Relationship between Country of Origin Image, Product Knowledge, Product Involvement, and Purchase Intention

Transcription

1 Relationship between Country of Origin Image, Product Knowledge, Product Involvement, and Purchase Intention Ahmed Imran Hunjra 1 and Sehrish Kiran 2 ABSTRACT Today Marketing is the buzz word around the globe, and marketers are trying their best to be successful within their respective market over competition. Marketing identifies unfulfilled needs and desires. Four variables are used country-of-origin image, product knowledge, and product involvement and consumer purchase intention. Country of origin (COO) is the country of manufacture, production, or growth where an item or product comes from, its main objective is to differentiate the product from the competitors, and it significantly affects the purchasing decision of consumers. Product knowledge understands the items and services which our employer sells; product knowledge plays an important role in making decisions. Product involvement is explained as the consumer personal interest in buying or using an item, used product involvement for segmentation purposes. Purchase intention is a common effective measure and often used to anticipate a response behavior. Primary data collection method was used, and questionnaires were distributed among university students. Then data summarize through SPSS, and different test applied on it, and three hypotheses were tested. The major finding are country of origin don t have any relation with purchase intention, and product knowledge, product involvement have a strong relationship with purchase intention. It is important in every field and applicable for the students at university level and college students, and also important for general public. Keywords: Product Knowledge, Product Involvement, Purchase Intention 1 Lecturer, UIMS-PMAS-University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi, and PhD Scholar Iqra University, Pakistan 2 Student, UIMS-PMAS-University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi, Pakistan 17

2 1. Introduction Marketing is the art as well science of creating, finding, and delivering values to fulfill the need of whole market. It identifies unfulfilled wishes and requirements. Marketing is a method of shows the worth of manufactured goods to the consumer for promoting the manufactured goods or service. This is an important dealing function for attracting customers. It explains the potential of yield. Measure the amount and acknowledged range of market. It shows those segments through which the business is proficient of allocating best and designs and promotes the suitable goods and services. The managers of marketing are dependable for controlling the timing, ranks and formation of consumer order usual defining of the term. Within this marketing manager role based significantly on corporate culture, size of business and industry framework. Customer satisfaction is very important to marketers because it leads to maintenance furthermore in theory of marketing retention of consumer is very low cost and easier strategy in assessment with promoting to obtain new consumer (Heidarzadeh and Mirvaisi, 2011). To attain the long-term success, the theorists have argued with firms which focuses on the consumer wants are better situated (Kotler, 2000). Marketing is a method of arrangement; execute the idea pricing, support and allocation of different dreams, supplies, and services to exchange that satisfied the organizational and individual goals and objectives. The specific process of management through which important goods and those services which move from concept to the customer. It also contains six important elements of marketing, the product, place, price, promotion, people, and publicity. Basic vision of marketing regarding the production concern to needs of customer and their happiness to sell and market the things they differ from each other. Advertising concerns itself with tricks and techniques to receiving people to change their deposit for the special product, whereas the advertising constant, outlook the whole business methodology as containing of a strongly integrated attempts to generate, determine, produce and assure the customer needs. Marketing some time develops undesirable demands for the product and then the formation industries trying to fulfill all the customer needs regarding the product demand. COO is mainly country s manufactured product or growth of the country. At different national and international levels, here are conflicting rules of origin over diverse laws and diverse treaties. (Schooler, 1965) is the first researcher studying empirical effect differentiating products from the competitors. He originates the products that are identical in all except for the country-of-origin, that are supposed in a different way from customers. A number of studies have been done on it (Usunier, 2006). COO is the most significant that affect the competitive market. COO is the most important factor which disquiets the marketers in relation to purchase intention of the customer (Chen and L. Y. Lin, 2006). "Product knowledge" knows all the objects and provided services which the employer sells, Knowledge about all the goods and those services that having specific information relate to its employment occupation, Features, and utilize sustains necessities. Knowledge of Product shown in different forms of a product feature, for their specific purpose. Involvement of product is explained as the consumer s personal interest in buying or using an item an approach that summarize the personal, the product and the situational component of the relationship of the consumer and the purchase item. Involvement can be seen from several perspectives; the consumer s personal engagement and their level of personal interest in the buying process in their choice of purchasing (Evans, 2009). Purchase Intention as a purchase probability associated with percentage of individuals buying a product with an intention (Geurts,Whitlark and Swenson, 1993) to obtain goods, by expense to obtain by sacrifice, effort, etc. Country image first give the impression in a research paper of Nagashima (1970). Nagashima define the expression as: customer have precise image, portrait and attitude headed for supplies and products of a definite country. The overall image of country is created by specimens of all products