The moderating role of ESG disclosure and board governance on the relationship between country-of-origin image and consumers’ willingness-to-pay of Chinese electric cars: A conceptual framework

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers entering Europe face a persistent country-of-origin (COO) stigma that can depress perceived product quality (PPQ) and willingness-to-pay (WTP) (Verlegh & Steenkamp, 1999). This conceptual study argues that credible environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure, under robust board oversight, attenuates the symbolic distance between COO and European stakeholder expectations, thereby strengthening the COO, PPQ, WTP chain. We also consider “upward offshoring”, the localization of manufacturing and supply in the EU, as a governance-relevant strategic complement that makes disclosed commitments observable in practice (Pavlínek, 2018). In line with legitimacy and stakeholder perspectives, non-financial reporting operates ensure social acceptance when it is decision-useful and trustworthy. To curb skepticism and greenwashing concerns, disclosure credibility must be actively governed (Delmas & Burbano, 2011).