Abstract
Despite the increasing uptake of the term sustainable business model (SBM), the concept has mainly focused on business strategies. However, integrating the SBM into a longer-term and macroscopic framework would make it more sustainable. This article explored the SBM as a national strategy that operates beyond a corporate level. In this respect, the study examined the ways in which cultural and political perceptions of a nation can influence consumers’ choices. This article particularly examined the explanatory power of two ideational driving forces: perceptions of cultural heritage, and perceptions of politics and foreign relations. By assessing a dataset of the views of 223 African students studying in Korea, this study confirmed that national image meaningfully affects consumer behavior (intention to recommend). Furthermore, the study provided new evidence that cultural and political perceptions of a nation have a significantly positive effect on national image. It was also found that national image played a role as a mediating variable relating to cultural/political perceptions and intention to recommend. By extending the concept of the SBM to a national level, this article lays the foundation for a win–win situation between decision makers in both business and political sectors.
Highlights
The modus operandi of sustainable business models (SBMs) should be neither static nor merely materialistic
In the debate on the SBM at a macro level, we have identified two key ideational variables: perceptions of cultural heritage, and perceptions of politics and foreign relations
While corroborating the results of previous studies on national image and its effects on consumer behavior, we have demonstrated that cultural and political perceptions of a nation can have an effect on consumers’ choices
Summary
The modus operandi of sustainable business models (SBMs) should be neither static nor merely materialistic. Rather, it is social representation (or the social imaginary)—the set of values, institutions, and symbols—that enhances SBMs [1,2]. It is social representation (or the social imaginary)—the set of values, institutions, and symbols—that enhances SBMs [1,2] This study regards such representation as the societal foundation for an SBM. A country creates, captures, delivers, and mediatizes its national image (a representation of the form of a country) [3]. A national image is a meaningful object by which a country is understood
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