including economic and political background and historic tradition variables hold by a specific country (Nagashima, 1970). From different countries, evaluation of different products began by consumers known as Country-of-origin image (COI).Schooler (1965) usually being the first researcher who empirically cram this outcome. He establish that the products are relevant to each other in every except for country of origin, there are about 700 articles which published on this topic (Papadopoulos and Heslop, 2003).Study showed that a signal of product quality is basically product s national origin, (Wyer, 1994; Li and Han, 1989) affect threats that shown actually better chances to acquire the things. (Nes and Bilkey, 1982; Baughn and Yaprak, 1993; Lielefeld, 1993; Ozsomer and Cavusgil, 1991; Peterson and Jolibert, 1995; Javalgi, Winans, and Cutler, 2001; Papadopoulos and Heslop, 2003; Verlegh and Steenkamp, 1999). COO inspires subjects for all examiners of marketing in 1960s, and researchers argue while emphasis on variation and having the same opportunity for whole community all over the world is the main factor for their success. Different Studies demonstrate country of origin is a pointer of their quality. COO is motivating them for all managers of the 18

3 marketing (Diamantopoulos and Roth, 2009). Collision of the COO on buyer tries more than three decades and purpose is to purchase focal concerns measured for buyer behavior and international production literature (Yahiya, Ghazali, Othman and Ibrahim, 2008). COO is one of the most important issues which considerably affect the buying decision of consumers. It defines as comprise the personal thinking of consumer concerning the specific product that gives an important observation such as beliefs, ideas and impersonation before making such buying decisions. The country of origin prepared in label has used as vital occupation in concerning with today aggressive and global surroundings in sort to increase sales of different product. The magnitude of country-of-origin as signal in choice of customer performance are earliest highlighted by (Schooler, 1965) over the earlier decade, there has been an attempt to better elucidate the country-of-origin by focusing on the more inclusive construct of country- image (Romeo and Roth, 1992). Image of the customer linked with country-of-origin i.e.: Image, stereotype businessmen, the standing and customer connect the products of precise country. That image is fashioned by variables i.e. characteristics that occur nationally, representation of products, profitable and supporting background, the past and traditions (Nagashima, 1970). Conversely a diverse definition was provided by Romeo and Roth (1992), image of country is generally the awarened customer from the goods of particular country; depend on the perceptions of the country s strengths and invention and weaknesses of marketing. The manufactured goods country image is a broader more exact than country of origin, the image of the country and the opinion such images create in the minds of customers (Papadopoulos and Heslop, 1993). Information dealing: The customer s opinion relates to product about its conformity, liberal selecting or retaining the information affecting the method of searching knowledge and processing. The structure of product and its knowledge is a remarkable subject. Arrangement refers how diverse data are resolved in the recollection of the information of arrangement in model system of recollection and it is revealed with the nodes like variety and also attributes. Familiarity relating to the set of product and particular brands can be shown as eager to make a decision among diverse products and judgment about them. People having elevated scale of information have enormous knowledge and planned structure, as are also attentive for the diverse subcategories of product. A product is examined with two types: 1) Intrinsic variables like design, taste and performance 2) Extrinsic variables like warranty, price, brand and country of origin that is source of knowledge to the buyer after conservation? The extrinsic information of manufactured goods of the country of origin (COO) and global brand are meaningful informational cues for international consumers to evaluate or predict a brand or product, which originated in a foreign country and COO, provides a positive effect on purchase intention. Image of COO is explained as halo which customers suppose to access manufacturing goods that are unlike (Nes and Bilkey, 1982). The customers use COO as indirect substantiation of a performance of product. Experiences related to product are defined at the broadest level. They include exposures of advertising information search, communications with salespersons, variety and resolution assembly purchasing, and the product usage in a variety of situations. Customer knowledge has two major components: expertise and familiarity. Expertise is distinct as the aptitude to perform product-related responsibilities productively. Familiarity is also called amounts of product associated experience have been gathered by the customer. Involvement defined as person's clear impact of goods depend on values natural requirements, and benefits (Zaichkowsky, 1985) other lately motivational and aim directed emotional decides the individual significance of an acquisition judgment to a consumer (Brennan and Movado, 2000). Involvements are grouped into product and branddecision. Attention taken in manufactured brand variety is brand-decision involvement but product involvement is actually the interest of buyer in a particular product class (Zaichkowsky, 1985). Product interest refers special interest in object (centrality) to the individual s self-structure. Maheswaran and Gurhan-Canli (2000b) describes that customers think about low product involvement, the image of COO is a significant element of knowledge on which consumer s product decisions base. Involvement impacts the general process of consumers decision making, from initial information probe to ultimate evaluation of purchased product (Kapferer and Laurent, 1985). However, several factors commonly affect consumers evaluation, and brand and price are two important factor. The globalization of products and markets add some other factors to the check list of consumers including country of origin image. Researchers of marketing have used involvement of product for purpose of segmentation because it is associated to behavior of consumer (Shim and Warrington, 2000). Information processing and behavior searching has relation with the involvement, loyalty and commitment of brand and frequency to buy, besides it has been found a direct consequence on the point of satisfaction, and a moderator among mood and intention to shopping. Customer involvement for the good was considered to modest significantly their response towards marketing and promotion stimuli (Laurent and Kapferer, 1986). The purchasing tends to low involvement to be habitual while higher involvement requires planning (Hawkins and Stephen, 1992). The reliability of brand interacted with involvement of 19

4 product. The behaviour for purchasing high involvement manufactured goods is an indicator of loyalty to brand; while purchase for less involvement manufactured goods shows usual purchase performance. Randall and Prus (1995) explained loyalty to brand as determined by approval of customer, and occupy an obligation on the part of the consumer (Prus and Randall 1995). Today consumers do not just buy a brand name they buy branded products which are a combination of the tangible and intangible benefits created by the efforts of a company. Consumers select a product not just to satisfy their basic needs, they select a product that reflects their image, attitude, and personality. Nowadays business competition is dominated by its emphasis on brand building. The study of the impact of brand name on the perception and attitude of consumers has been a significant issue since competitors are keen on capturing higher market share. In the response of country image on a consumer s purchase intention, Country-of-origin means the manufactured goods or brand is connected along usually this country is called the home country. The product which forms in Pakistan not of good quality so People prefer branded products. Country-of-origin consequence means buyers attitude of definite country. According to the definition, label of the country means people (or precise people) have definite labels and priorities for products of any other country. This can significantly contribute towards a customer s intension to purchase a certain product based on the consideration of where it was manufactured. Product knowledge acts a vital part in the customer research behavior. Consequently it is a necessary to research in associated fields. By Product knowledge there are factors such as:- 1. Subject matter knowledge. 2. Object knowledge. 3. Understanding based knowledge. 4. Skill. 5. Familiarity with products. To understand consumer behavior, these factor must be clearly identified, problem must occur because of not properly understand of these. These should be addressed and analyzed empirically. Factual and logical proofs show that knowledge of product has an influence on processing the information for the customer when the buyer selects a product, they typically depend on that knowledge of product to access it, and knowledge of product also involve on information search process thoughts, and information search number. In calculation the level knowledge of product determine customer purchase intention, and ultimately influence the buying goals. Therefore, it is very important that study of Product knowledge should be taken into account once analyzing consumer purchase intension. The idea of involvement originated from social psychology. Product involvement can be known as a customer understanding of a specific product. The involvement in product has a straight bearing not only on consumer s purchase intension but there should be willingness to gain information concerning the product. In Pakistan the things are not clear, the people just prefer those product those shine like gold but internally they are rough, and later on they realize that, so there is a problem with the purchase intention and consumer behavior as well, the literature relate to country-of-origin in Pakistan not shown clearly therefore there is need to do research regarding these variables in Pakistan. After the extensive literature review, no work is found in Pakistan on this concept and the present study address this gap. 2. Literature Review This chapter reviews the previous studies involving the four variables of the present study namely COO image, product knowledge, product involvement and purchase intention. Country of Origin (COO) of any produce can be explained as country of produce or the country of assembly (Nes and Bilkey, 1982) accredited by pretend in or made in tags (Nagashima, 1977). Development of the international corporations and appearance of cross goods with component supplied from the number of countries had vague the correctness or potency of manufactured in or made in tags (Ahmed et al., 2004). Building the identification of COO from time to time becomes very difficult. COO means the country which manufactures a product is related with; conventionally this country is known as home country (Saeed, 1994).The consumers make use of COO depiction more while making product assessment, that if they thought the product origins are more congruent than less (Ahmed and Astous, 2004). In addition to augmenting knowledge, the COO image are more or less relevant under specific conditions (Chao, 2001; Stensaker, Kleppe and Iversen 2002; Ahmed and Astous, 2004). Literature review shows three most significant levels in the development and growth of country-of-origin. The first level covers from 1965 to 1982, start with the study of Schooler about country-of-origin which belongings in Central American marketplace (Schooler, 1965) concluded with findings of Nes and Bilkey. The second period from 1983 to 20

5 1992, examine an extra increase in the research of COO. Previous studies shows that the old researches may have overstated importance of COO effects, especially when multi-attribute approach wasn t applied (Johansson, et al 1985). Third period from 1993 to 2004 is characterized by plenty of different research streams, among which many seeks to the subject of conceptual COO in terms of the product-country image (Heslop and Papadopoulos, 1993), brand origin (Kohli and Thakor, 1996) also the contextual product-place image (Askegaard and Ger, 1998). The effects of COO have growing appreciation in relation to services rather response to concrete products (Baker and Al-Sulaiti, 1998; Winans, Javalgi and Cutler 2001; Harrison-Walker, 1995; Po and Webb, 2000). For building COO image (COI), literature refers to inferential, explanation, and informational confidence that anyone has about any specific country (Eroglu and Martin 1993). Earlier studies had revealed, the COI influence the evaluation of any product when acknowledged to consumers (Laroche et al. 2005; Heslop et al. 2004), brands of the produce (Pisharodi and Parameswaran 1994, Häubl 1996, Jaffe and Lampert 1998), industrial and consumer goods (Papadopoulos and Heslop 1990, Bradley 2001), services (Cutler, Javalgi and Winans 2001) as well as classes of the products (Nagashima 1970, Ittersum and Candeland Meulenberg 2003). This causes strong effect on the consumers of residencial country opinions (Sharma and Shimp 1987, Han 1988). Although an outsized number of studies on the subject of COO shows that measures of COO image being restricted (Martin and Eroglu, 1993; Fu, Li and Murray, 1997; Papadopoulos and Heslop, 2003). For broad literature review, studies developed country image measure or significantly alter the existing assessments that had been recognized. Country image can be described as total of all descriptions, the informational and inferential beliefs which one had for a specific country (Martin and Eroglu 1993). Eroglu and Martin (1993), Country image is three-dimensional which has political, technological and economic dimensions and obviously reveals the cognitive perception of consumers concerning any country s history revealed that the COO is not only a cognitive signal for product quality, but relates to identity, delight, autobiographical memories and emotions (Steenkamp and Verlegh, 1999). Many authors (Pisharodi and Parameswaran, 1994; Spangenberg and Obermiller, 1989; Steenkamp and Verlegh, 1999; Beracs, Laroche, Heslop and Papadopoulos, 1989; and Mourali, 2005) suggests that creation of COI consists of: cognitive constituents, that comprises customers beliefs in relation to country industrial, technological and political background; emotional part which expresses country s emotional and symbolic value towards the consumer; conative division, detain custumer preferred interface among sourcing country. Large body of research effects COO while restricted number of country image scales is established in studies (Heslop and Papadopoulos 2003). Many scales among these had condemned for two bases: Firstly conceptual perspective (Nagashima 1970, Nebenzahl and Johansson 1986, Han 1989, Romeo and Roth 1992) confused image of the country with the image of produce from that country (Eroglu and Martin 1993, Heslop and Papadopoulos 2003). Secondly, several scales has not yet been experienced for psychometric qualities (Lamb and Wang 1983; Beracs, Heslop and Papadopoulos 1990 and Ger 1991), therefore testing the convenient soundness of the scales. The association between the country brand justice and COI former efforts mainly center on the superficial the quality of brand is exaggerated by COO any producce (Lavack and Thakor 2003); how representation of a brand potentially reduce the outcome of the COO (Chao 1989, Terpstra and Han 1988, Lee and Tse 1993); relative significance name of the brand in relation to the other external symbols i.e. COO (Ahmed and d Astous 1992, Gorn and Tse 1993); straight effect of the COO and brand signs on diverse quality of product dimensions (Katsanis and Thakor 1997); and affect of COO or COI of any brand on its customer-based brand justice (Kao and Lin 2004, Quester, Cooksey and Pappu, 2006, 2007). COO as the COM (country of manufacturing) was defined by (Saeed, 1994). In addition to this report there is not discrete diversity among position of location and manufacture of assembly, so it causes no salient variation to consumers regarding product assessment (Roger et al. 1994). For the determination of COI (Terpstra and Han 1988) was referring to the (Nagashima s 1970) work that process four issues from 14 deliberated items by the factor analysis. These four issues are economy, advanced technology, workmanship and status; as well they put prejudiced concern serviceability and general assessment as assessed dimensions of the COI. COI may be regarded as customer corona (Han, 1990), effect of COI on the buyer approach to the brands manufactured in various countries, country image effect on the aims of customer for purchasing variety from diverse countries, main cause of COI on the buyer s opinion about particular product, the effect of any COI for categories of the produce are unusual. Papadopoulos (1993) prepared a significant and broadly quoted involvement of the COO literature by centering the concept of COO as mortal slender and devious while it imagine a single source for the product when the product may be made in one state but assembled, intended, celebrated etc in the other state. 21

6 When customers give attention on news or get any hint about COO, i.e. brand, price or consequence in customer appreciation procedure should be practiced from the two sides (Hong and Wyer, 1989). One is aura and other is the result of the summary. When any customer is not well-known with the product of a particular country, then COI would cause halo impact which would not directly affect consumer s trust in the product, but also indirectly influence customer s general evaluation of product (Johansson et al., 1985; Erickson et al., 1984). Though, when customer is very well-known with particular product of the country, they will refer goods related knowledge to the country and this origin a summary assemble effect. That result could not directly influence the position towards that brand (Han, 1989). Acknowledgment for conducting pioneering country of origin empirical study and students evaluated the same products tagged to reflect various origins (Schooler, 1965). Later on research alerts opinion of the goods quality and establishes that COO influences subsist whether that was specific goods, classes of goods or general goods. Stereotyping was existing between the respondents (Reierson's, 1966 and 1967). Difference of this study was chased and they originate that the US products were supposed as higher quality then products made in developing countries, that particular brands may be assessed lower and higher when less developed COO was exposed as contrast to no COO information being provided. COO attitudes may alter over time. This was established by Nagashima's, (1970 