CONSUMERS' USE OF COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE INFORMATION: TURKEY VERSUS THE U.S.A.

Perceived importance of the country of-manufacture (COM) and its influence on purchase decisions were examined in Turkey and the U.S.A. in a non-laboratory setting. Consumers in Turkey rated COM importance higher, were more aware of, and cited COM as a purchase-influencing factor more frequently than consumers in the U.S.A. Consumers' age, income, ethnocentrism and perceived importance of brands as sources of product quality information, were positively related to COM importance while retailers' role was negatively related to COM importance in the U.S.A only. Several possible explanations including cultural differences and stage of market development were discussed in this explanatory study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]