A Longitudinal Study Comparing Perceptions of U.S. and Japanese Consumer Products in a Third/Neutral Country: Finland 19
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VanR. Wood** Texas Tech University
Abstract. While substantial research has been done on the competitive struggle between U.S. and Japanese consumer products, few studies have examined the U.S.4apan rivalry from a neutral-thirdcountry perspective.This study, coveringa ten-yearperiod (1975-1985)of data collection, examineschanges in Finnishperceptionsof U.S. and Japaneseconsumerproducts and marketing efforts. Results indicate that while Finnish consumer perceptionsof U.S. products and marketingefforts have improvedover time, the correspondingperceptionsof the Japanese alternative have improved substantially more. Similarly, in areas where U.S. competitors had initial advantages, the study resultsindicatethat by 1985 Japanesefirms wereable to overcomesuch advantagesand were perceivedas superior in all categories. In the short span of three decades, Japan has attained a major competitive position in many world markets [Lazer, Murata and Kosaka 1985; Amine, Cavusgil and Weinstein 1986]. Moreover,as Japanese products have gained worldwideacceptance,consumerperceptionsof the quality of theirproducts and marketing efforts have steadily improved [Nakanishi 1981]. Assuming these trends endure, the future will continue to offer substantial challenges for U.S. firms competing with the Japanese in international markets. *John R. Darling is Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Professorof Marketingand InternationalBusiness,MississippiStateUniversity. His primaryresearchinterestsare in the areasof strategicexportmarketingand internationalmarketingresearch. * *VanR. Woodis AssociateProfessorof Marketingat TexasTechUniversity.His primaryresearchinterestsarein theareasof internationalmarketingmanagement and strategicplanning.His researchhas been publishedin numerousjournals, includingthe Journalof Marketingand the Journalof MarketingResearch. The authorsextendtheir appreciationto ProfessorRoy Howell for his generousassistanceand commentson draftsof this article. Received:February1986;Revised:April 1987,July& October1989;Accepted:October1989. 427
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JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONALBUSINESS STUDIES, THIRD QUARTER1990
Do consumersperceiveJapaneseproductsandmarketingeffortsas superior to those of the U.S.? Have consumerperceptionsof U.S. and Japanese productschangedover time?What should U.S. firms do to combat the Japanesechallenge?Whileno singlestudycan answerthesequestionsfor all consumersand all worldmarkets,a reviewof the literatureby Bilkey andNes [1982]summarizesnumerousworksthathavedealtwiththeseand related issues. In general, most studies dealing with the U.S.-Japanese rivalryhavereportedan improvementin the imageof Japaneseproducts and a relative deteriorationin the image of U.S. products (see, for andWhite[1974]. example,Nagashima[1970,1977];or Dornoff,Tankersley In spiteof these findings,knowledgeof the U.S.-Japaneserivalrytendsto be limitedbecauseof two
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