçülmesine ilişkin bazı iç görülerin kazanılması amaçlanmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın bulguları, mevcut literatürün biliş ve duyuştan oluşan iki boyutlu ülke imajı yapısı üzerindeki iddialarını doğrulamaktadır. Biliş yönelimli ülke imajı ölçekleri bu alanda yürütülen çalışmaların geçerliliğini tehdit etmektedir, çünkü biliş yönelimli ölçeklerle elde edilen sonuçlar farkında olmadan bilişsel ve duyuşsal unsurlardan oluşan (genel) ülke imajı yapısına atfedilmektedir. Hizmet baskın mantık doğrultusunda ülke imajının kalite algıları üzerindeki etkilerini tahminlemede bütüncül bir yaklaşımın gerekli olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Otomobil gibi saf bir ürün kategorisinde bile, ülke imajı ile algılanan hizmet kalitesi arasında güçlü ilişkiler tespit edilmiştir. Bu nedenle, pazar sunumunun içeriği ne olursa olsun, kalitenin (fiziksel) ürün kalitesi ve hizmet kalitesi olarak iki ayrı boyutta değerlendirilmesi önemlidir. Ülke imajı ve kalite algılarının bu iki boyut altında kavramsallaştırılması sayesinde, pazar sunumuna eklenen menşe ülke unsuru gerçek davranışlara dönüştürülebilir.

Keywords

• Ülke İmajı
• Bilişsel Boyut
• Duyuşsal Boyut
• Kalite Algısı
• Davranışsal Niyetler

THE EFFECT OF COUNTRY IMAGE ON BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS: PARALLEL MEDIATION EFFECTS OF PRODUCT AND SERVICE QUALITY

Abstract

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. By the help of this two-dimensional conceptualization of country image and quality perceptions, country of origin element attached to the market offering can be transformed into actual behaviors.

Keywords

• Country Image
• Cognitive Dimension
• Affective Dimension
• Quality Perception
• Behavioral Intentions

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