›› 2019, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (2): 155-168.

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Do Emotions and Relationships in Brand Community Inspire Recommendations?——Research on the Influence of Customer Psychological Attachment on Their Recommendation Intentions

Zhang Depeng1, Lin Mengfei2, Chen Chunfeng1, Liu Si1   

  1. 1. Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510520;
    2. School of Economics and Management, Zhuhai City Polytechnic, Zhuhai 519090
  • Received:2017-12-19 Online:2019-02-28 Published:2019-03-07

Abstract:

From both emotional and relational perspectives, this paper puts forward an integrated model based on social exchange theory and social identity theory. It explores the interactive influence of double-dimension psychological attachments and relationship factors on recommendation intentions. Psychological attachments base on identity and object,and relationship factors include relationship intensity and community atmosphere. This paper is written in the context of brand community. Through the questionnaire and experiment of empirical research, the results show that customer psychological attachment has a positive impact on recommendation intentions. Specifically, community psychological attachment is more intense than brand attachment on referrals of community, and brand psychological attachment is more intense than community attachment on referrals of brand. Community identity plays a media role between customer psychological attachment and their recommendation intentions. The relationship is regulated by the atmosphere of community atmosphere, that is, compared with low community atmosphere, the influence of customer psychological attachment on their recommendation intentions will be stronger in high community atmosphere. The relationship is also regulated by relationship intensity, that is, compared with high relationship intensity, the influence of customer's psychological attachment on their recommendation intentions is stronger in low relationship intensity.

Key words: psychological attachment, word of mouth recommendation, community atmosphere, relationship intensity