Cultural appropriation and the country of origin effect

Abstract

This study explores how the appropriation of another country's cultural initiatives by a consumer can influence country of origin (COO) effects and how this might be explained using theory on the positioning of stereotypes. The first of two empirical studies identifies a measure of cultural appropriation relevant to the context of the Hallyu (or the Korean Wave) using a Q sort methodology (n = 30). The second study investigates the influence of cultural appropriation on the COO effect and purchase intentions for two product types, performance and personal (n = 218). The results suggest that cultural appropriation positively influences the COO effect (attitude toward the country, its companies, and its products) and purchase intentions, via an enhanced COO effect. However, the analyses show that effects differ between the performance product and the personal product. Cultural appropriation influence occurs mainly via an enhanced COO effect for the performance product and from a direct influence over purchase intentions for the personal product. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.