Consumers' Commitment and Its Multi-Dimensional Structure

소비자 관계몰입의 다차원성에 관한 연구

Despite the importance of and the vast empirical research attention devoted to commitment in channel relationships, several unresolved issues remain. First, although the term commitment is often measured as a single trait, measuring commitment as a single dimension, is problematic for the epistemological depth and methodological sophistication of the instrument. Second, consumer research has seldom considered the complex nature of commitment in consumer markets. This study hypothesized that the multidimensionality of commitment can be separately identified and that the multidimensional factors-LY(Loyalty), ID(Identity), INT(Internalization)-interact differently from those in inter-fun relationships. A conceptualization of commitment holds LY as a central mediator between ID and INT in this study. The data was collected from 491 retail consumers. For the measurement model test, the three-factor model was selected as representing the underlying factor structure in the sample data and the multidimensionality of commitment was confirmed. The conceptualized model, holding LY as a mediator of ID and INT, performed better than the competing model with INT as mediator of ID and LY. The results provide a theoretical contribution in furthering the research on relationship marketing with consumers by suggesting that the consumer commitment structure be presented differently from the organizational commitment.