본 연구는 제품 구매시 소비자들이 추구하는 가치에 대해 실용적 가치와 쾌락적 가치로 구분하고 이에 따라 쇼핑시 중시하는 구매 목표와 사용 후 자신의 소비 경험에 대한 공유 의도에 차이가 있는지를 연구하고자 한다. 쇼핑시 중시하는 구매 목표는 촉진 초점의 목표(promotion goal)와 방어 초점의 목표(prevention goal)로 구분하여 소비자들이 구매한 제품의 사용 후 자신의 소비 경험에 대해 주위 사람과 공유하려는 추천 의도에 어떤 차이를 나타내는지를 살펴보았다. 본 연구는 최근 6개월 내에 전자제품을 구매한 경험이 있는 소비자 345명을 대상으로 하였다.
본 연구는 인적 판매(Personal Selling) 분야의 영업 성과에 미치는 영향 요인에 대한 기존 연구 범주를 확대하는데 의의가 있다. 유능한 판매사원은 소비자의 태도와 성향에 따라 판매 전략을 수정, 변경하여 가장 적절한 소구 방법을 활용하는 적응 판매의 기술을 구사한다. 따라서, 개별 소비자들이 보다 중시하는 효용과 이에 따라 소비자들이 지향하는 쇼핑 목표 차이를 이해한다면, 판매 현장의 영업 사원들에게 있어서 보다 효율적이고도 효과적인 커뮤니케이션 방법을 개발하는데 도움을 줄 수 있을 것이다.
연구 결과는 쾌락적, 실용적 가치 추구 성향에 따라 촉진 초점의 쇼핑 목표와 방어 초점의 쇼핑 목표를 각각 지향하는 수준에서 차이가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 즉, 쾌락적 가치 추구 성향이 높은 경우 촉진 초점의 쇼핑 목표를 지향하는 것으로 나타났다. 반면, 실용적 가치 추구 성향이 높은 경우 촉진 초점의 쇼핑 목표와 방어 초점의 쇼핑 목표 모두 영향을 주는 것으로 나타났지만, 방어 초점의 쇼핑 목표를 더욱 지향하는 것으로 나타났다. 소비자가 제품의 사용 후 공유 의도와 관련하여서는 촉진 초점의 쇼핑목표를 지향하는 소비자의 경우가 방어 초점의 쇼핑 목표를 지향하는 소비자의 경우 보다 공유 의도가 더 높은 것으로 나타났다. 즉, 촉진 초점의 쇼핑 목표 지향의 소비자는 타인에게 본인의 경험을 보다 적극적으로 공유하고 추천하는 의지가 높은 것으로 나타났다. 따라서, 쾌락적 가치에 대한 기대 수준이 촉진 초점의 쇼핑 목표를 통해 충족될 경우 공유 의도를 갖기 용이한 반면, 실용적 가치에 대한 기대 수준은 촉진 초점의 쇼핑 목표와 방어 초점의 쇼핑 목표의 충족 정도에 따라 공유 의도에 차이를 주는 것으로 해석된다. 또한, 추가적인 분석을 통해 제품의 사용 후 만족, 불만족 여부의 조절 효과를 분석해 본 결과, 제품 사용 후 불만족한 경우 방어 초점의 쇼핑 목표를 지향한 경우 공유 의도에 미치는 영향은 만족한 경우 보다 높게 나타나 제품 사용 후 만족 여부에 따른 쇼핑 목표와 공유 의도간 조절 효과를 확인할 수 있었다.
본 연구의 결과를 통해 전자 제품을 구매한 고객의 경우 합리적 가격이나, 우수한 품질과 같은 실용적 기대 수준의 충족만으로는 구전 의지로 나타나는 고객 충성도를 높이는데 한계가 있으며, 디자인이나 스타일과 같은 한 차원 높은 쾌락적 기대에 대한 충족이 궁극적으로 구전 의지와 같은 고객 충성도로 연결될 수 있는 것으로 해석 된다.
The interplay between hedonic and utilitarian attributes has assumed special significance in recent years; it has been proposed that consumption offerings should be viewed as experiences that stimulate both cognitions and feelings rather than as mere products or services.
This research builds on previous work on hedonic versus utilitarian benefits, regulatory focus theory, customer satisfaction to address two question: (1) Is the shopping goal at the point of purchase different from the shopping value? and (2) Is the customer loyalty after the use different from the shopping value and shopping goal?
