The role of regulatory focus and goal progress on goal-directed consumption behaviors
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the moderating role of customers’ regulatory focus on the relationship between progress level of goal pursuit and customers’ consumption behaviors in a retail setting.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from a loyalty program organized by a retail store selling cosmetic and skincare products. Loyalty program participants were given member cards endowed with different progress levels, and their consumption behaviors during the program period were tracked. Regulatory focus of program participants was also assessed.
Findings
Regression results show that prevention-focused customers are inclined to spend more money, accumulate more stamps and achieve more additional rewards when progress level is high rather than low. This pattern is reversed for promotion-focused customers.
Research limitations/implications
Future research may investigate the underlying mechanism by testing potential mediators. Researchers may also test the model in non-retail settings such as service industries.
Practical implications
The findings provide insights to firms regarding when and how to motivate customers with different regulatory orientations in loyalty programs.
Originality/value
This study examines the joint effect of regulatory focus and progress level on people’s consumption behaviors. The model was tested using actual consumption data collected in a retail setting.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the editor, the associate editor and the reviewer for their helpful comments and insightful suggestions. This article is based on the first author’s MBA thesis. An earlier work from this research was presented at the 2011 Annual Conference of China Marketing Science (Guangzhou, China).
Citation
Chan, N.C. and Ho, Y. (2017), "The role of regulatory focus and goal progress on goal-directed consumption behaviors", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 147-155. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-05-2016-1795
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited