Country-of-Origin Image Scale

What it measures

Measures consumers' overall image of products from a specific country across multiple dimensions. Country-of-origin (COO) effects are among the most studied phenomena in international marketing — country image acts as an extrinsic cue that influences quality perceptions, purchase intentions, and willingness to pay. Nagashima's scale established the foundational measurement approach.

Response format

Semantic differential (5-point bipolar adjective pairs)

Scale items

Country-of-Origin Image — Cognitive Dimension (semantic differential 1–7 bipolar adjective pairs)

• Industrialised country / Non-industrialised country
• High involvement in international trade / Low involvement in international trade
• Economically developed country / Economically undeveloped country
• High standard of living / Low standard of living
• High level of technological research / Low level of technological research
• Large country / Small country

Affective Dimension (semantic differential 1–7 bipolar adjective pairs)

• Trustworthy country / Untrustworthy country
• Friendly toward [own country] / Unfriendly toward [own country]
• A good country to do business with / A poor country to do business with
• Politically free country / Non-politically free country

Conative Dimension — intended behaviour toward country-made products (Likert 1–7)

• I would make a special effort to buy products made in [country].
• I would be willing to pay more for products made in [country].
• I would recommend products from [country] to my friends.
• I prefer products made in [country] over those from other countries.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Adapt to specify the country and product category of interest. Score = mean per dimension. Country-of-origin effects are stronger for high-involvement products, unfamiliar brands, and when country image is highly accessible. Interact with brand familiarity — strong brands can overcome negative COO effects.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Nagashima, A. (1970). A comparison of Japanese and U.S. attitudes toward foreign products. Journal of Marketing, 34(1), 68–74.

Keywords