Title: The effect of e-WOM on country image and purchase intention: an empirical study on Korean cosmetic products in China

Authors: Zhehui Xiao; Jinlong Zhang; Dekui Li; Bhubate Samutachak

Addresses: Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China ' Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China ' Wuhan Technology and Business University, Wuhan, 430065, China ' Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170,Thailand

Abstract: Country image is viewed as the overall perception of consumers from a particular country, based on their prior perception of the country's production and marketing strengths and weaknesses. Country image affects customer attitudes and purchase intention; however, the pattern of this relationship has not been sufficiently studied. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the relationships among country image, electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) and purchase intention of Korean cosmetic products. In this study, a comprehensive set of constructs and hypotheses were compiled and tested. A questionnaire was constructed and data were collected from 255 customers in Beijing and Shanghai. The results indicated that e-WOM mediated the relationship between country image and intent to purchase Korean cosmetic products.

Keywords: country image; electronic WOM; word-of-mouth; e-WOM; purchase intention; South Korea; cosmetic products; China; consumer perceptions; customer attitudes.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2016.077652

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2016 Vol.22 No.1/2, pp.18 - 30

Published online: 12 Jul 2016 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article