| Abstract [eng] |
The main purpose of this Master's thesis is to determine how country and store image influence a consumer's intention to buy from a foreign online store. The thesis consists of three main parts: literature analysis, research and results, conclusions and recommendations. The literature review provides an overview of the concept of country and store image, identifies the main elements and categories, analyses the country and store image in the context of international commerce, and how they influence the consumer's attitudes and intention to buy. It also identifies theoretical models and analyses their application in examining the impact of country and store factors on consumers' intention to buy from a cross-border e-shop. Based on the established research methodology, a study was conducted to analyze how the image of the country and the store influences a consumer's intention to buy from a foreign online store, as well as how trust, perceived usefulness, and social norms and self-perceived efficacy influence the intention to buy. Additional variables such as perceived value (value of the product and price) and perceived costs (delivery time and cost, return price) are included to determine their impact on perceived usefulness. The impact of perceived ease of use on the image of the store was also investigated. The method chosen for the study was an online survey, with 4 questionnaires administered in 2 different countries and 2 different online shops operating in them. The constructs used in the questionnaire were based on a 7-point Likert scale. A total of 283 respondents took part in the study, out of which the validity of the answers of 280 respondents was assessed. Reliability of the variables was measured by Cronbach's alpha coefficient and all scales were reliable. The demographic characteristics of the respondents were tested using the Chi-square test to see if the demographic characteristics of the respondents were proportionally distributed across the different questionnaires. Linear and multiple regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses of direct effects and to determine the effects of the variables. To test the hypotheses of indirect effects, the SPSS Process Macro procedure was used to determine how trust mediates between country image and intention to buy, and between store image and intention to buy. This procedure was also used to determine how store image affects purchase intention through perceived usefulness. It has been found that country and store image directly influence consumer trust, while store image influences consumer perceived usefulness. Country image is also found to have a direct impact on store image. The results revealed that perceived usefulness, trust, social norms and self-efficacy have a direct impact on the intention to buy from a foreign online shop. Perceived ease of use also influences store image. The analysis also revealed that perceived value received has a positive effect on perceived usefulness, although one variable, price value, had no effect on perceived usefulness. The perceived cost also had no effect on perceived usefulness. The mediation analysis revealed that trust fully mediates the effect of country image on purchase intention, but the mediation of trust through store image and purchase intention was only partially mediated, as store image also has a direct effect on purchase intention. The mediation of perceived usefulness through store image and purchase intention was also partial. The conclusions summarize the results of the literature review and the study. Suggestions are made for other researchers and online shop representatives, and limitations of the study are presented. |