and 1977) longitudinal studies of Japanese businessmen's made in opinion indicating development in Japanese image and related weakening of the US image during this period. Johansson, et al. (1985) included 13 product qualities COO of automobile was established but not to influence overall ratings and have a few effect on particular attributes. Study concludes that COO influence though significance does not reflect a common stereotype. Their results supported the hypothesis that COO is employed as a substitute variable for product evaluation when consumers have partial familiarity with specific products. The basic information processing sample which guides COO study is that customers access goods cues base, mainly intrinsic (e.g. style, taste, quality, performance) and extrinsic (e.g. brand price and name) (Olson and Jacoby, 1972). Customers narrate extrinsic cues in assessing manufactured goods because rarely they cannot notice its actual intrinsic characteristics former to really understanding it. Hence COO prompt is conceptualized like one of extrinsic prompt. The cognitive processes related with the effects of COO and other product cues. The origin sign encouraged subjects to feel more extensively about the other product attribute information (Hong and Wyer, 1989). However, a successive experiment shows that these influences are likely to be obvious only when the information of COO is expressed some time before (a day before) describing other attributes allowing a separate idea of product to be produced on its basis (Hong and Wyer, 1990). Papadoupoulous and Heslop, (1993) recognized that COO effects intuitively and cognitively in the four steps: (i) as a whole COO image based on previous experience and contact (ii) overall COO image with emotional and cognitive effects derived from the practice with other products of that country. Making COO image for product and brand being measured (iii) COO image with visual and functional attributes of product or brand making thoughts and ideas (iv) comparison of products among different countries creates emotional and cognitive behavior. Scientist claims that COO ideas become vital when buyers have trouble in discerning among competing contributions or do not have enough knowledge to reduce their purchasing behavior risk (Baker and Bellington, 2002). Pre-existing country images alter and manipulate opinion of more new products. There is a positive affiliation between approaches seized for well branded produce grouping since any country and also hope for the new goods (Agarwal and Sikri, 1996). Consumer s convince and views for a new product ware also known that were greater than superficial relationship among wellknown and the latest product that was higher. That was created across three dimensions of the country image Prestige, technology and Price. The breakdown of COO falls into three types namely; manufacture parts country, product design country and country of product assembly. These components affect consumer s manufacturing quality, perception of design quality and general quality of different products in different ways (Insch and McBride, 1998).The examination of mutual effect of the brand and manufacture image found with the aim when no country of produce is specific, image of the notorious produce is similar to image of that produce when home nation of that product is really precise as country of produce (Nebenzahl and Jaffe s, 1996). Actually, in the absence of the country of produce information, consumers provide missing information by assuming that country of creation is home country associated with that brand. Experimental research contains country images in favor of both the country of manufacture and brand origin. It also found that both the cues are vital in consumer assessment of product value, quality and willingness to purchase (Iyer and Kalita s, 1997). The authors challenged that brand equity might be vital for removing the troubling outcome on superficial quality because supplying from other countries; but the positive influence of brand equity may be inadequate. Above study establish a strong effect of country of manufacture information among all product grouping. The relative assistance of brand seems COO, country of manufacture and country of design toward COO based estimation remains uncertain. For example, Gorn and Tse, (1993) and Terpstra and Han, (1988) experienced that the country of developing product has bigger cause on estimation than that of brand country. Most recent researchers established the contradictory effect (Zhou and Hui 2003, Srinivasan, et al. 2004). Majority researches Country of 22

7 origin is applied as sovereign variable, as attitudes to a produce or else perceived quality of country s product provides the reliant variable (Kotler and Gertner, 2002). The image of country would actually be a review construct or must be crumbled into product design, country of design, brand, assembly, product assembly and country of manufacture parts. COO has developed into an important part of repertory of extrinsic indications to product estimation. The Wall, Heslop and Liefeld (1991) showed that the three dimensions tend to boost the affect of COO. The technical complication of product (technical peril), social worth of produce to the additional people (social risk) and also the cost rank (financial risk). Optimistic (product, corporate) image consequences in positive (product or country) justice (Donthu and Yoo 2001, Kao and Lin 2004, Nebenzahl and Jaffe 2006, Cooksey, Quester and Pappu 2007). For product equity Donthu and Yoo suggests observing how customer s based product equity consequences from its dormant background, as consumption experience, brand information, buy, environmental factors, corporate image and marketing activity (Yoo and Donthu 2001). Home country origin image is interpreter and customers virtual manufactured goods preferences are standard (Jaffe and Nebenzahl 2006). Based on circumstances of trying the function of an arbitrate variable in deficiency of moderator, a straight connection among customer s image of native country and virtual good preference has to be present (Kenny s and Baron 1986). That is the line by existing COO study wherever a direct affect of COI on produce penchant and also for purchase the purpose has been descripted (Parameswaran and Pisharodi 2002, Parameswaran and Yaprakb 1986, Laroche et al. 2005, Knight and Calantone 