A Research On The Formation Mechanism Of Social Exclusion's Effects On Compensatory Consumption Preference In Different Context Cultures

Social exclusion is widespread in people's lives,and it may happen in both consumption and non-consumption situations.Literatures show that,different manner that social exclusion is communicated(being rejected/being ignored)threaten different psychological needs of individuals and trigger different coping behaviors.Among them,compensatory consumption is one of the social exclusion response strategies often adopted by consumers.The existing literatures on social exclusion and coping behaviors were mostly based on single culture.However,whether the mechanism of social exclusion's effects on consumers' consumption behavior are different between different cultures remains to be further discussed.The concept of high and low context culture provides a new perspective for us to explore that how the context cultures affect the mechanism between social exclusion and consumer behaviors.Studies show that the socially accepted communication norms in a high-context culture(such as China,Japan and South Korea)are indirect and implicit;and the one in a low-context culture(such as the United States,Germany,and Switzerland)are direct and explicit.Whether the way that social exclusion is communicated satisfy the communication norms that people lived with,has important affection on the way of people deal with the social exclusion.As one of the social exclusion response strategies regularly adopted by consumers,the compensatory consumption preference should be different in various context cultures and manners that social exclusion is communicated,thus,the mechanism in it is valued to be further studied.First,literatures have explored the different effects that social exclusion has on conspicuous consumption and helping behaviors,but when the context cultures and the manners that social exclusion is communicated are different,how the social exclusion affects consumers' compensatory consumption preference remains to be further discussed.Second,literatures have proved the mediating role of power needs and meaningful existence between social exclusion and conspicuous consumption behavior,but the mediating role of the needs of control has not been discussed.There are important conceptual distinctions between control and power,and their functions cannot be substituted by each other.The mediating role of power between social exclusion and conspicuous consumption can not be directly replaced by control.Therefore,whether and how the needs of control play a mediating role between social exclusion and consumer behavior,especially compensatory consumption,still needs to be further studied and tested.Third,literatures have demonstrated the mediating role of relational needs between social exclusion and helping behavior/conspicuous consumption in different cultures.However,in different context cultures,the mediating role of relational needs between social exclusion that communicated in different manners and compensatory consumption preference still needs to be further demonstrated and tested.Fourth,in different context cultures,the boundary of the effect that social exclusion has on compensatory consumption preference still needs to be further explored.Based on this,this research took context culture as the entry point,and explored the effects that social exclusion has on compensatory consumption preference in different context cultures through cross-cultural studies in China and Switzerland.Based on the literature study regarding social exclusion and consumer behaviors,psychological needs and compensatory consumption,context culture and selfaffirmation,this research constructed the theoretical framework of "different types of social exclusion in different context culture-psychological needs-compensatory consumption preference",which uses different types of social exclusion in different context cultural as independent variables,the compensatory consumption preference as the dependent variables,the psychological needs as the mediators and self-affirmation as the moderator,to analyze the formation mechanism of social exclusion's effects on compensatory consumption preference.This research draws the following conclusions through five cross-cultural experiments: First,in different context cultural,social exclusion has different effect on compensatory consumption preference.Specifically,in high-context culture,being ignored will show a preference for social-relationship compensatory consumption,and being rejected will show a preference for control compensatory consumption;in a lowcontext culture,being rejected will show a preference for social-relationship compensatory consumption,being ignored will show a preference for control compensatory consumption.Second,in different context cultural,control needs and relational needs play mediating roles between social exclusion and compensatory consumption preference.Specifically,in high-context culture,relational needs play a mediating role between being ignored and social-relationship compensatory consumption preference,and control needs play a mediating role between being rejected and control compensatory consumption preference;in low-context culture,relational needs play a mediating role between being rejected and social-relationship compensatory consumption preference,and control needs play a mediating role between being ignored and control compensatory consumption preference.Third,in different context cultural,self-affirmation moderates the effect of social exclusion has on compensatory consumption preference.Specifically,in the high-context culture,after self-affirmation,the individual's sense of self-esteem will increase,and the effect of being ignored on social-relationship compensatory consumption preference will significantly reduce;the individual's sense of control will increase,and the effect of being rejected on control compensatory consumption preference will significantly reduce.In the low-context culture,after self-affirmation,the individual's sense of selfesteem will increase,and the effect of being rejected on social-relationship compensatory consumption preference will significantly reduce;the individual's sense of control will increase,and the effect of being ignored on control compensatory consumption preference will significantly reduce.To sum up,this research explores the formation mechanism of social exclusion's effects on compensatory consumption preference in different context cultures of China and Switzerland,demonstrates and tests the mediating role of controls needs and relational needs,discovers and verifies the moderating role of self-affirmation.In terms of theory,this research explores the formation mechanism of social exclusion's effects on consumer behaviors in different context cultures through cross-cultural studies,provides new perspective for the studies on social exclusion and consumer behavior which used to be limited in single culture;developes the frame work of social exclusion affecting compensatory consumption preference in different context cultures,enriches the literatures regarding the effects of social exclusion on consumer behavior;fills the literature gap regarding the effects of social exclusion on consumer behavior by exploring the mechanism of the effect that social exclusion has on compensatory consumption and the boundary of the mechanism,including demonstrating and testing the mediating role of control needs between social exclusion and control compensatory consumption preference,and relational needs between social exclusion and socialrelationship compensatory consumption preference,discovering and verifying the moderating role of self-affirmation in the mechanism of social exclusion affecting compensatory consumption preference.In terms of marketing practice,this research proposes that industires should explore the social attributes and efficacy values of social-relationship compensatory consumption and control compensatory consumption,attach importance to the relationship between social exclusion and consumer compensatory consumption preference,and make good use of the effect that psychological needs have on consumer behavior on the basis of clearly understanding the context cultures that the consumers lived with.These suggestions may help industries to better understand the psychological needs of consumers in various context cultures,and develop targeted marketing strategies that are in line with the context cultures of different regions.