Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Date of Award

8-2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Marketing

First Advisor

Dr. Arturo Z. Vasquez-Parraga

Second Advisor

Dr. Michael Minor

Third Advisor

Dr. Xiaojing Sheng

Abstract

When consumers adopt imported products, they may rely on a different adoption process than they do when adopting domestic products, primarily because imported products are developed under different positioning strategies in foreign markets that have different levels of development. Little is known about how the process of adopting imported products differs from that involved in adopting domestic products and to what extent the process influences consumer purchase intention. Several factors influence the adoption process of imported products. The main goals of this research are 1) explaining consumers' purchase intention for imported products, 2) examining the process consumers engage in when adopting imported products, and 3) determining how market context (developed vs. emerging) influences consumers' purchase intention and their product adoption process. The findings of this research indicate that consumer attitude toward imported products explains consumer behavioral intention to use these products, which explains imported product selection, which explains consumer imported product evaluation, which explains the level of consumer acceptance of an imported product. In turn, the adoption process explains the intention of consumers to purchase imported products. This adoption process fits an explanation chain, and thus, this chain brings a unique perspective to the literature by addressing imported product adoption as a continuous process rather than a dichotomous decision. This research shows that consumers in an emerging market show a higher purchase intention level when the imported product is produced in a developed market. Conversely, consumers in a developed market show a similar purchase intention level for all imported products. However, the purchase intention level is higher when the product is domestic and consumers identify their home country as a renowned manufacturer of that product regardless of the market development level of the home country. Yet, contrary to what theory suggests, not all the product adoption process antecedents examined contribute to the explanation of consumer attitude toward imported products. Overall, this research has identified important differences in consumer purchase intention and attitude toward product between adopting a domestic product and adopting an imported product. Such differences are due to the variety of cognitive, affective, and normative influences.

Comments

Copyright 2015 Miguel Angel Sahagun. All Rights Reserved.

https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/consumer-responses-imported-products-product/docview/1734046130/se-2?accountid=7119

Granting Institution

University of Texas-Pan American

Included in

Marketing Commons

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