This research explores what product attributes consumers value and how consumer face consciousness influences ecological product preference. Study I shows that environmental attribute enhances product preference to a ...This research explores what product attributes consumers value and how consumer face consciousness influences ecological product preference. Study I shows that environmental attribute enhances product preference to a greater extent when consumers value gentleness-related attributes more than strength-related attributes. However, when the strength-related attributes are valued, the benefit of environmental attribute is attenuated, and sometimes even leads to greater preference for non-ecological products. Study lI reveals that Chinese consumers with high face consciousness show a significant difference between explicit and implicit preferences for ecological products. In other words, these consumers believe in only their own preference for ecological products. In contrast, Chinese consumers with low face consciousness show no difference between explicit and implicit preferences, i.e., they believe that other people prefer ecological products as much as they do.展开更多
Face in China is a well-known word but still lacks a precise and authoritative definition. Other than the counterpart connotation of social norms in western culture, Chinese face is also a cultural construct strongly ...Face in China is a well-known word but still lacks a precise and authoritative definition. Other than the counterpart connotation of social norms in western culture, Chinese face is also a cultural construct strongly connected with situational context. In order to explore the general context and the specific connotation of Chinese face, this paper focuses on comparing the difference between Reflective Models and Formative Models when measuring the construct of Chinese face. We find that RM is more reliable and stable than FM in terms of face measurement, but is inferior to FM in explaining the connotations of Chinese face. Moreover, we also explore the effects of different dimensions of Chinese face on consumer preference for ecological products. This study not only enriches the existing research on Chinese face, but also exploratively answers a controversial problem in this area. Furthermore, the findings in this study also provide theoretical support for building an environmentally-friendly society in China.展开更多
基金This work is supported by the National Science Foundation of China （No. 70972078）, the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, Ministry of Education （No. 08JZD0019）, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Sun Yat-Sen University.
文摘This research explores what product attributes consumers value and how consumer face consciousness influences ecological product preference. Study I shows that environmental attribute enhances product preference to a greater extent when consumers value gentleness-related attributes more than strength-related attributes. However, when the strength-related attributes are valued, the benefit of environmental attribute is attenuated, and sometimes even leads to greater preference for non-ecological products. Study lI reveals that Chinese consumers with high face consciousness show a significant difference between explicit and implicit preferences for ecological products. In other words, these consumers believe in only their own preference for ecological products. In contrast, Chinese consumers with low face consciousness show no difference between explicit and implicit preferences, i.e., they believe that other people prefer ecological products as much as they do.
基金This work is supported by the National Science Foundation of China （No. 71572205） and the Major Research Plan of the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities （16wkjc14）. Also, We would like to express our sincere thanks to the two peer reviewers and editors for their critical comments and constructive suggestions.
文摘Face in China is a well-known word but still lacks a precise and authoritative definition. Other than the counterpart connotation of social norms in western culture, Chinese face is also a cultural construct strongly connected with situational context. In order to explore the general context and the specific connotation of Chinese face, this paper focuses on comparing the difference between Reflective Models and Formative Models when measuring the construct of Chinese face. We find that RM is more reliable and stable than FM in terms of face measurement, but is inferior to FM in explaining the connotations of Chinese face. Moreover, we also explore the effects of different dimensions of Chinese face on consumer preference for ecological products. This study not only enriches the existing research on Chinese face, but also exploratively answers a controversial problem in this area. Furthermore, the findings in this study also provide theoretical support for building an environmentally-friendly society in China.