We surveyed 345 peoples those who have bought the electronic-goods within 6 months. This research dealt with the shopping value which is consisted of 2 types, hedonic and utilitarian. Those who pursue the hedonic shopping value may prefer the pleasure of purchasing experience to the product itself. They tend to prefer atmosphere, arousal of the shopping experience. Consistent with previous research, we use the term "hedonic" to refer to their aesthetic, experiential and enjoyment-related value. On the contrary, Those who pursue the utilitarian shopping value may prefer the reasonable buying. It may be more functional. Consistent with previous research, we use the term "utilitarian" to refer to the functional, instrumental, and practical value of consumption offerings.
Holbrook(1999) notes that consumer value is an experience that results from the consumption of such benefits. In the context of cell phones for example, the phone's battery life and sound volume are utilitarian benefits, whereas aesthetic appeal from its shape and color are hedonic benefits. Likewise, in the case of a car, fuel economics and safety are utilitarian benefits whereas the sunroof and the luxurious interior are hedonic benefits.
The shopping goals are consisted of the promotion focus goal and the prevention focus goal, based on the self- regulatory focus theory. The promotion focus is characterized into focusing ideal self because they are oriented to wishes and vision. The promotion focused individuals are tend to be more risk taking. They are more sensitive to hope and achievement. On the contrary, the prevention focused individuals are characterized into focusing the responsibilities because they are oriented to safety. The prevention focused individuals are tend to be more risk avoiding.
We wanted to test the relation among the shopping value, shopping goal and customer loyalty. Customers show the positive or negative feelings comparing with the expectation level which customers have at the point of the purchase. If the result were bigger than the expectation, customers may feel positive feeling such as delight or satisfaction and they would want to share their feelings with other people. And they want to buy those products again in the future time.
There is converging evidence that the types of goals consumers expect to be fulfilled by the utilitarian dimension of a product are different from those they seek from the hedonic dimension (Chernev 2004). Specifically, whereas consumers expect the fulfillment of product prevention goals on the utilitarian dimension, they expect the fulfillment of promotion goals on the hedonic dimension (Chernev 2004; Chitturi, Raghunathan, and Majahan 2007; Higgins 1997, 2001)
According to the regulatory focus theory, prevention goals are those that ought to be met. Fulfillment of prevention goals in the context of product consumption eliminates or significantly reduces the probability of a painful experience, thus making consumers experience emotions that result from fulfillment of prevention goals such as confidence and securities.
On the contrary, fulfillment of promotion goals are those that a person aspires to meet, such as "looking cool" or "being sophisticated." Fulfillment of promotion goals in the context of product consumption significantly increases the probability of a pleasurable experience, thus enabling consumers to experience emotions that result from the fulfillment of promotion goals. The proposed conceptual framework captures that the relationships among hedonic versus utilitarian shopping values and promotion versus prevention shopping goals respectively.
An analysis of the consequence of the fulfillment and frustration of utilitarian and hedonic value is theoretically worthwhile. It is also substantively relevant because it helps predict post-consumption behavior such as the promotion versus prevention shopping goals orientation. Because our primary goal is to understand how the post consumption feelings influence the variable customer loyalty: word of mouth (Jacoby and Chestnut 1978).
This research result is that the utilitarian shopping value gives the positive influence to both of the promotion and prevention goal. However the influence to the prevention goal is stronger. On the contrary, hedonic shopping value gives influence to the promotion focus goal only. Additionally, both of the promotion and prevention goal show the positive relation with customer loyalty. However, the positive relation with promotion goal and customer loyalty is much stronger.
The promotion focus goal gives the influence to the customer loyalty. On the contrary, the prevention focus goal relates at the low level of relation with customer loyalty than that of the promotion goal. It could be explained that it is apt to get framed the compliment of people into 'gain-non gain' situation. As the result, for those who have the promotion focus are motivated to deliver their own feeling to other people eagerly. Conversely the prevention focused individual are more sensitive to the 'loss-non loss' situation.
The research result is consistent with pre-existent researches. There is a conceptual parallel between necessities- needs-utilitarian benefits and luxuries-wants-hedonic benefits (Chernev 2004; Chitturi, Raghunathan and Majaha 2007; Higginns 1997; Kivetz and Simonson 2002b). In addition, Maslow's hierarchy of needs and the precedence principle contends luxuries-wants-hedonic benefits higher than necessities-needs-utilitarian benefits.
