Alessandro De Nisco | UNINT Università degli Studi Internazionali di Roma (original) (raw)

Papers by Alessandro De Nisco

Obiettivi . Lo studio analizza il ruolo del cultural heritage nella formazione dell’immagine Paes... more Obiettivi . Lo studio analizza il ruolo del cultural heritage nella formazione dell’immagine Paese, proponendo una prima categorizzazione delle dimensioni costitutive della “cultural heritage image”. Metodologia . La ricerca si basa su uno studio qualitativo realizzato attraverso una content analysis sulla documentazione istituzionale web di 10 Paesi considerati best-in-class dal Country Brand Index in relazione al valore del patrimonio culturale nazionale. Risultati . L’analisi statistico-lessicale ha consentito di individuare 3 categorie concettuali principali, declinate in 11 subcategorie, costitutive dell’immagine del patrimonio culturale dei Paesi considerati. Limiti della ricerca . Il principale limite dello studio e legato all’ampiezza e alla varieta della documentazione analizzata. Implicazioni pratiche . L’individuazione degli elementi costitutivi della cultural heritage image puo offrire indicazioni preziose per la realizzazione di strategie di marketing internazionale in grado di valorizzare il ruolo del patrimonio culturale da parte di sistemi territoriali e imprese. Originalita del lavoro . Si tratta della prima ricerca che accoglie la tematica del cultural heritage all’interno della prospettiva di marketing internazionale incentrata sulla country image, e di uno dei primi studi che perviene all’identificazione analitica di una struttura di categorie concettuali idonee a rappresentare il sistema di immagini evocate dal patrimonio culturale di un Paese.

Academic Conferences Limited, 2020

European Journal of Tourism Research, 2015

In this paper we use the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) scheme in order to analyze tourist... more In this paper we use the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) scheme in order to analyze tourist satisfaction in a holiday destination. Arising from service and tourism marketing literatures, the study selects a set of components of the tourism experience that are willing to affect satisfaction. The IPA scheme is applied though a survey conducted on a sample of 1.936 national and international tourists intercepted at the end of their journey in the region of Campania (Italy). Although the IPA scheme has been used in past research in the tourism field, only a few studies have applied this tool from a destination perspective. Based on the results, the paper concludes with discussion of implications for both practitioners and academics.

Globalization has increased opportunities for businesses to transfer goods and services across th... more Globalization has increased opportunities for businesses to transfer goods and services across the world. At the same time, consumers can choose among a great variety of suppliers in every product category. When markets become more extensive consumers probably rely on the country-of-origin to face an information overload, never before experienced, and to guide them in consumption choices. At the same time, consumers have different attitudes towards their home country (Kosterman and Feshbach, 1989), foreign countries in general (Shimp and Sharma, 1987; Suh and Kwon, 2002) and specific foreign nations (Jaffe and Nebenzahl, 2006). This condition has determined a growing interest in investigating beliefs towards domestic and foreign products and services as well as their influence on consumers’ purchasing behavior (Riefler and Diamantopoulos, 2009). In this context, a very large number of studies and articles has been focused on either examining domestic product biases, or consumer’ unwillingness to buy foreign products by analysing the effect of constructs such as consumer ethnocentrism (Shimp and Sharma, 1987), consumer nationalism (Rawwas et al., 1996) and consumer animosity (Klein et al., 1998). However, despite the plentiful scientific production, current research seems to be still quite weak in explaining the “behavior of consumers of one country toward other countries, their firms and their products” (Crawford and Lamb, 1982: p. 859). At present, countless conflicts are taking place across the world and economic and political tensions are determining an increasing hostility towards stronger economies. For example, recent developments in the economic and financial crisis, at European level, are threatening the strength of the relationships between "weak" and economically "strong" nations, generating a renewed sense of nationalism and influencing the feelings of ethnocentrism and animosity of consumers. Consumer ethnocentrism is a good predictor of a preference for domestic products, but it cannot adequately clarify foreign product buying behavior. Furthermore, consumer animosity, defined as “remnants of antipathy related to previous or ongoing military, political, or economic events” (Klein et al., 1998), measures a consumer’s feelings of hatred toward a specific country, but it cannot explain the general pattern of foreign product preferences and consumption across countries. Finally, research on the potential interactions between consumer ethnocentrism, consumer animosity, and the overarching construct of country image, is virtually nonexistent.

Tourism Planning and Destination Marketing, 2018

Abstract Originally conceptualised as an innovative strategy for environmental conservation, ecot... more Abstract Originally conceptualised as an innovative strategy for environmental conservation, ecotourism is now considered as one of the fastest growing segments of tourism. Although many definitions of ecotourism have been provided over the years, the application of the concept is still inconsistent, shifting its focus from purely nature-based towards more sustainable and conservative activities. Research on ecotourism reveals that ecotourism marketing initiatives are mainly driven by the supply-side or government/environmentalist organisations’ perspective, without taking into account the demand side, i.e., individuals’ motivations for ecotourism. This chapter will provide recognition of the different definitions of the ecotourism concept in order to distinguish it from other similar forms of tourism, e.g., nature-based tourism, and will review the research to build an understanding of the various motivations pushing individuals to choose ecotourism offerings. It will also function as the basis for the development of an appropriate protocol to investigate a sample of ecotourism providers and the congruency of their marketing initiatives with established consumer motivations.

European J. of International Management, 2021

In spite of the substantial number of studies on country image, there is still a lack of a holist... more In spite of the substantial number of studies on country image, there is still a lack of a holistic understanding of the phenomenon. The aim of this paper is to examine the different aspects of macro and micro country image and their effects on behavioural outcomes towards Italian products and tourist destinations in the emerging market context. The study also deepens comprehension of the rather unexplored role of cultural heritage image. Data gathered from a sample of 3,928 respondents from seven emerging countries (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, and Turkey) were analysed with hierarchical cluster analysis, non-hierarchical k-means clustering algorithm, and multiple moderated mediation analysis. Results confirm the halo effect of country image in affecting consumers\u2019 behavioural responses and show that cultural heritage image has a strong evocative power to communicate the identity of a country and the quality and appeal of its products or destinations

The actual and future perspectives of the Made in Italy are currently the object of a significant... more The actual and future perspectives of the Made in Italy are currently the object of a significant debate. The terrific effects of the Euro crisis on the internal demand for products and services, along with the structural lack of competitiveness of the Italian economy and the radical changes in the global political and economic assets have risen a significant concern on the ability of the Italian economy – which is characterized by the preminent role of small and medium firms – to gain a significant position in the global scenario of the third millennium. According to the predominant view, the worldwide economic growth will be driven by the increasing spending power of consumers living in the emerging markets, supported by long term trends such as the urbanization of new and existing areas, the progressive removal of trade barriers and the spread of market oriented economic policies. According to the estimates provided by McKinsey, by 2025 annual consumption in emerging markets will...

Journal of Global Marketing, 2020

International financial crises affect some countries more than others, and general ethnocentric t... more International financial crises affect some countries more than others, and general ethnocentric tendencies favoring domestic products may be exacerbated by nationalism as well as animosity toward a specific country that consumers consider responsible for their own country's difficulties. This study uses the continuing Eurozone crisis as the research setting to investigate the relationships among ethnocentrism, economic animosity, and nationalism, and their effects on consumers' views of products associated with a target country that is seen as contributing to their predicament. Results show that both animosity and ethnocentrism negatively affect consumer acceptance of products associated with a disliked country but are not related with cognitive beliefs about these products. Findings also reveal that nationalism has a significant moderating effect by amplifying the influence of both animosity and ethnocentrism on willingness to buy. Important implications for theory, consumers, managers, and public policymakers in countries affected to different degrees by the crisis are discussed.

Global Fashion Management Conference, 2018

MERCATI & COMPETITIVITÀ, 2018

With the growing realization by governments of the beneficial effects of Foreign Direct Investmen... more With the growing realization by governments of the beneficial effects of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), barriers to FDI have been dropping but competition among countries for the limited pool of global capital, often through promotion and country branding, has intensified dramatically. The literature on FDI location choice is voluminous, but empirical findings are often contradictory and the factors studied are limited to tangible country characteristics without accounting for perceptual considerations. This study uses OLS regression to investigate the role of country branding in tandem with traditional country characteristics in the MENA region. The results show that the influence of country branding is significant and relevant implications are discussed.

