Publicação
Unveiling the power of supplier-country image on B2B customers' perceptions: Beyond the product’s beauty
| Resumo: | Researchers in business-to-business (B2B) sectors often assume that findings regarding country-of-origin (COO) effects on end consumers can be directly applied to the industrial marketing context. This tendency to generalize can result in an inaccurate understanding of how buyers perceive COO information in B2B scenarios. This study investigates the effect of supplier-country image on international customers’ perceptions of both perceived product quality and relationship quality in a B2B market environment. We further examine the consequences of perceived product quality and relationship quality on supplier awareness and customer loyalty. Data collected from 182 international B2B buyers in the Portuguese footwear, molds, and wood products and furniture industries were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that supplier-country image influences the relationship quality dimensions (trust, commitment, and satisfaction) and perceived product quality. Moreover, trust and commitment enhance customer loyalty, while trust and satisfaction leverage supplier awareness. In contrast, perceived product quality only influences customer loyalty, albeit to a weaker extent. Thus, relationship quality plays a more significant role than perceived product quality in influencing supplier awareness and customer loyalty in B2B environments. These results challenge the notion that the impact of COO on end consumers can be equally applied in B2B contexts, and they expand our understanding of how supplier-country image affects relationship quality in the industrial setting. Furthermore, they draw managers’ attention to the importance of mitigating a potentially negative COO image through measures aimed at improving relationships. |
|---|---|
| Autores principais: | Crespo, Cátia Fernandes |
| Outros Autores: | Crespo, Nuno Fernandes; Silva, Susana C. |
| Assunto: | Supplier-country image Perceived product quality Relationship quality Trust Commitment Satisfaction |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Instituto Politécnico de Leiria |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | IC-online |
| _version_ | 1868415851090149376 |
|---|---|
| author | Crespo, Cátia Fernandes |
| author2 | Crespo, Nuno Fernandes Silva, Susana C. |
| author2_role | author author |
| author_facet | Crespo, Cátia Fernandes Crespo, Nuno Fernandes Silva, Susana C. |
| author_role | author |
| contributor_name_str_mv | Repositório IC-Online |
| country_str | PT |
| creators_json_txt | [{\"Person.name\":\"Crespo, Cátia Fernandes\",\"Person.identifier.orcid\":\"0000-0003-2886-7370\"},{\"Person.name\":\"Crespo, Nuno Fernandes\"},{\"Person.name\":\"Silva, Susana C.\"}] |
| datacite.contributors.contributor.contributorName.fl_str_mv | Repositório IC-Online |
| datacite.creators.creator.creatorName.fl_str_mv | Crespo, Cátia Fernandes Crespo, Nuno Fernandes Silva, Susana C. |
| datacite.date.Accepted.fl_str_mv | 2025-01-12T00:00:00Z |
| datacite.date.available.fl_str_mv | 2025-12-03T16:30:23Z |
| datacite.date.embargoed.fl_str_mv | 2025-12-03T16:30:23Z |
| datacite.rights.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| datacite.subjects.subject.fl_str_mv | Supplier-country image Perceived product quality Relationship quality Trust Commitment Satisfaction |
| datacite.titles.title.fl_str_mv | Unveiling the power of supplier-country image on B2B customers' perceptions: Beyond the product’s beauty |
| dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv | Repositório IC-Online |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv | Crespo, Cátia Fernandes Crespo, Nuno Fernandes Silva, Susana C. |
| dc.date.Accepted.fl_str_mv | 2025-01-12T00:00:00Z |
| dc.date.available.fl_str_mv | 2025-12-03T16:30:23Z |
| dc.date.embargoed.fl_str_mv | 2025-12-03T16:30:23Z |
| dc.format.none.fl_str_mv | application/pdf |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/14829 |
| dc.language.none.fl_str_mv | eng |
| dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv | Elsevier |
| dc.rights.cclincense.fl_str_mv | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv | Supplier-country image Perceived product quality Relationship quality Trust Commitment Satisfaction |
| dc.title.fl_str_mv | Unveiling the power of supplier-country image on B2B customers' perceptions: Beyond the product’s beauty |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 |
| description | Researchers in business-to-business (B2B) sectors often assume that findings regarding country-of-origin (COO) effects on end consumers can be directly applied to the industrial marketing context. This tendency to generalize can result in an inaccurate understanding of how buyers perceive COO information in B2B scenarios. This study investigates the effect of supplier-country image on international customers’ perceptions of both perceived product quality and relationship quality in a B2B market environment. We further examine the consequences of perceived product quality and relationship quality on supplier awareness and customer loyalty. Data collected from 182 international B2B buyers in the Portuguese footwear, molds, and wood products and furniture industries were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that supplier-country image influences the relationship quality dimensions (trust, commitment, and satisfaction) and perceived product quality. Moreover, trust and commitment enhance customer loyalty, while trust and satisfaction leverage supplier awareness. In contrast, perceived product quality only influences customer loyalty, albeit to a weaker extent. Thus, relationship quality plays a more significant role than perceived product quality in influencing supplier awareness and customer loyalty in B2B environments. These results challenge the notion that the impact of COO on end consumers can be equally applied in B2B contexts, and they expand our understanding of how supplier-country image affects relationship quality in the industrial setting. Furthermore, they draw managers’ attention to the importance of mitigating a potentially negative COO image through measures aimed at improving relationships. |
