44.210.103.233
44.210.103.233
close menu
KCI 등재
소비자 지식이 사고체계와 온라인 탐색경향에 미치는 영향: 제품가격의 조절효과를 중심으로
The Effects of Consumer Knowledge on Thinking Systems and Online Information Search Patterns: The Moderating Role of Product Price
이미아 ( Mi Ah Lee ) , 이유재 ( You Jae Yi )
소비자학연구 23권 1호 115-142(28pages)
UCI I410-ECN-0102-2012-330-003225758

하나의 미디어로서 뿐만 아니라 마켓 플랫폼으로서 온라인의 역할이 지속적으로 확대되면서 온라인 상황에서의 소비자의 정보처리과정에 대한 이해는 학계나 업계 실무자들에게 중요한 논점이 되고 있다. 온라인 관련 선행연구들은 소비자 평가 및 태도, 구매와 같은 결과변수와 이에 대한 선행요인을 다루는 연구주제들에 치중되고 있고 온라인 정보처리과정과 관련된 주제들은 비교적 소홀히 다루어져 왔다. 따라서 본 연구는 소비자의 정보처리과정을 통해 이루어지는 온라인상에서의 정보탐색 패턴을 규명함으로써 소비자 정보처리과정에 대한 체계적인 분석을 시도하였다. 즉, 온라인 정보탐색상황에서 소비자의 (객관적 vs. 주관적) 지식이 사고체계(인지적 사고와 경험적 사고)를 통해 정보탐색의 경향 (깊이와 넓이)에 미치는 영향을 살펴보았다. 구체적으로 체계적인 정보처리와 휴리스틱 정보처리의 발생경로와 이에 따른 탐색행동의 차이, 그리고 이러한 정보처리경로에 영향을 주는 상황변수에 연구의 초점을 두고자 하였다. 분석 경과, 소비자 지식과 사고체계 간의 관계에서 객관적 지식은 인지적 사고체계에, 주관적 지식은 경험적 사고체계에 영향을 주고 있었고 이들 간의 교차효과는 없는 것으로 나타나 두 지식 체계의 상이한 역할을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한 사고체계와 탐색경향의 관계에서는 인지적 사고를 하는 경우 여러 사이트에 걸친 폭넓은 탐색과 한 사이트 내에서의 깊이 있는 탐색을 동시에 하는 것으로 나타났으나, 경험적 사고는 탐색의 깊이에만 영향을 줄 뿐 탐색의 넓이에는 영향력이 없는 것으로 나타났다. 제품구매가격의 조절효과에 대한 결과를 보면, 인지적 사고가 탐색의 넓이에 미치는 영향은 고가격 제품에서 더 크게 나타났고, 반대로 경험적 사고가 탐색의 깊이에 미치는 영향은 저가격 제품에서 더 큰 것으로 나타났다. 추가적으로 객관적 지식과 주관적 지식이 사고체계에 의해 완전 매개되는지 또는 부분 매개되는지를 확인한 결과 객관적 지식과 주관적 지식이 탐색의 넓이와 깊이에 미치는 영향은 인지적 사고와 경험적 사고가 완전 매개하는 것으로 확인되었다. 마지막으로 연구결과를 바탕으로 다양한 이론적, 실무적 시사점을 논의하였고, 연구의 한계점 및 향후 연구방향을 제시했다.

As the online environment continues to expand its role not only as a medium vehicle but also as a market platform, it is crucial for practitioners and researchers to understand how online consumers process information. Previous studies on online consumer behavior have mainly focused on consumer evaluation, attitude, and purchase as well as their antecedents, but relatively little is known about the mechanisms underlying online information processing. We thus investigate which patterns are utilized during online information search and how these search patterns are related to consumers` knowledge and thinking systems. Specifically, we examine the effects of consumer knowledge (objective vs. subjective) on online search patterns (depth vs. breadth) through the thinking systems (cognitive vs. experiential). Our primary focus is on how systematic and heuristic information processing occur and how their effects on search patterns vary across purchase situations (high vs. low price). An online survey was conducted through a nationwide research agency. Questionnaires were distributed to respondents in late teens to early 30s, because they are likely to have a strong purchase power on online stores. A total of 500 completed responses were obtained, and 481 data were used for analysis. A quota sampling method was used in age and sex. Only those who had purchased apparel goods through internet at least twice in the last 6 months were asked to participate in this study. Each respondent was first asked to recall his or her past experience that he or she searched for apparel information going around several online shopping malls because new clothes are required. They were then asked to answer Questions based upon their prior experiences. Regarding the relationship between consumer knowledge and thinking systems, objective knowledge has a positive effect on the cognitive thinking system, whereas subjective knowledge has a positive effect on the experiential thinking system. No cross-over effects of objective and subjective knowledge on thinking systems are statistically significant, providing evidence for the distinct roles of two knowledge systems. Regarding the relationship between thinking systems and search patterns, the cognitive thinking system is positively related to both breadth and depth of search, whereas the experiential thinking system is positively related to depth of search, but not breadth of search. We performed multi-group analysis to test whether the impact of thinking systems on search patterns is moderated by product price. The sample was divided into two subgroups using median splits based on respondents` purchase price. Regarding the moderating role of price, the effect of cognitive thinking on breadth of search is greater for high price products than for low price products, whereas the effect of cognitive thinking on depth of search was not influenced by the price level. In contrast, experiential thinking has a stronger effect on depth of search for low price products than for high price products, whereas the effect of experiential thinking on breadth of search was not influenced by the price level. To determine whether thinking systems mediate the effects of objective knowledge and subjective knowledge on search patterns fully, an additional mediation analysis was conducted. The results show that the effects of objective and subjective knowledge on breadth of search and depth of search are fully mediated by cognitive thinking and experiential thinking. Therefore, consumer knowledge affects search patterns not directly, but indirectly through the thinking systems. In terms of theoretical implications, the primary contribution of this paper lies in elaborating an online information search process model by predicting thinking systems as a mediator between consumer knowledge and search patterns, subsequently examining relationships among consumer knowledge, thinking systems, and search patterns. In particular, we attempt to identify the information processing appearing in the heuristic route of decision making, compared to the complex route of decision making. Online retail and marketing managers may benefit from the findings reported here. The results enable online retailers to develop effective marketing strategies suitable for target consumer groups by presenting how much difference consumer search behavior shows according to clothing purchase price level. Some limitations of this research also offer a basis for future research. Apparel was the product category selected in this study. Future studies need to expand the research to different product categories such as utilitarian goods vs. hedonic goods, and search goods vs. experience goods. For this study, subjects are restricted to those who search for apparel information on the web sites rather than the usual apparel consumers. For this reason, the results of our study should be carefully interpreted and applied. We recommend that future studies adopt a more sophisticated sampling method in order to generalize the research findings. Finally, some variables, such as objective knowledge and experiential thinking, need better measures.

[자료제공 : 네이버학술정보]
×