2000, Ittersum, Meulenberg and Candel 2003, Han 1989). Thus they assume in the absence of country brand justness build, the abode COI openly influence consumers related produce preferences. For product knowledge extent Wang (2001) reported the index which used to determine product knowledge by the scholars. The type, quantity and organization that consumer had gather in their recall (Johnson and Russo, 1984).Amount of the purchasing and practice experience (Marks and Olson, 1981). Rudell (1979) employs an assessment score to the calculation of objective knowledge that applies self-assessment evidence to evaluate subjective knowledge. Zhen and Lin (2005) assume product knowledge description acknowledged by Brucks (1985) to evaluate the product knowledge. The purpose of evaluation of the product knowledge is to access understanding and the confidence level of note pad traits, information and also the seven-point level used. Consumers with the high product knowledge are capable to achieve product associated responsibilities and have general earlier knowledge on product usage, types and purchasing data. Product knowledge force consumers to present the information in regulated manner while exposing to influential COO argues. Higher the level of objective knowledge greater the use of newly obtain information. Hence consumers with the high objective knowledge lean to search and process attribute-related data actively (Rudell, 1979). Brucks (1985) provided proof that the objective knowledge is positively related to the number of examined product attributes. In intervening time, the subjective knowledge is absolutely associated to the belief of preexisting knowledge which is mainly accumulated by experiences (Park et al., 1994; Rudell, 1979). When the customers need to check products, essentially they depend on the product knowledge after product selections which also influence the sequencial search process. Stage of the product knowledge is very significant eventually and had result on purchase purpose and behaviour (L. Lin and Zhen, 2005). Josiassen exerted the COO of products having a strong association among customer knowledge for particular products. Then they developed the consumers with little knowledge and COO utilization of a pointer for product assessment. The major motive is less information related to the manufactured goods (Josiassen, Lukas, and Whitwell, 2008). But other scholars showed that rank of the technical fairness depends on amount of ease of people products. Studies proved that people with the low level of knowledge like to depend on technical equality to buy more than others (Laroche, Nepomuceno, and Richard, 2010). Schaefer (1997) seemed at a diversity of scope of the consumer knowledge and impact on the consumers use of COO in assessment of the alcoholic beverages, warranty and price COO is detained by the author to be a complex indication whose consequence should be learnt for varied product classes. For learning about new product, consumers with extensive area of knowledge shows much encouraging assessment when product information express by a similarity based on the abstract structural relatives, while those through partial knowledge are more convinced when information is accessible using literal relationship based on surface features (Roehm and Sternthal 2001). Roth and Romeo (1992) stressed the country image is product precise. They proposed a framework which matches the significance of product grouping dimensions with apparent image of COO. 3. The Effect of Product Involvement on the Consumer Purchase Intention 23

8 When consumer chooses service its involvement boosts it will look more information (Friedman and Smith, 1993). The product involvement acts a very important role in customer behavior. When their involvement level rises customer will search more information (Goldsmith and Emmert, 1991). The research concerning with automobiles advertisement has a different level of advertising information, high involvement causes positive purchase intention and vice versa (Neese and Taylor, 1994). Heslop, Papadopoulos (1998) and Laroche, et al (2003) researched English and French Canadians' attitudes towards product from different countries with historical relationship to England or France. Both the studies prove sub-cultural variations in customer s approach toward COO. The demographic properties of customers have been observed in number of studies for determining either demographics are suitable in research evaluates the COO effects. Country of the brand could diminish the impact of the country manufacture and greater part of population was likely to use the country brand in the evaluation of product then the country of manufacture (Ulgado, 2002). Tse and Gorn, (1993) found the COO cue an equally related and lasting feature in customer product assessment than brand name. But when the country image was screen in separately accessible part and then origin cues effect weakened (Tse and Lee, 1993). A tough positive element origin cause was established to succeed negative assembly of the origin effect. 4. Theoretical framework Country of Origin Image Product Knowledge Purchase Intention Product Involvement 5. Research Design It encompasses the procedures and methodology to accomplish scientific research. The design of a research defines the type of study (explanatory correlation, half-experimental, investigational review, meta-analytic) and sub-type (longitudinal and descriptive), question relate to research, dependent and independent variables, hypotheses, experimental and appropriate data gathering methods and a statistical plan of analysis. The information gathered from the review of literature, different structured questions were designed to make a questionnaire and individually handed over to the students. Before, finalization of the questionnaire, it was discussed with the supervisor. Three universities were selected for data collection which is as under: i) University of Arid Agriculture (PMAS-UAAR) ii) Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) iii) National University Of Modern Language (NUML) Students from these universities were select randomly, from different department. A population is entirety whole organisms of the same species or groups; those survive in the similar region. The some of the member are selected from the total population is called population size. The populations of this research were students and the population size was different universities of Pakistan. 6. Research Tools/Instrument For fulfilling the chosen objectives of this study as mentioned, an empirical research was undertaken. The research was quantitative in nature. The best tool for the collection of the data was questionnaires which were used for the 24

