期望不一致对满意影响的函数形式:展望理论的预测

展望理论有关价值函数具有参考点依赖、敏感性递减(非线性)和损失厌恶(非对称)等性质的预测,在顾客满意领域日益得到关注。尽管在理解满意的时候,人们将"期望不一致"作为主导范式,但是大多数实证研究不恰当地将负向(正向)绩效等同于负向(正向)不一致,从而未能严格检验参考点依赖的作用。此外,展望理论中的敏感性递减和损失厌恶两方面性质很少同时得到验证。为弥补上述不足,作者根据来自四个产品类别,即手机(n=2518)、笔记本电脑(n=1932)、台式电脑(n=1954)和电视机(n=2204)的调查数据对上述预测进行了实证检验。通过直接将"期望不一致"操作为绩效期望与感知绩效之间的差值,并且以三次多项式函数设定"期望不一致"与满意之间的关系,展望理论的预测得到了一致的实证支持。

The Shape of the Function Linking Expectancy-disconfirmation to Customer Satisfaction: Predictions of Prospect Theory

Predictions of prospect theory on(1) reference depen-dence;(2) diminishing sensitivity;and(3) loss aversion of value functions are increasingly being applied in the field of consumer perception and judgment.Given the intrinsic association between reference dependence and the expectancy-disconfirmation para-digm,which is the dominant perspective in understanding customer satisfaction,the features of diminishing sensitivity(non-linearity) and loss aversion(asymmetry) are drawn upon in certain empirical studies exploring the complex curvilinear nature of the S-shaped function linking expectancy-disconfirmation to customer satisfac-tion.However,most of them improperly equate negative(positive) performance to negative(positive) disconfirmation,and thus fail to strictly examine the effect of reference dependence.In addition,the diminishing sensitivity and loss aversion characteristics of prospect theory are seldom verified simultaneously.To fill these voids,a cubic polynomial function is proposed which incorporates both the non-linearity and asymmetry of the relationship.Expectancy-dis-confirmation is explicitly operationalized as the difference between customers' ratings on their performance expectation and perceived performance.Using nationwide survey data in four different con-texts,i.e.,cell phones(n= 2518),laptop computers(n= 1932),desk-top computers(n= 1954),and TV sets(n= 2204),the above men-tioned predictions are tested empirically.Specifying the relationship between expectancy-disconfirmation and customer satisfaction with the cubic polynomial function proposed provides the predictions of prospect theory with empirical support.This study clarifies the subtle but significant distinction between negative(positive) perfor-mance and negative(positive) disconfirmation,and thus solidifies the underlying principles justifying the predictive validity of pros-pect theory in the customer satisfaction domain.Methodologically,the cubic polynomial function incorporates the asymmetric nature of an S-shaped curve effectively,with improved credibility and less constraints on parameter estimation in comparison to alternative specifications.Managerially,findings in this study shed some light on the efficient allocation of corporate resources in promoting cus-tomer relationships.