Chitturi, Raghunathan and Majaha (2007) show that consumers are focused more on the utilitarian benefits than on the hedonic benefits of a product until their minimum expectation of fulfilling prevention goals are met. Furthermore, a utilitarian benefit is a promise of a certain level of functionality by the manufacturer or the retailer. When the promise is not fulfilled, customers blame the retailer and/or the manufacturer. When negative feelings are attributable to an entity, customers feel angry. However in the case of hedonic benefit, the customer, not the manufacturer, determines at the time of purchase whether the product is stylish and attractive. Under such circumstances, customers are more likely to blame themselves than the manufacturer if their friends do not find the product stylish and attractive. Therefore, not meeting minimum utilitarian expectations of functionality generates a much more intense negative feelings, such as anger than a less intense feeling such as disappointment or dissatisfactions.
The additional multi group analysis of this research shows the same result. Those who are unsatisfactory customers who have the prevention focused goal shows higher relation with WOM, comparing with satisfactory customers.
The research findings in this article could have significant implication for the personal selling fields to increase the effectiveness and the efficiency of the sales such that they can develop the sales presentation strategy for the customers. For those who are the hedonic customers may be apt to show more interest to the promotion goal. Therefore it may work to strengthen the design, style or new technology of the products to the hedonic customers. On the contrary for the utilitarian customers, it may work to strengthen the price competitiveness.
On the basis of the result from our studies, we demonstrated a correspondence among hedonic versus utilitarian and promotion versus prevention goal, WOM. Similarly, we also found evidence of the moderator effects of satisfaction after use, between the prevention goal and WOM. Even though the prevention goal has the low level of relation to WOM, those who are not satisfied show higher relation to WOM. The relation between the prevention goal and WOM is significantly different according to the satisfaction versus unsatisfaction. In addition, improving the promotion emotions of cheerfulness and excitement and the prevention emotion of confidence and security will further improve customer loyalty. A related potential further research could be to examine whether hedonic versus utilitarian, promotion versus prevention goals improve customer loyalty for services as well. Under the budget and time constraints, designers and managers are often compelling to choose among various attributes. If there is no budget or time constraints, perhaps the best solution is to maximize both hedonic and utilitarian dimension of benefits. However, they have to make trad-off process between various attributes. For the designers and managers have to keep in mind that without hedonic benefit satisfaction of the product it may hard to lead the customers to the customer loyalty.
