Understanding the country of origin effect
: the case of Portugal

  • Lucénio Vinicius Rodrigues de Almeida Saraiva (Student)

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

Nowadays, the panorama of international markets reflects an extremely competitive market, with many available products that stand out due to their quality, durability and diversification. Consequently, the process of evaluating products is increasingly more complex, due to the number of factors taken into account in the process. The country of origin effect is one of those factors. The image of a country is directly associated with the country of origin effect and it can be shaped by the behaviour and habits of its society, the performance of its business sectors on international markets, and by the perceptions of foreigners about the country. A positive country image will reflect a positive impact of the country of origin effect, while a negative country image will reflect a negative impact of the country of origin effect. Portugal seems to be affected by a negative country image, but that dynamic seems to be changing. For Portuguese businesses, the way in which they work with the country of origin will be the difference between the success and failure in the international markets. This thesis aims to identify what is the perception of foreigners about Portugal, the strategies used by Portuguese businesses to generate a positive country of origin effect and understand the impact of the country of origin effect on Portugal. We understood that the case study method was the best method to identify the strategies used by Portuguese businesses to work with the country of origin and determine the impact of the country of origin effect on Portugal. The thesis suggests that the perception about Portugal is improving, generating a positive country of origin effect, supported by the success of Portuguese businesses and businessmen in international markets. The key to success is how companies combine their unique natural resources with the technological innovations and strategic tools available to them.
Date of Award21 Jul 2016
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa
SupervisorSusana Silva (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Country of origin effect
  • Product evaluation
  • Strategies
  • International markets
  • Country image
  • Perception
  • Case study
  • Portugal

Designation

  • Mestrado em Gestão

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