Thai importers' perceptions toward Japanese, the United States, and German exporters of industrial machinery products

The objective of this study was to investigate the nature and relative importance of selection criteria of a foreign supplier of industrial machinery products in both supplier and product characteristics among Japanese, the United States, and German exporters. Webster & Wind (1972), Sheth (1973), and Samli, Grewal, & Mathur (1988) were three major theoretical bases used in developing the research model and hypotheses for this study. By systematic random sampling, 300 Thai import purchasing managers of industrial machinery products were asked to participate in this study. Data collection was conducted by personal interviewing with a structured survey instrument. Linear regression analysis, multiple regression analysis, Pearson product moment correlation, one-way within-subject ANOVA and pairwise-sample t-test were used for data processing and analysis.; As hypothesized, five of six research hypotheses were supported by the results. It was found that there was a significant relationship between the organizational positions of the buying center members and the degree of participation in making the decision for buying industrial machinery products. Further, there were significant relationships between country-of-origin stereotypes and the past purchasing experiences and the selection decision of a foreign supplier by Thai import purchasing managers. Obviously, Japanese exporters were differently perceived from the United States, and German exporters in both supplier and product characteristics; however, Thai import purchasing managers similarly perceived both supplier and product characteristics between the United States and German exporters.; The findings were concluded as follows: upper management is likely to get more involvement in industrial machinery product purchase decision; foreign supplier selection criteria including product price, product quality, reliability of delivery, availability of after-sales service, and supplier technical skills are not crucial in making industrial machinery product purchase decision among Thai import purchasing managers; among Japanese, the United States, and German, Japanese exporters had the highest rating in supplier characteristics including supplier technical skills, supplier commercial skills, and supplier interpersonal skills; also, Japanese exporters had the highest rating in product characteristics including product price, product quality, product performance, product durability, and product design; the supplier's country image had directly affected the selection decision on a foreign supplier; and satisfaction from the past purchase yielded positive effect on the selection decision on a foreign supplier.