Research On Consumer Participation Based On Self-concept And Group Influence Factors

With the rapid development of Chinese economy, Chinese consumers have been more and more mature than before. The study of Chinese consumer behaviors had began from1990s. A lot of studies paid attentions to tangible products consumer behaviors in the beginning, scholars have focus on intangible products because of the rapid development of intangible products consumption. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, individual will turn to other needs when he has meet the need of physiological, such as Safety, Belongingness and Love, Esteem, and Self-Actualization needs. People begin to meet their needs through the consumption of tangible products not only, but also consumer the intangible products in the meantime. They begin to participate to consumer activity from accepting service passively.Lots of high incomes people have been emerge with the rapid development of economy, they constantly changing their consumer behaviors. They hope define and remodel their self-concept through consumption of products, they want to know who I am. They very hope show the changing of their social status and social role through the consumption of luxury. But those behaviors do not give them good social image, and go against the good social order. Parts of high incomes people begin change their consumption concepts with changing of social and thinking model. They have been participated in all kinds of consumption groups such as clubs and associations. These clubs and associations may construct by some individual or NPO which focus on member’s interests and hobbies, may construct by some enterprise which focus on the brand awareness, may construct by some enterprise which focus on profit. Consumers will participate in these activities consciously which is consumption products in essence.This highly engaged consumption behavior is different from the previous consumption behavior of tangible products and the normal service products. The difference mainly manifested in whether the consumer will participate in the process of consumption actively. During this processing, consumers could acquire mental satisfaction which couldn’t obtain from other consumption. Because customer participation consist of the final consumers and middlemen, a considerable amount of research in customer participation done to conceptualize the participation of the product production and transport process. The research of the final consumer participation should be discussed.Many factors may influent the level of consumer participation such as individual’s interests and hobbies and other’s opinions. Our study focuses on the social factors which may influent the level of consumer participation. The factors consist of social aspects of self-concept and groups influence factors. The purpose of our study is whether social aspects of self-concept and groups influence factors will influent the level of participation. The other purpose is whether the level of consumer participation would influent others consumer’s behaviors. This study will broaden the theory of consumer behaviors.Therefore, we should discuss these issues as follows:(1) which factors will impel consumer participate in consumption activities;(2) which factors could measure the level of participation;(3) which factors could measure the social aspects of self-concept;(4) whether consumer participation will influent others consumer’s behaviors;(5) which role group traits will play in relation of social aspects of self-concept and participation; group influence factors and participation; participation and others tangible products consumer’s behaviors.The study combines quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis. We make conclusion are as follows through data analysis by SPSS17and LISREL8.71:(1) the social aspects of self-concept has significant influence on consumption participation;(2) group influence factors has significant influence on consumption participation;(3) group influence factors has significant influence on the social aspects of self-concept;(4) the level of consumption participation has significant influence on others tangible products consumer behaviors;(5) the social aspects of self-concept and group influence factors has significant influence on others tangible products consumer behaviors;(6)group traits has moderating effect on relation of social aspects of self-concept and others consumer behaviors; group influence factors and others consumer behaviors; participation and others tangible products consumer behaviors.The theoretical values of this study are as follows:(1) the study focuses on consumer participation specially which could broaden the consumer behavior research;(2) the study analyzes the factors which will influent the consumer participation; how participation influent others consumer behaviors;(3) we apply social psychology and self-concept into consumer behavior research of China, we attempt to explain some consumer behaviors through introducing these concepts. Certainly, the study could apply to real management activities such as helping enterprises to promote brand competitiveness, influence or profitability.