*2.2. Country of Origin*

The COO effect is generated from customer views of a country's identity, which means that goods and companies benefit from and face criticism based on preconceived notions. Examples are high or low quality, newly attractive or old fashion and lousy design, simply by being recognized worldwide as typical for that country [24,47,48]. As per [49], it has been recognized that this is due to that nation's culture, tradition, and history. In other words, the COO theory is rooted in history. According to several sources, the COO may be described as either where a product is produced, manufactured [50] or where the company's headquarters are situated [51]. A study conducted by [52] defines the COO as an intangible barrier, based on consumer prejudice, which benefits well-known companies and harms newcomers to the market. Nevertheless, many academics are interested in COO, as shown by the wide range of definitions [5]. According to [32] evidence supports the presence of the COO effect even when the perceived brand origin is incorrect, calling into question the idea that the impact of COO on customer attitudes and behaviors is exaggerated (e.g., [53]. In addition, a meta-analysis conducted by [54] found that customer perception of quality and purchase intent are influenced by COO, which aids their decision-making process.

Based on their research, Ref. [55] highlight COO and its impact on customer assessments of items as being one of the most extensively researched topics in marketing, with hundreds of journal papers dedicated to it. Additionally, Ref. [54] demonstrated that the COO effect is more than a cognitive signal. It also has symbolic and emotional implications. Indeed, the origin of goods transmits a set of associations and symbols associated with the nation of origin [56]. Therefore, the COO effect demonstrates how customers have varying opinions about goods from different nations, indicating that they utilize provenance as

a criterion for product quality, either alone or with other criteria [57]. When consumers interconnect the perceived quality with COO, they are more likely to pay attention to how much they value a product and how confident they are in their purchase, which reduces the chance of making a mistake or cognitive dissonance [58].

Many research studies show that COO significantly impacts purchase decisions [59,60], although others have shown that the origin does not affect consumer preferences or is a minor factor [61]. Nonetheless, it is necessary to emphasize that these findings are linked to the relative significance given to those characteristics compared to the attribute origin. According to [62], customers are interested in direct quality indicators, and in [63]'s findings, consumers are focused on pricing. In a similar way, Ref. [64] stated that when local products are perceived as low quality, there is evidence of rejecting them and preferring imports. In other words, the COO impact is observed in a limited number of goods and at varying degrees of strength, making it difficult to generalize for any product or nation [65]. According to [66], customers' ethnocentric emotions are exacerbated by the COO effect. Consumers' perceptions of imported foods are influenced by the economic growth of the nation of origin, with goods from developed countries often receiving better ratings than those from developing ones [67].

The COO effect has been linked to various marketing variables that influence customer behavior, including familiarity [68], and consumers form opinions about countries based on their acquaintance with foreign goods. Understanding may have a significant role in comprehending the proclivity for using COO data and its impact on other factors [69]. For example, consumers may decide not to purchase a foreign product that they have never heard of since they are concerned about its quality [70]. According to [49], customers acquainted with a particular product class are less likely to use COO as a signal in product assessment. Furthermore, these authors discovered that familiarity with a specific product from a foreign country influences assessments but does not always result in more positive views.

**Hypothesis 3 (H3).** *A higher-country-of-origin effect will produce higher online consumer purchase behavior.*

#### *2.3. Theory of Planned Behavior*

According to the TPB, a person's desire to engage in a particular activity determines whether that individual gets involved in that conduct. To some extent, the intent is shaped by attitudes toward the action, subjective standards about participating in it, and assessments of whether the person would be successful. Ajzen [71] defined the last three constructs as follows. Attitude is the degree to which a person has a positive or negative evaluation of the conduct at issue. In general, the more positive an individual's attitude toward the action, the greater their intention to do it. Subjective norms perceive societal pressure on a person to perform or not perform a behavior. It is believed that perceived behavioral control reflects both prior experience and expected obstacles and repercussions [72]. Finally, Ajzen connects perceived behavioral control with Bandura's concept of perceived self-efficacy [73]. Thus, the TPB establishes a relationship between perceived behavioral control and behavioral achievement

According to [71], in the TPB, individual behavior is determined by behavior intentions. Intention plays a critical role in mediating behavior and other variables, such as attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. Attitude is the degree to which a person has a positive or negative evaluation of the conduct at issue. In general, the more positive an individual's attitude toward the action, the greater their intention to do it. Subjective norms perceive societal pressure on a person to perform or not perform a behavior. It is believed that perceived behavioral control reflects both prior experience and expected obstacles and repercussions. In addition, and based on the findings of [74], people's conduct is heavily influenced by their belief in their abilities. When activities are regarded as difficult, or performance obstacles exist, perceived behavioral control becomes essential. Furthermore, Ref. [75] found that brand awareness is the first stage in creating good connections and positive attitudes between consumers and products.

The TPB has been used in online purchases and information technology studies [76,77]. According to [78], consumers' desire to use information technology goods is influenced by attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Other researchers have found that TPB effects, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were direct antecedents of the desire to embrace mobile commerce [79]. In an empirical study conducted by [77], which focused on internet purchasing, attitude and perceived behavioral control were predictors of internet purchasing; consumer's internet purchasing behavior did not significantly influence subjective norm. In addition, the study demonstrated that the normative structure impacts subjective norms, and internet trustworthiness influenced attitudes regarding online buying. A positive effect of self-efficacy on perceived behavioral control was verified. Therefore, we hypothesized:

**Hypothesis 4 (H4).** *Perceived behavioral control will positively influence online consumer purchase behavior.*

**Hypothesis 5 (H5).** *Attitude toward online purchases will positively influence online consumer purchase behavior.*

**Hypothesis 6 (H6).** *Subjective norms will positively influence online consumer purchase behavior.*
