The Impact of Country of Origin on Emiratis' Perception of products: The case of the Emirate of Dubai (UAE).

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to investigate the impact of country of origin on Emiratis' perception of products in the Emirate of Dubai. With this issue in mind, this study was carried out in the Burjuman Shopping Centre in Dubai. To guarantee an adequate response rate an Arabic version of the hand-delivered questionnaire method of data collection was employed. Due to the non-existence of an appropriate sampling frame of the Emirates, convenience-sampling procedures were, implemented. A total of 1003 questionnaires were distributed to all parts of the Burjuman Shopping Centre, and respondents returned the completed questionnaires to a specific person in Burjuman. Of the distributed questionnaires, 348 completed questionnaires were returned and were usable in the statistical analysis. The returned number of completed questionnaires gave the researcher a response rate of 35%. The findings of this study indicated that the issue of perception of country of origin exists in the Emirate of Dubai and that this perception has a great influence on Emiratis' perception of product quality and value. Further, local and international businesses and marketers need to consider this issue when developing their marketing strategies.