Global Fashion Management Conference, 2019

Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 2017

International Marketing Review, 2017

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend international marketing theory by examining countr... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend international marketing theory by examining country image effects simultaneously from the perspectives of Product-Country Image (PCI), Tourism Destination Image (TDI), and General Country Image (GCI), and by using tourism satisfaction as the central construct in a comprehensive model that investigates post-visit effects in both the product and tourism domains. Design/methodology/approach International tourists from multiple countries were intercepted at the end of a tourism trip and interviewed in-person using a structured questionnaire, resulting in 498 usable responses for data analysis. The model comprised seven constructs measured with 28 variables and was tested with structural equation modelling. Findings The study uncovers a number of cross-effects between a country as destination and as producer, and establishes tourism satisfaction as a core construct that is relevant to both the tourism and product facets of place image. Pract...

European Management Journal, 2016

During the recent Euro crisis, Germany's push for austerity has prompted resurgence in anti-Germa... more During the recent Euro crisis, Germany's push for austerity has prompted resurgence in anti-German sentiment in some European nations. This study contributes to the literature on consumer animosity, ethnocentrism and country of origin effect by proposing a comprehensive model that analyses: a) the relationship between economic animosity towards a foreign nation and consumer ethnocentrism and b) their mutual effect on the perception of the general image of a country perceived as hostile, the evaluation of the products associated with that country (product beliefs) and the foreign product acceptance (product receptivity). The research model has been tested on a sample of Italian and Spanish graduate students with regard to the image of Germany. Results show that economic animosity does not affect the perceived level of either general country image or product beliefs, but it is negatively associated with product receptivity. This study also supports the relationship between economic animosity and consumer ethnocentrism; thus, consumers that feel anger towards a foreign country will favor domestic products, avoiding foreign ones. Based on results, the paper concludes with a discussion of theoretical and managerial implications and provides suggestions for further research.

MERCATI E COMPETITIVITÀ, 2015

Questo studio analizza la relazione esistente tra animosita economica, etnocentrismo del consumat... more Questo studio analizza la relazione esistente tra animosita economica, etnocentrismo del consumatore ed effetto country-of-origin. Sulla base di un’analisi critica della letteratura gli autori sviluppano e propongono un modello di analisi che viene testato su un campione di 203 studenti italiani con riferimento alla percezione dell’immagine Paese della Germania durante la crisi dell’Euro. I risultati mostrano che l’animosita economica verso una nazione percepita come "ostile" esercita un effetto negativo sulla propensione all’acquisto dei prodotti ad essa associati ed un effetto positivo sulla preferenza per i prodotti nazionali. Come previsto, invece, l’animosita economica non produce alcun effetto negativo sulla valutazione dell’immagine generale del Paese e sul giudizio relativo ai prodotti made in. L’etnocentrismo, d’altra parte, influenza negativamente sia la propensione all’acquisto dei prodotti esteri che (in parte) la valutazione degli stessi. La ricerca inoltre dimostra l’esistenza di una relazione gerarchica tra immagine generale di un Paese, immagine dei suoi prodotti e propensione all’acquisto. A partire dai risultati, gli autori discutono la collocazione e l’originalita dello studio nella letteratura di riferimento ed i suoi limiti, evidenziando le relative implicazioni manageriali e di ricerca.

Journal of Vacation Marketing, 2015

The study analyzes the relationship between tourism satisfaction, cognitive and affective country... more The study analyzes the relationship between tourism satisfaction, cognitive and affective country image, destination image, and post-visit intentions. The proposed research model is tested with a survey on a sample of 542 international tourists intercepted in two Italian airports at the end of their journey. Results suggest that general country and destination images are able to mediate the effect of tourism satisfaction on post-visit behavioral intentions. Moreover, empirical findings show that a high-quality tourism experience is able to not only affect intention to return and willingness to recommend the country as a tourism destination but also induce more positive intentions toward the products made in the sojourn country. On the basis of results, the study concludes with discussion of managerial and research implications.

MERCATI E COMPETITIVITÀ, 2013

The article first reviews the title field, by tracing its evolution from the original notion of &... more The article first reviews the title field, by tracing its evolution from the original notion of "made-in images" of the 1960s to the broader "product-place associations" of the 1990s and today’s "place branding", and then, based on studies by the authors and their associates, examines key findings that summarize the area’s current state of knowledge and future challenges. This includes the use of place cues in advertising, the content of place images and their role in foreign direct investment, cross-cultural variations and the animosity construct, and models of product and tourism image effects. A summary note highlights some of the key problems facing the practice of place branding today and the nearly limitless opportunities for future research in this field.