近年来,享乐和功利属性之间的相互作用被认为具有特殊的意义。消费产品应被视为一种促进双方感受和认识的经验,而不是单纯的产品或服务。
本文以先前对享乐与功利的利益的研究,调节点理论,客户满意度为基础来讨论两个问题:
(1)在购买时,购物目标不同于购物价值吗?
(2)使用后的顾客忠诚度与购物价值和购物目标不同吗?
我们对在最近六个月内购买过电子产品的345人进行调查。本研究涉及两类购物价值:享乐型和功利型。那些追求享乐型购物价值的顾客比起产品本身,他们更注重愉快的购物经验。他们更注重购物的氛围,购物体验中获得的快感。与先前的研究相一致,我们用“享乐”来指他们的审美,体验和享受有关的价值。相反,那些更倾向于功利型消费的顾客更有可能进行理性购买。这可能更具有功能性。与以前的研究相一致,我们用“功利”来指具有功能性,工具性和实用价值的消费产品。
霍尔布鲁克(1999)指出,消费者价值是一个来自各种利益的消费经验。以手机为例,手机的电池寿命和音量是功利效益,而美观的形状和颜色是享乐利益。同样,如果是汽车,燃料经济性和安全是功利利益,而天窗和豪华内饰则是享乐利益。
根据自我调节点理论,购物目标包括提升调节点目标和防御调节点目标。提升调节点的特征是关注理想的自身,因为他们关注于理想和愿望。他们对希望和成就更敏感。相反,防御调节的个体的目标取向是责任,安全。防御调节点的个体往往更倾向避免风险。
我们想测试购物价值,购物目标和客户忠诚度之间的关系。顾客相对于购买时的期望水平所表现出积极或消极的情感。如果结果大于预期,顾客可能会有积极的感觉,例如高兴或满意,他们希望与其他人分享他们的感觉。他们希望在未来继续购买这些产品。
具有不同种类目标的消费者期望获得产品享乐层面的满足和期望获得产品功利层面的满足不同(Chernev 2004)。具体来说,消费者在功利层面期望实现产品防御目标,而在享乐层面期望实现提升目标(Chernev 2004; Chitturi, Raghunathan, and Majahan 2007; Higgins 1997, 2001)。
根据调节点理论,防御目标是应该被满足的。防御目标的实现可以显著减少甚至消除产品消费中痛苦的经历的概率。从而使消费者拥有自信和安全的消费情绪。
相反,提升目标的实现是人们渴望自己看起来很酷或很成熟的要求被满足。在产品消费的背景下,提升目标的实现可以显著增加愉快的经历的概率。提出的概念框架分别讨论享乐和功利的购物价值之间的关系以及提升和防御的购物目标之间的关系。
对功利和享乐价值是否实现而产生的结果的分析是具有理论价值的。同时也具有实践意义。因为它可以帮助预测后消费行为例如提升与防御购物目标的取向。因为我们的主要目标是了解后消费情绪影响客户忠诚度这一变量:口碑(Jacoby and Chestnut 1978)。
这项研究结果是,功利购物价值在提升和防御目标两方面给予了积极的影响。然而,影响力,对防御目标的影响更强。相反,享乐购物价值仅对提升点目标有影响。此外,提升和防御目标都显示了与顾客忠诚度正的关系。然而提升目标和顾客忠诚度之间正的关系更强。
提升调节点目标对顾客忠诚度有影响。相反,防御调节点目标与顾客忠诚度在低水平上相关。提升调节点个体喜欢采取渴望-接近策略追求目标。因此他们在设计目标时考虑是“获得”还是“没有获得”;而防御调节点个体在追求目标时更喜欢采取警惕-规避策略,因此他们在设计目标时更多考虑“损失”与“不损失”问题。
研究结果与以前的研究相符合。在必需品-需求-功利利益和奢侈品-希望-享乐利益之间存在概念上的平行(Chernev 2004; Chitturi, Raghunathan and Majaha 2007; Higginns 1997; Kivetz and Simonson 2002b)。此外,马斯洛的需要层次和优先原则主张奢侈品-希望-享乐利益高于必需品-需求-功利效益。
Chitturi, Raghunathan和Majaha (2007年)表明,消费者更关注的是功利利益,而不是享乐利益的产品,直到他们对防御目标的最低期望被满足。此外,功利效益在一定程度上具有生产商或零售商对消费者的承诺的功能。当承诺不能兑现,顾客责备零售商和/或制造商。当消极情绪的原因是一个实体,顾客感到愤怒。然而,在享乐利益的情况下,顾客,而不是制造商,决定在购买时该产品是否是时尚和有吸引力的。在这种情况下,如果他们的朋友没有发现该产品时尚和有吸引力,客户更容易责怪自己而不是制造商。因此,不能满足对功能的最低限度的功利期望会产生更强烈的负面情绪,例如愤怒而不仅仅只是失望或不满。
另外多组分析显示了同样的结果。与满意的顾客相比,那些具有防御调节点目标的不满意的顾客和口碑之间有较强的关系。
本文的研究发现在个人销售领域有重要的启示,可以增加效益和提高销售的效率。例如,他们可以为顾客开发销售演示战略。对享乐型顾客而言,他们会对提升目标更有兴趣。因此,针对享乐型顾客,加强设计,样式或新技术的产品可能会有效。与此相反的功利型顾客,加强价格竞争力可能会有效。
基于研究的结果,我们阐述了功利和享乐,提升目标和防御目标以及口碑的对应关系。同样我们也发现在使用满意以后,防御目标和口碑的调解影响。尽管防御目标在低水平上和口碑相关,但那些不满意的客户则和口碑之间有较强的关系。防御目标和口碑之间的关系因为满意或不满意而有显著差异。另外,增进欢乐和激动的提升情绪以及信任和安全的防御情绪,将进一步提高客户的忠诚度。相关潜在的进一步研究可以检验享乐与功利,提升与防御目标是否能提高客户的忠诚度。根据预算和时间的限制,设计人员和管理人员往往在不同的属性中强制的选择。如果没有预算或时间限制,也许最好的解决办法是使享乐利益和功利利益都最大化。然而他们必须在众多属性中进行权衡。作为设计师和管理者必须记住,产品没有满足享乐利益就可能很难使顾客产生顾客忠诚度。