9 collection of the data from the respondents. Structured questionnaire was used. Questionnaire was used for the collection of the data. The announcement shown (Sekaran et al., 2003) that survey of questionnaire was a renowned and superlative recognized technique of collection of data as the researchers can congregate information moderately easily and the responses relate to questionnaire are also straightforwardly coded. In this study, total four variables were used. Three were Independent variable (Country of origin, Product involvement and Product knowledge) and one was Dependent variable (purchase intention). After developing the questionnaire it was be distributed among three hundred respondents. The questionnaire was adopted from the study of Hanzaee and Khosrozadeh (2011). Table-1 Instrument s Reliability Measurement (N=207) Variables Items Nos. Cranbach s Alpha Country of Origin Product Knowledge Product Involvement Purchase Intention Total Reliability of each measurement placed questionnaire is certified by Cronbach s alpha values, consequent to each variables. The Intention to purchase being dependent variable with two (02) items having reliability of (80%). Product involvement, attached with six (06) items, the independent variable(product involvement) shows the maximum value of reliability with Cronbach Alpha (85%) whereas the Product knowledge is with further five (05) items giving figure of reliability becomes almost of 62 percent. The country of origin have less reliability among independent variables, it attached with eight (08)items giving figure of reliability become almost 60%. Finally, it represent overall reliability index for the twenty (21) items instrument as to become 75 in percentage, and it is reliable. 7. Results and Discussion In this chapter a lot of attempts have been made to shows the results clearly and in short it is support by accurate presentation of the tables. Results have been discussed in all aspect in condition of the research topic and objectives. The major objective of this study is to examine the association among different variables. Different tests have been functioned to examine the collected data. In this cram association among country of origin image, knowledge of product, product involvement, and intention relate to purchase have been discussed on the base of the gather and compiled information. Tests of Frequency distribution have been applied to examine the information pertaining to the demographic features, and the results were summarized. Furthermore the results signifying the level of agreeableness or disagreeableness to a variety of statements of the chosen variables by the respondents have been checked by descriptive statistic and have been obtainable in tabulated form. Descriptive statistics is the influence of quantitatively describing the main features of a data that is collected, or the quantitative description itself. Descriptive statistics are well-known from inferential statistics (or inductive statistics), in that descriptive statistics aspire to summarize the sample, somewhat use the data to learn about the population that the sample of data is consideration to represent. It is clear from the table 2 that 47.8 percent are the male respondents (99 males) where as 52.2 percent female respondents are the contributors in the undertaken research. The reason of little bit male respondents less because in universities more females are presents, and they are taking everything serious. Females were more conscious relate to new product and brands, so there percentage is more. 25

10 Table-2 Frequency Distribution and Descriptive Statistics with respect to Gender Number of Responses (N=207) Gender Frequency Percentage (%) Male Female Total Table-3 Frequency Distribution and Descriptive Statistics with respect to Age Number of Responses (N=207) Ages Frequency Percentage (%) > Total In this table student with four different ages has shown, and in first group of age more respondent are presents with the percentage of 91.8.In other ages respond ant are very less this is because at university level majority is youngsters, so first group of age is preferred. In second age group only 14 people with 6.8% are present it is very less with respect to first age group, in third age group only 1% people are present and same in fourth age group only 0.5% people are present. Student are youngsters and their ages are below 32 because after this they start their causal life, and only some people continue their studies, or they did courses relate to their job requirement. Table-4 Frequency Distribution and Descriptive Statistics with respect to Qualification Number of Responses (N=207) Qualification Frequency Percentage (%) Bachelor Masters Others Total In this table the rate of respondents from three group of Qualification are selected for ranking number of students, Bachelor, Masters and others, others included MS level, PhD and different courses. The outcomes from the above table shown is cleared that the respondents with Bachelor level having the higher level of answer rate which is 52.2 % of the total. While at the Masters level the response rate is 40.1%, which is 12%less than the Bachelor level. And at the third group only 7.7% result are shown. From the above table we conclude that at university level bachelor and master students are more in number, because they are regular student and more in number and in other group PhD students are less, so Bachelor level is preferred. The results obtained from analysis of the collected data explain that how many respondents strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree or strongly agree with the items of the Country of origin. It is evident that from 207 respondents voted according to their own willingness against 08 item of Country of origin. From 1 st item 52 respondents are strongly disagree,78 are disagree,44 are neutral,25 are agree and 08 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 2 nd item 37 respondents are strongly disagree, 75 are disagree, 52 are neutral, 32 are agree and 11 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 3rd item 40 respondents are strongly disagree, 65 are disagree, 55 are neutral, 31 are agree and 16 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 4 th item 37 respondents are strongly disagree,89 are disagree,57 are neutral,16 are agree and 8 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 5 th item 28 respondents are strongly disagree,87 are disagree,57 are neutral,25 are agree and 10 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 6 th item 38 respondents are strongly disagree,70 are disagree,56 are neutral,36 are agree and 06 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 7 th item 26 respondents are strongly 26

