This study tries to examine values that consumers have when consuming Korean pop culture contents in Taiwan. Therefore, Consumption Value introduced by Sheth, Newman and Gross (1991a, 1991b) will be the most relevant model to apply.
Interest in and relevance to human values has been developed not only in personal psychology domain, but also in academic field of behavioral studies, marketing, and social structure. After Rokeach (1973) first introduced 18 items of terminal value and 18 items of instrumental value as a measure of human value system, the following studies continued to investigate and evaluate people’s dominant values (Kahel et al., 1986; Munson & MacQuarrie, 1988)
Sheth et al (1991) pointed out that Rokeach value scale has limitations in explaining consumption behavior of consumers, and extracted values related to human consumption behavior, and tried to explain reasons for choosing purchase / non-purchase of a specific product or use / non-use of a particular product, and reason for selection of trademark or brand. Sheth et al. (1991) proposed five values that are closely related to human life and behavior, using the term consumption value. They also argued that consumption value is the biggest influence on market choice.
Sheth et al. (1991a, 1991b) identified five values in their theory, which are functional value, social value, emotional value, epistemic value, and conditional value that lead to affect consumer choice behavior, and also suggested three fundamental propositions to the theory:
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1. Consumer choice is a function of multiple consumption values.
2. Consumption values make differential contributions in any given choice situation.
3. Consumption values are independent.
Figure 2.10: Consumption Value
Five consumption values can be grouped into two categories according to the characteristics of each value; intrinsic value and an extrinsic value (Figure 2.10).
Intrinsic value is inseparable since it is close to the object and essential. Among the five consumption values, functional, epistemic, and emotional values are included in this group. Extrinsic values are those related externally to the nature of the object and are separable from the object. This includes social and conditional values.
2.2.1 Intrinsic Consumption Value 2.2.1.1 Functional Value
Functional
Value Epistemic
Value Emotional
Value
Social Value
Conditional Value Consumer Choice Behavior
Intrinsic Value
Extrinsic Value
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Functional value is the most important value of consumers in choosing a brand.
Traditionally, consumers are more aware of practical and physical functions such as product quality, function, price and service. Consumers who value practical and physical properties seek functional value and choose alternatives that satisfy them. For example, it can be said those related to product attributes such as price, function, and durability, which consumers consider when purchasing a mobile phone, fall within the scope of functional value.
In the case of Korean pop culture contents, fun, price, and accessibility may belong to functional value. An important point in sustaining consumption of cultural contents is consumer satisfaction. If consumer satisfaction is not acquired or sustained, his or her consumption behavior ends in a one-off process. Quality, price, and accessibility included in functional value not only determine the first impression of a specific cultural product entry, but also can be a factor affecting continuous consumption. Even if consumers satisfy their epistemic or emotional needs through consumption of KPCC, consumption behavior cannot be sustained unless consumers are satisfied with quality, price and accessibility.
2.2.1.2 Epistemic Value
Epistemic value is related to curiosity seeking, novelty seeking, pursuit of exploratory behavior, and intellectual desire. Purchasing behavior of a consumer pursuing a rarity can result in product purchase without any need for other values (Sheth et al, 1991). Products with a value for a customer who pursues a desire for curiosity, knowledge, or novelty must be new and different in consumer experience through uniqueness or innovations.
In KPCC consumption, consumers may consume KPCC because they can acquire new knowledge and new indirect experience without cliché. Effects of epistemic value on consumption of KPCC can be shown through interviews about cultural difference that Taiwanese consumers feel in KPCC consumption. Being aware of differences between other cultural contents that they were originally consuming and KPCC that they are currently consuming can explain how epistemic value affects KPCC consumption behavior of consumers.
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2.2.1.3 Emotional Value
Emotional value is perceived utility of a consumer to their ability to cause a particular feeling or emotional state by purchasing products. Consumers can associate specific emotions with positive or negative emotions in product consumption It can be said that when you are there, you get emotional value. Emotional value is understood as a concept involving aesthetic value with more importance to consumers’ empirical viewpoint, and playing an influential role in many purchasing situations.
Thus, emotional value refers to a particular emotion or feeling that a consumer perceives when purchasing a particular product, which has a comprehensive impact and causes unexpected behavior or purchase to appear in a large number of consumer choice situations. In this study, subjects will be asked what kind of feeling they feel during KPCC consumption. In personal experiences of KPCC consumption, those feelings will be specified and studied if those feelings have either positive or negative effects on consumption behavior. Accordingly, the research defined the first propositions and its sub-propositions as follows;
P 1: Intrinsic consumption value is associated with KPCC consumption behavior P 1-1: Functional value is associated with KPCC consumption behavior P 1-2: Epistemic value is associated with KPCC consumption behavior P 1-3: Emotional value is associated with KPCC consumption behavior
2.2.2 Extrinsic Consumption Value 2.2.2.1 Social Value
Social value is consumption value associated with social hierarchical group that consumes products. The value that can express belonging sense and belonging to typical demographic characteristic groups, socioeconomic discrimination groups. Sheth et al.
(1991a) reported that products can be obtained by contacting one or more social groups, which are defined on the basis of demographic, socio-economic, ethno-cultural characteristics, and positive or negative concepts are tended to be defined by consumers.
When studying social values that affect KPCC consumption of subjects, the impact
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of social value on KPCC consumption may be able to be searched by asking subjects whether there are any social groups sharing a common topic among the subjects, what images those groups have, and how relationships with the groups are set. Senses of belonging to peer group or feelings of alienation owing to not consuming KPCC can be seen as social values.
2.2.2.2 Conditional Value
Conditional value refers to perceived value of choice alternatives differently by the consumer (Sheth et al. 1991). Conditional values include social values and functional values. Situational social value is caused by situations where consumers temporarily change his or her desire to associate with certain social groups, and situational functional value has the importance of the consumer. It occurs in a situation where the evaluation criteria for beliefs is temporarily changed.
It is possible to understand KPCC consumption behavior related to conditional values by asking subjects ‘What special occasion makes you consume KPCC?’
Accordingly, the research defined propositions as follows;
P 2: Extrinsic consumption value is associated with KPCC consumption behavior P 2-1: Social value is associated with KPCC consumption behavior
P 2-2: Conditional value is associated with KPCC consumption behavior