A Model of Place Image Influences on Geographical : Business Expansion Decisions to Foreign Locations

This paper presents a brief overview of how the concept of place image (otherwise called destination image by some authors) influences management decisions to expand to new business districts in countries outside their current geographies of business operation. A theoretical model explaining this relationship is introduced following the review of existing theoretical literature. Findings from the study reveal the conceptualization of 38 hypothetical statements, which captures the linkages between place image and geographical business expansion (GBE). This model together with its hypotheses makes an attempt to expand current discourse on place image and place branding by providing insights into issues that drive managerial decisions to invest in specific locations outside their original domain of operations. Importantly, the new hypotheses (conceptualized in this study) provide an opportunity for an elaborate research in the near future