11 disagree,69 are disagree,50 are neutral,49 are agree and 13 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 8 th item 26 respondents are strongly disagree,69 are disagree,50 are neutral,49 are agree and 13 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of This shows that maximum of the respondents disagree with the country of origin items. Further, the mean values as indicated in the table, give the indication about whether the responses of the respondents is positive or negative. In this case, the mean values suggest that most of the respondents have positively responded with some items. Table-5 Frequency Distribution and Descriptive Statistics with respect to Country-of origin Percentage response rate (N=207) Items Str. Str. Disagree Neutral Agree Disagree Agree Mean St. Dev The level of economic development of this country is high. The level of democratic politics of this country is high. The level of industrialization of this country is high The standards of living of this country are high The level of technically advancement of this country is high. The Nokia quality of this country is high level. It is great to have the product of this country The product of this country is reliable. The product of this country is reliable The results obtained from analysis of the collected data explain that how many respondents strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree or strongly agree with the items of the Product knowledge. It is evident that from 207 respondents voted according to their own willingness against 05 item of product knowledge. From 1 st item 521respondents are strongly disagree,54 are disagree,83 are neutral,43 are agree and 06 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 2 nd item 19 respondents are strongly disagree, 48 are disagree, 61 are neutral, 67 are agree and 12 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 3rd item 19 respondents are strongly disagree, 53 are disagree, 63 are neutral, 64 are agree and 8 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 4 th item 16 respondents are strongly disagree,52 are disagree,68 are neutral,55 are agree and 16 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 5 th item 19 respondents are strongly disagree,48 are disagree,86 are neutral,43 are agree and 11 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of This shows that most of the respondents were neutral with the knowledge of product. In additional the mean standards as shown in the table, give the signals about whether the responses of the respondents is negative or positive. In this case, the mean standards are higher at 2 nd and at 4 th item. Table-6 Frequency Distribution and Descriptive Statistics with respect to Product knowledge: 27

12 Items The level what I know about this product. The willingness I want to understand this product actively. The level what I actually stored in my memory about this product s information. The level what I can discriminate the difference of product and brand of different product firms. After purchase and use of this product, the accumulated level what I know about this product. Percentage response rate (N=207) Str. Str. Disagree Neutral Agree Disagree Agree Mean St. Dev Table-7 Frequency Distribution and Descriptive Statistics with respect to Product Involvement: Percentage response rate (N=207) Items Str. Str. Disagree Neutral Agree Disagree Agree Mean St. Dev This product is what I want for me This product is very important for me. This product is worthy for me This product is what I need for me For me, this product I will take care and think more and more. This product is helpful for me The results obtained from analysis of the collected data explain that how many respondents strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree or strongly agree with the items of the Product involvement. It is evident that from 207 respondents voted according to their own willingness against 06 item of Product involvement. From 1 st item 18 respondents are strongly disagree,55 are disagree,71 are neutral,53 are agree and 10 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 2 nd item 16 respondents are strongly disagree, 56 are disagree, 60 are neutral, 60 are agree and 15 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 3rd item 18 respondents are strongly disagree, 53 are disagree, 66 are neutral, 56 are agree and 14 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 4 th item 17 respondents are strongly disagree,60 are disagree,56 are neutral,62 are agree and 12 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 5 th item 18 respondents are strongly disagree, 44 are disagree, 69 are neutral, 58 are agree and 18 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of From 6 th item 13 respondents are strongly disagree, 45 are disagree, 67 are neutral, 72 are agree and 20 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and standard deviations of This shows that maximum of the respondents neutral and agree with the Product involvement. Further, the mean values as indicated in the table, give the indication about whether the responses of the respondents is positive or negative. In this case, the mean values of 5 th item shows higher mean value among others. The results obtained from analysis of the collected data explain that how many respondents strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree or strongly agree with the items of the Purchase intention. It is evident that from 207 respondents voted according to their own willingness against 02 item of Purchase intention. From 1 st item 24 respondents are strongly disagree,42 are disagree,74 are neutral,46 are agree and 24 are strongly agree, and their collective mean of and 28