Country of Origin Ethnocentrism & Hyrbrid Product Essay

Country of Origin Ethnocentrism & Hyrbrid Product - Essay Example Therefore, the country variable in country of origin studies should be treated as a multidimensional concept that can indicate the different dimensions of country of origin. This will better reflect the market environment as well as the ethnocentric consumers' evaluations. The customers attitudes towards the different dimensions should also be examined (Brodowsky, 1998; Acharaya and Elliot, 2003; Brodowsky, Tan and Meilich, 2004). Severalstudies have investigated and looked into ethnocentric consumers' attitudes. They have put their attitudes and evaluative beliefs to a multi-dimensional formulation of country of origin (COO), including country of design (COD), and country of assembly (COA) (Brodowsky, 1998; Acharaya and Elliot, 2003; Brodowsky, Tan and Meilich, 2004). Brodowsky (1998) also examined how the country where the product was assembled and the country where it was designed effects the evaluative beliefs and attitudes towards buying automotive products between people with high and low ethnocentric qualities. The results of the study proved that consumers with high ethnocentric ideals had more positive beliefs and attitudes towards buying domestically designed automobiles than foreign designed and domestically assembled automobiles than foreign assembled. ... On the other hand, not only did people with low ethnocentric ideals not have positive evaluative beliefs and attitudes towards domestically designed or assembled automobiles, but expressed more positive evaluative beliefs and attitudes towards buying foreign designed than domestically designed automobiles., and foreign assembled than domestically assembled automobiles. This is also not surprising given the other study about people with high ethnocentric qualities. Brodowsky (1998) also stated that the positive ideals of low ethnocentric consumers towards foreign assembled and foreign made automobiles may have been based on their evaluations of the foreign product, which often times can be superior to the home made product. In a seperate study, Acharya and Elliot (2003) also researched the patters of high and low ethnocentric consumers' evaluations and intentions to purchase domestically assembled than foreign assembled products, and domestically designed than foreign designed products. This was tested for three different product categories all differencing in their mixed levels of involvement. The results revealed that high ethnocentric consumers expressed positive evaluations and attitudes towards buying domestically assembled than foreign assembled products for the three product categories examined. Results also showed that high ethnocentric consumers expressed more positive attitudes towards buying domestically designed than foreign designed products. However, contrary to their hypothesis, high ethnocentric consumers expressed more positive evaluations for foreign designed than domestically designed products. This was the case for two of the three products examined. Further, Brodowsky (1998) highlig hted that high ethnocentric consumers ascribed put a bigger

My Experience of Volunteer at Various Organizations Essay

My Experience of Volunteer at Various Organizations - Essay Example Once I had collected enough books, I would pack these up in delivery boxes and send it out to the various prisons that are affiliated with our organization. I would also take the time to write letters to the inmates who were directly involved with the book program. I was almost like an unofficial librarian in a way since I had to match certain book types with certain inmates. This was one of the most rewarding activities in the volunteer program because I would receive letters from the inmates who were so happy to be beneficiaries of our program. Since some of them had no family or friends, the books that we sent them helped lighten their lonely mood. We volunteer in effect, became a part of their extended family in the outside world just because of the simple act of kindness that we did for them. I personally received letters from those inmates who wanted to spend their time in prison or in jail productively. They would ask me to find books that would truly widen their horizon and challenge their minds. Books like those specializing in Spanish, medicine, math, English, and other educational reading material. I was more than happy to help them find those books and get it to them. It made me feel like by doing this type of volunteer job with th e organization, I was truly making an impact in the inmate's lives and helping them to see that they had a future outside of prison if they wanted to. My other volunteer job was at the Melbourne Animal Shelter. The South Animal Care shelter to be precise helped keep the cats and dogs in a presentable manner for possible adoption. My job was to make sure the animals were bathed, their cages cleaned, and most importantly, I made sure that these animals were given their daily exercise by taking them for leisurely walks. It saddened me that I this animal shelter was a kill shelter. Meaning the animals that did not get adopted would be out to sleep.