| dirty | 0 |
| eu_rights_str_mv | openAccess |
| format | article |
| fulltext.url.fl_str_mv | https://iconline.ipleiria.pt/bitstreams/428140e1-98ef-4c0d-b58a-1de1b3e71741/download |
| funding.funder.alternateName_str_mv | FCT |
| funding.funder.identifier_str_mv | http://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871 |
| funding.funder.name_str_mv | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia |
| funding.name_str_mv | 6817 - DCRRNI ID |
| id | iconline_7c2fdb1dd5c067f53ebbb2ec7efb7f7e |
| identifier.url.fl_str_mv | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/14829 |
| instacron_str | iconline |
| institution | Instituto Politécnico de Leiria |
| instname_str | Instituto Politécnico de Leiria |
| language | eng |
| network_acronym_str | iconline |
| network_name_str | IC-online |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:iconline.ipleiria.pt:10400.8/14829 |
| organization_str_mv | urn:organizationAcronym:iconline |
| person_str_mv | Crespo, Cátia Fernandes Crespo, Cátia Fernandes https://www.ciencia-id.pt/0615-6420-EC94 0615-6420-EC94 http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2886-7370 0000-0003-2886-7370 Crespo, Nuno Fernandes Silva, Susana C. |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher.none.fl_str_mv | Elsevier |
| reponame_str | IC-online |
| repository_id_str | urn:repositoryAcronym:iconline |
| service_str_mv | urn:repositoryAcronym:iconline |
| spelling | engElsevierengResearchers in business-to-business (B2B) sectors often assume that findings regarding country-of-origin (COO) effects on end consumers can be directly applied to the industrial marketing context. This tendency to generalize can result in an inaccurate understanding of how buyers perceive COO information in B2B scenarios. This study investigates the effect of supplier-country image on international customers’ perceptions of both perceived product quality and relationship quality in a B2B market environment. We further examine the consequences of perceived product quality and relationship quality on supplier awareness and customer loyalty. Data collected from 182 international B2B buyers in the Portuguese footwear, molds, and wood products and furniture industries were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that supplier-country image influences the relationship quality dimensions (trust, commitment, and satisfaction) and perceived product quality. Moreover, trust and commitment enhance customer loyalty, while trust and satisfaction leverage supplier awareness. In contrast, perceived product quality only influences customer loyalty, albeit to a weaker extent. Thus, relationship quality plays a more significant role than perceived product quality in influencing supplier awareness and customer loyalty in B2B environments. These results challenge the notion that the impact of COO on end consumers can be equally applied in B2B contexts, and they expand our understanding of how supplier-country image affects relationship quality in the industrial setting. Furthermore, they draw managers’ attention to the importance of mitigating a potentially negative COO image through measures aimed at improving relationships.application/pdfengUnveiling the power of supplier-country image on B2B customers' perceptions: Beyond the product’s beautyPersonalCrespo, Cátia FernandesDSpacehttp://dspace.org/items/99788e3e-3e04-4f90-a511-7ee6c6f2dd78DSpacehttp://dspace.org/items/99788e3e-3e04-4f90-a511-7ee6c6f2dd78CrespoCátia FernandesCiência IDhttps://www.ciencia-id.pt0615-6420-EC94ORCIDhttp://orcid.org0000-0003-2886-7370Scopus Author IDhttps://www.scopus.com56072058400Crespo, Nuno FernandesSilva, Susana C.HostingInstitutionOrganizationalRepositório IC-Onlinee-mailmailto:repositorio@ipleiria.ptrepositorio@ipleiria.ptISSNIsPartOf0969-5931DOIIsPartOf10.1016/j.ibusrev.2025.1023882025-12-03T16:30:23Z2025-01-122025-01-12T00:00:00ZHandlehttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/14829http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2open accessSupplier-country imagePerceived product qualityRelationship qualityTrustCommitmentSatisfaction979021 bytesFundação para a Ciência e a TecnologiaCentre of Applied Research in Management and Economics6817 - DCRRNI IDCrossref Funder IDhttp://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871literaturehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501journal article2025-01-12http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2application/pdffulltexthttps://iconline.ipleiria.pt/bitstreams/428140e1-98ef-4c0d-b58a-1de1b3e71741/downloadInternational Business Review343 |
| spellingShingle | Unveiling the power of supplier-country image on B2B customers' perceptions: Beyond the product’s beauty Crespo, Cátia Fernandes Supplier-country image Perceived product quality Relationship quality Trust Commitment Satisfaction |
| status | SINGLETON |
| subject.fl_str_mv | Supplier-country image Perceived product quality Relationship quality Trust Commitment Satisfaction |
| title | Unveiling the power of supplier-country image on B2B customers' perceptions: Beyond the product’s beauty |
| title_full | Unveiling the power of supplier-country image on B2B customers' perceptions: Beyond the product’s beauty |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling the power of supplier-country image on B2B customers' perceptions: Beyond the product’s beauty |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling the power of supplier-country image on B2B customers' perceptions: Beyond the product’s beauty |
| title_short | Unveiling the power of supplier-country image on B2B customers' perceptions: Beyond the product’s beauty |
| title_sort | Unveiling the power of supplier-country image on B2B customers' perceptions: Beyond the product’s beauty |
| topic | Supplier-country image Perceived product quality Relationship quality Trust Commitment Satisfaction |
| topic_facet | Supplier-country image Perceived product quality Relationship quality Trust Commitment Satisfaction |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/14829 |
| visible | 1 |