廠商漲價理由與顧客關係類型對消費者對廠商漲價行為態度之影響

Abstract

本研究討論當廠商將其商品或服務的價格提高時，它們是否有提供漲價的理由，分別對消費者態度的影響。又如果在廠商有提供漲價的理由的情況下，那麼該理由的廠商可控制程度(高度vs中度vs低度)又將如何影響消費者對此廠商漲價行為的態度表現呢？我們並加入顧客關係類型(共有關係vs交換關係)做為干擾變數，來探討廠商與顧客間的關係，對於消費者對漲價的態度將有何種影響。 研究結果顯示：(一)當消費者面臨廠商將商品或服務價格提高時，如果廠商有主動提供漲價的理由，相對於廠商不提供任何理由解釋其漲價背後的原因，前者會使消費者有較好的態度。(二)若是在廠商有提供漲價理由的情形之下再細分，我們發現不同的漲價理由會影響消費者對於廠商漲價行為的態度；消費者對於廠商具有低度與中度可控制程度的理由，接受的程度高於廠商具有高度可控制程度的理由，同時對前者的態度也較佳。(三)若是考慮廠商與消費者間的關係類型，我們發現不同的顧客關係類型會影響消費者對於廠商漲價行為的態度；與廠商具有共有關係的消費者，當他們面臨廠商漲價時，不論是有無提供理由、提供的理由的廠商可控制程度為何，共有關係的消費者接受度都高於交換關係的消費者，態度也較佳。(四)同時觀察廠商對提供的漲價理由的可控制程度與顧客關係類型，我們發現在廠商高度可控制(可控制理由)與廠商低度可控制的漲價理由(不可控制理由)之下，兩種關係的消費者態度是沒有顯著差異的；但是值得令人注意的是，在中度可控制程度的廠商漲價理由下，共有關係的消費者對於廠商漲價行為的接受度與態度，顯著優於交換關係的消費者。

This research discusses the effects on consumers’ attitudes when firms raise the price of their products or service. Whether firms provide the reasons of their price increase behavior or not will influence consumers’ attitudes. Under the condition that firms do provide the price increase reasons, the firms’ controllability of these price increase reasons (high degree vs. medium degree vs. low degree) will influence consumers’ attitude, too. We also add the customer relationship type (communal vs. exchange relationship) as the moderator. We want to study how the relationship types between firms and customers will influence consumers’ attitudes toward price increase. The empirical results show that: 1. When firms raise the price of their products or service, consumers will have better attitudes if firms have provided price increase reasons. 2. We find that consumers will have different attitudes toward different price increase reasons. Consumers have better attitudes and higher acceptance when the firms’ controllability degree of these price increase reasons are low and medium. 3. If we consider the relationship type between firms and customers, we find that different types of relationship will make customers’ attitudes different. Customers who have communal relationship with firms will have better attitudes and higher acceptance toward firms’ price increase behavior than those who have exchange relationship with firms. 4. We look at both firms’ controllability of these price increase reasons and the customer relationship types with firms on consumers’ attitude effects. We find that when firms’ have high controllability of price increase reasons, the attitudes of the two kinds of consumers are the same. And when firms’ controllability of price increase reason is low degree, the attitudes of the two kinds of consumers also have no difference. But we notice that under the condition of medium degree controllability price increase reason, communal customers will have better attitudes and higher acceptance toward firms’ price increase behavior than exchange customers do.