Chapter 5: Discussion
5.3 Limitations and Directions for Further Research
There are several important limitations have to address when interpreting the empirical results and then develop directions for further research. First, our sample consists of only automobile brand communities members. Because members in automobile brand communities usually have a unique member attribute—most of them are financially independent and predominantly male—our findings might not generalize to other types of online brand communities such as cosmetics communities, which normally composed by female members. Future research can extend the object of study to other types of
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online brand communities by different customers' characteristics.
Second, there may have a "consumer switching behavior" occur when customers execute next purchase behavior. It also called "migration" as migrants (consumers) move (switch) from one country (service provider) to another (Bansal, Taylor, and James, 2005). Customers may switching to another brand due to the pull effects such as alternative attractiveness — the positive characteristics of competing service providers (Jones et al. 2000). This phenomenon may be more obvious when purchasing a car because people usually demonstrate the social identity and status through their car and tend to purchase a higher level car than they have now. As a result, the brand community members may have a high identification to the community but it won't lead them to repurchase the brand's product, it probably influence the effect the brand community identification on brand loyalty. Future research can extend the object of study to other types of online brand communities by different products.
Third, the result of our study shows that brand loyalty is irrelevant to the identification to brand communities, but related to peer identification. As a result, the researchers shall find out what other factors can affect the peer identification in online brand communities in addition to members' characteristics used in this study. Besides, other non-community related factors may lead to brand loyalty like brand reputation and the quality of product are worthy of further, in-depth examination.
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Brand Community Identification 品牌社群認同 Ashforth and Mael (1989)
1. When someone criticizes the (this brand community), it feels like a personal insult.
2. I am very interested in what others think about (this brand community).
3. When I talk about (this brand community), I usually say "we"
rather than "they".
4. (This brand community’s) successes are my successes.
5. When someone praises (this brand community), it feels like a personal compliment.
1. 當別人批評這個品牌社群時，我也感覺被冒犯了。
2. 我想要知道別人如何看待這個品牌社群。
3. 當我提及這個品牌社群時，我偏向使用"我們"，而非"他們"。
4. 這個品牌社群若經營的成功，這也是我的成功。
5. 當別人讚賞這個品牌社群時，我也與有榮焉。
Community Support 社群支持 Adapted from Eisenberger et al. (1990) 1. (This brand community) cares about my well-being as a member.
2. (This brand community) cares about my opinions as a member.
3. (This brand community) is willing to help me in my role as a member.
4. (This brand community) considers my goals and values as a member.
1. 這個品牌社群在乎我的福利。
2. 這個品牌社群在乎我提出的意見。
3. 這個品牌社群願意提供幫助並協助我解決問題。
4. 這個品牌社群有考慮到我的目標及價值觀。
Appendix1
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Community Value Congruence 社群價值一致性 Maxham and Netemyer (2003)
1. This brand community has the same values as I do. 1. 這個品牌社群跟我擁有相同的價值觀。
Community Affirmation 社群肯定 Drigotas et al. (1999)
1. (This brand community) sees me as a good member.
2. (This brand community) thinks I have the traits and dispositions of a good member.
3. (This brand community) treats me like I am a good member.
1. 這個品牌社群把我視為優良會員。
2. 這個品牌社群認為我有成為優良會員的特質和性格。
3. 這個品牌社群對待我就像我是個優良會員一般。
Peer Identification 同儕認同 Ashforth and Mael (1989) 1. When someone criticizes other members of (this brand
community), it feels like a personal insult.
2. I am very interested in what others think about other members of (this brand community).
3. When I talk about other members of (this brand community), I usually say ‘we’ rather than ‘they.
4. The members’ successes are my successes.
5. When someone praises other members of (this brand community), it feels like a personal compliment.
1. 當有人批評這個品牌社群裡的其他成員時，我也感覺被冒犯了。
2. 我想要知道別人如何看待這個品牌社群裡的其他成員。
3. 當我提及這個品牌社群裡的其他成員時，我偏向使用"我們"，而非
"他們"。
4. 這個品牌社群成員的成功，也是我的成功。
5. 當別人稱讚這個品牌社群裡的其他成員時，我也與有榮焉。
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Member Similarity 成員相似性
Shen et al.(2010) ; Turban and Jones (1988) & Liden et al. (1993) 1. I share similar preferences with other members of (this
community).
2. I share similar interests with other members of (this community).
3. I share similar values with other members of (this community).
4. I joined in (this community) for the same purpose as other community members do.
5. The members of (this community) and I see things in a similar way.
6. The members of (this community) and I deal with issues in much the same way. Jones and Volpe (2010)
1. When I think about (this community), the way it runs the community is unique and different from other communities.
2. The other members of (this community) are unique in my point of view.
3. There are some experts who only participate in (this community).
4. The purposes of (this community) outshine the other communities.
5. The members of (this community) have special and unique
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Member Prestiget 成員尊榮感 Ashforth and Mael (1992) 1. Experts generally think highly of (this community).
2. It is considered prestigious in (the community) of fans to be a member of this community.
3. This community is considered one of the best (in this kind of communities).
4. People from other communities respect the members of (this community).
5. Members of (this community) would be proud to introduce others the other members of this community.
6. The members of (this community) have a good reputation.
7. Showing associations with (this community) could make oneself respected.
8. Members of (this community) are widely welcome by any kinds of contest and activities. Chaudhuri and Holbrook (2001) 1. I will buy products of (this brand) next time.
2. I prefer to keep buying products of (this brand).
3. I am loyalty to (this brand).
4. I would pay higher price to (this brand) rather than other brand.
1. 下次我會買這個品牌的產品。
2. 我傾向繼續購買此品牌的商品。
3. 我對這個品牌是忠誠的。
4. 跟其他品牌比起來，我會願意為這個品牌付出比較高的車價。
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□公私立大學 □研究所(含)以上
61.個人年所得（新台幣）
□30 萬(含)以下 □30 萬～40 萬(含) □40 萬～50 萬(含)
□50 萬～60 萬(含) □60 萬～70 萬(含) □70 萬～80 萬(含)
□80 萬～90 萬(含) □90 萬～100 萬(含) □100 萬以上
62.每一年在汽車相關產品的花費金額（新台幣）
□5 千元(含)以下 □5 千元～1 萬元(含) □1 萬元～1 萬 5 千元(含)
□1 萬 5 千元～2 萬元(含) □2 萬元～2 萬 5 千元(含) □2 萬 5 千元以上
63. E-mail（請填寫您常用的 email 和暱稱。email 是為了聯繫現金袋寄發之用，請正確填寫；暱稱是為了作為公佈抽 獎結果之用。我們不會公布得獎人的 email，只會公布暱稱，敬請安心填寫。）
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