Liyin Jin

Exploiting the goldmine: a lifestyle analysis of affluent Chinese consumers

Purpose – The objective of this paper is to investigate the lifestyles of contemporary Chinese affluent consumers and their influences on a number of consumption variables such as brand preference (local versus foreign), attitudes toward innovative products, luxury consumption, impulse purchases, etc.Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were collected from 1,317 consumers across 17 cities in China. Five lifestyle factors were identified and further verified through a confirmatory factor analysis. Multiple regression analyses were performed to explore the relationships between lifestyles and consumption patterns.Findings – The results showed that affluent Chinese consumers, though apparently similar in terms of wealth possession, exhibited very different patterns in their purchase and consumption behaviors. For instance, consumers with a salient “need‐for‐uniqueness” trait were found to be quite contingent on consuming goods for being distinctive. The price conscious consumers were somehow over‐confid...

When Giving Money Does Not Work: The Differential Effects of Monetary Versus In-Kind Rewards in Referral Reward Programs

Customer referral reward programs have recently gained popularity as beneficial customer acquisition tools. This research aims to explore the impact of reward type, specifically with regard to the differential effects of monetary versus in-kind rewards, on referral success. We find that although consumers prefer monetary rewards to in-kind rewards because of the greater economic value of monetary rewards, the higher social costs associated with money offsets this benefit and even renders money an inferior incentive when the recommendation is not well justified. Through four experiments, we demonstrate that monetary rewards (vs. in-kind rewards) lead to less referral generation and acceptance, especially when the recommended brands are weak (Studies 1 and 4), and that perceived social costs mediate the interactive effect of reward type and brand strength (Studies 1 and 3). Moreover, by increasing the economic benefit or decreasing the social costs associated with monetary rewards, we restore the effectiveness of monetary rewards as incentives. Compared with in-kind rewards, monetary rewards perform equally well when the reward is sufficiently large (Study 2), and they perform even better when both the recommender and the receiver are rewarded (Study 3). This research extends the literature on the psychological consequences of money and provides novel insights into the customer referral process. Fo rth co mi ng IJ RM V olu me 31 #1 (2 01 4)

Designing Service Guarantees With Construal Fit: Effects of Temporal Distance on Consumer Responses to Service Guarantees

This article examines the influence of temporal distance on consumer responses to different types of service guarantees. Four studies revealed that the effectiveness of service guarantees depends on whether their elements match the time frame of consumer purchase decisions. Full-satisfaction guarantees more strongly influence decisions in the distant future, while attribute-specific guarantees more strongly influence decisions in the near future. Combined guarantees are as effective as attribute-specific guarantees for temporally close consumer decisions, but less effective than full-satisfaction guarantees for temporally distant decisions. Attribute-specific guarantees that are easy to invoke are more persuasive for purchases in the near future, while full-satisfaction guarantees with high compensation are more effective for purchases in the distant future. The finding that the construal fit between guarantee elements and the purchase time frame significantly enhances a guarantee’s effectiveness contributes to the service literature by identifying the time-contingent effects of service guarantees. Service firms can improve a guarantee’s effectiveness by ensuring that its scope, compensation level, and invocation process match the consumer’s purchase time frame.

The Effect of the Sense of Power on Chinese Consumers’ Uniqueness-Seeking Behavior

ABSTRACT This research examines how the sense of power influences Chinese consumers’ uniqueness-seeking behavior. The authors propose that Chinese consumers experiencing a sense of power are more likely to seek uniqueness, whereas those experiencing a sense of powerlessness tend to seek conformity because power increases self-focus, which reduces the pressure to conform to others. This effect is supported by three studies. In Study 1, a survey dataset of 412 adult Chinese consumers revealed a positive correlation between consumers’ generalized sense of power and their need for uniqueness. Study 2 confirmed that Chinese consumers having (vs. lacking) power tend to choose less (vs. more) popular product options. Study 3 further demonstrated that Chinese consumers primed with high power generate more uniqueness-featured advertisement slogans than those primed with low power. Research implications in customer segmentation and marketing communications are discussed.

Extend to online or offline? The effects of web-brand extension mode, similarity, and brand concept on consumer evaluation

Abstract This research examines the effects of extension mode (online to online vs. online to offline), web-brand concept (function oriented vs. experience oriented) and extension similarity (high vs. low) on consumer web-brand extension evaluations, attitude, perceived quality, and purchase intention of the extension brands. The analysis reveals two significant interaction effects: (1) the positive effect of brand extension similarity on consumer evaluations is stronger when the parent brand is function oriented compared to the experience-orientated ones; (2) the positive effect of brand extension similarity on consumer evaluations is more pronounced when the web-brands extend to offline markets rather than to online markets. Implications for marketing theory and practice are discussed.

Climbing the Wrong Ladder: The Mismatch Between Consumers' Preference for Subgoal Sequences and Actual Goal Performance

When pursuing goals that involve subgoals of varying levels of difficulty, consumers prefer to follow a difficult-to-easy sequence when completing the subgoals because they believe that such a sequence renders the overall goal easier to achieve. However, consumers are actually more successful when they follow an easy-to-difficult sequence when completing subgoals. In seven studies, the authors present consistent evidence for this mismatch and explore the value of subgoals as an important boundary condition.

How winning changes motivation in multiphase competitions.

What drives motivation in multiphase competitions? Adopting a dynamic approach, this research examines how temporary standing—being ahead of (vs. behind) one’s opponent—in a multiphase competition shapes subsequent motivation. Six competitions conducted in the lab and in the field demonstrate that the impact of being ahead on contestants’ motivation depends on when (i.e., in which phase of the competition) contestants learn they are in the lead. In the early phase, contestants are concerned about whether they can win; being ahead increases motivation by making winning seem more attainable. In the later phase, however, contestants are instead driven by how much additional effort they believe they need to invest; being ahead decreases motivation by reducing contestants’ estimate of the remaining effort needed to win. Temporary standing thus has divergent effects on motivation in multiphase competitions, driven by a shift in contestants’ main concern from the early to the later phase and thus the meaning they derive from being ahead of their opponent. By leveraging insights gained from approaching individuals’ self-regulation as a dynamic process, this research advances understanding of how motivation evolves in a unique interdependent self-regulatory context.