Abstract
Studies on the country image topic in the services context are rare in comparison with the number of papers investigating the effect that the information on the country of origin exerts on consumer buying behavior when tangible products are concerned. To this regard, the current paper would contribute to the literature on the country-of-origin effect and consumer behavior, exploring the role played by Product Country Image (PCI) in shaping customers attitude when a service offer is concerned – namely: dining services. Specifically, this study tests a conceptual model developed in a multi-cue perspective, that is: evaluating not only the effect of the information on the origin of the service offer investigated, but also assessing consumers’ perceptions related to other service offer cues, such as service quality and perceived value, in this case. A specific national cuisine in the full-service restaurant setting is explored: the Italian one. 
 
 From the methodological viewpoint, a survey was conducted among Danish customers of Italian restaurants in Copenhagen. The research method employed consisted in a structured questionnaire. Then, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was applied to the data collected. Results evidence that product country image influences the formation of a positive attitude towards ethnic restaurants even when a multi-cue approach is employed. Scientific and managerial implications are discussed.
Highlights
The literature on the country-of-origin (COO) effect has a long tradition and may count on a very high number of studies
In order to contribute in filling this gap, this study investigates the effect of Product Country Image (PCI) on consumers attitude when a service offer is concerned
This paper proposes a model in which a multi-cue analysis is performed, considering the influence exerted by PCI on consumers attitude together with the main cues that the literature on consumer behaviour in restaurant settings found relevant - that is: perceived value and perceived service quality - and controlling for gender and age
Summary
The literature on the country-of-origin (COO) effect has a long tradition and may count on a very high number of studies. Some papers state that the COO effect may differ between service categories (e.g., Michaelis, Woisetschläger, Backhaus & Ahlert, 2008) and as studies on the way in which the information on the country-of-origin of a service offer affects consumer buying behaviour are limited mainly to banking, airlines and insurance (Pecotich et al, 1996; Lin & Chen, 2006; Berentzen et al, 2008), a specific attention to dining services might contribute to shed light on the topic. To widen our understanding on the role played by PCI when an ethnic restaurant is concerned, a theoretical model is proposed, with the related hypotheses, as described in the following paragraph
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