본 연구는 가격할인에 대한 기존 구매자의 반응을 감정의 인지적 평가모델을 이용하여 인지적 반응과 감정적 반
응이라는 연속 과정을 통해 살펴보고 있다. 먼저, 가격할인의 공정성을 평가하는 인지적 반응 단계(연구 1)에서는
쌍방권한의 원칙을 확장하여 가격할인에 대한 동기추론이 가격할인에 대한 기존 구매자의 공정성 지각에 미치는 영
향과 상황요인들을 살펴보았다. 다음으로 부정적 감정을 중심으로 살펴보는 감정적 반응 단계(연구 2)에서는 지각
된 공정성이 가격할인에 대한 기존 구매자의 화/분노감, 기업에 대한 불신감, 자신의 구매의사결정에 대한 후회감
등 부정적 감정과 재구매 의도에 미치는 영향을 살펴보았다.
연구결과 연구 1에서는 가격할인에 추론동기가 긍정적일수록 기존 구매자들은 가격할인의 공정성을 높게 지각하
는 것으로 나타났다. 반면, 추론동기의 방향에 따른 지각공정성의 차이를 조절하는 변수로 예측하였던 구매 후 경과
기간과 가격 할인 폭의 조절효과는 유의하지 않은 것으로 나타났다. 연구 2에서는 지각된 공정성이 낮을수록 기존
구매자들은 화/분노와 같은 부정감정을 많이 느꼈으며, 화/분노를 많이 느낄수록 해당 기업에 대한 불신감과 자신
의 과거 구매의사결정에 대한 후회도 강하게 느끼는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 이들 불신감과 후회는 해당 기업 제품
의 재구매 의도를 낮추는 것으로 확인되었다.
연구 1, 2를 통해 기존 구매자들은 자신이 구매한 제품의 가격할인 행사에 대한 동기추론의 방향에 따라 지각하
는 공정성의 정도가 달라짐을 알 수 있었으며, 이러한 지각된 공정성은 화/분노와 같은 부정적 감정반응을 통해 불
신감과 후회감을 불러일으키고 궁극적으로 해당 기업 제품의 재구매 의향에 까지 부정적 영향을 미침을 확인할 수
있었다.This research examined existing consumers’ reactions to price discounts through a 2-step
process of cognitive reactions and emotional reactions, using the cognitive appraisal model of
emotion.
First, in the study of cognitive reactions used when judging the fairness of price discount
(Study 1), we examined the influence of consumers’ inferred motive on the perceived fairness
of price discount by expanding the principle of dual entitlement. Specifically, we examined
whether the direction of consumers’ inferred motive on a company’s price discount motive
affects the perceived fairness of price discount, and how this difference changes according to
the period of time after purchase or the amount of price discount. Hypotheses drawn from
Study 1 are as follows.
H 1: Consumers’ perceived fairness of price discount after purchase is higher when their
inferred discount motive is positive than negative
H 2; The difference of perceived price fairness, which occurs according to the inferred price
discount motive, is larger when the period of time after purchase is short than long.
H 3; The difference of perceived price fairness, which occurs according to the inferred price
discount motive, is larger when the price discount amount is large than small
In order to verify these hypotheses, 2 (price discount motive: positive vs. negative) × 2
(amount of price discount: large vs. small) × 2 (period of time after purchase: long vs. short)
between subjects design was used. 151 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to
one of the 8 conditions. The study was conducted by using a notebook price discount scenario
where all 3 independent variables are manipulated, and having the participants imagine
experiencing the scenario while carefully reading it.
Next, in the study of emotional reaction focused on negative emotion (study 2), we examined
the influence of exisiting consumers’ perceived fairness on negative feelings such as anger/
resentment, distrust towards the corresponding company, regret about purchase, and repurchase
intentions. Hypotheses drawn from Study 2 are as follows.
H 4: When consumers’ perceived fairness about price discount becomes lower, their anger/
resentment level becomes higher.
H 5: When consumers’ anger/resentment becomes higher, their distrust towards the corresponding
company becomes larger.
H 6: When consumers’ anger/resentment becomes higher, their regret about past purchases
becomes larger.
H 7: When consumers’ distrust towards the company becomes larger, their repurchase intention
becomes smaller.
H 8: When consumers’ regret about past purchases becomes larger, their repurchase intention
Data to verify the hypotheses of study 2 was gathered through a face to face survey.
Undergraduate students were asked to recall a price discount event that they experienced
after they made a purchase. Among 200 data collected, 154 were valid and used in the
empirical analysis.
Study 1 showed that when consumers experience a price discount situation, if they infer
the discount motive positively they perceive a higher fairness than when they infer the motive
negatively (H1). The moderating roles of the period of time after purchase (H2) and the
amount of price discount (H3) were not significant. Study 2 verified the relationship between
perceived fairness, negative emotions, and repurchase intentions, and all 5 path hypotheses
were supported as shown below table. Specifically, existing consumers’ perceived fairness and
feelings of anger/resentment are negatively correlated (H4). And feelings of anger/resentment,
in turn, are positively correlated with distrust towards the corresponding company, an external
factor (H5), as well as regret about their purchase, an internal factor (H6). Furthermore,
distrust and regret lowered repurchase intentions (H7 and H8).
[표]
Study 1 and 2 showed that existing consumers’ level of perceived fairness about price
discounts differ according to their inferred motives. And the perceived fairness develops
distrust and regret through negative feelings of anger/resentment, which ultimately have a
negative effect on their repurchase intentions.
The present research focused on price discount situations encountered by existing consumers,
which was not studied enough in the previous research. More importantly, this research takes
one more step in the previous research on price fairness by investigating existing consumers’
reaction to price discount through a 2-step process of cognitive reactions and emotional
reactions, using the cognitive appraisal model of emotion. Implications of current research
are as below.
First, while most previous research on price change were conducted with only new consumers
or without separating new and repurchasing consumers, this research separated the two and
focused on the past purchasers’ reactions to price discount. The present research has a
practical implication as it could crea-te an opportunity, especially for companies planning a
price discount, to realize that a separate communication is needed for existing purchase
consumers, and suggests a direction for effective communication development.
A second implication is that this research showed that the relationship between price
change and consumer attitude is not a simple and direct, but a more complex and indirect
relation where repurchase intention is formed through the consumer’s cognitive reaction and
emotional reaction. Also, it was meaningful implication that negative emotions that are
stirred by low perceived fairness lead to both negative emotions towards the consumer him/
herself (regret), and towards the company (distrust).
Third, previous research on fairness in the marketing were mostly focused on service sectors;
studies related to situations that service fails or that negative expectation dissonance occurs.
This research used the fairness as the core concept when examining existing consumers’
reactions in a price discount situation that they experience, and therefore attempted to
connect studies on consumers’ reaction to price discount and studies on fairness.