An Integrative View of Emotion and the Dedication-Constraint Model in the Case of Coffee Chain Retailers

Abstract

Following the phenomenal growth of and competition among coffee chain retailers, the coffee chain market has expanded substantially thanks to rising income levels, the increasing young population, and rapidly changing lifestyles. Attracting consumers’ attention and enhancing their loyalty behaviors has become very difficult for coffee chain retailers. This study seeks to understand the mechanisms through which emotions and the dedication-constraint model lead to brand loyalty and willingness to pay more to certain coffee chain retailers. Emotion responses and dedication-constraint model-based factors are major roles in the formation of loyalty behaviors, but few studies have combined them. To fill this knowledge gap, this study synthesizes emotional responses and the dedication-constraint model to develop a theoretical model. Based on the ambivalent view of emotions, it also examines how positive and negative emotions affect the combination of brand loyalty and willingness to pay more to certain coffee chain retailers. Moreover, it identifies the antecedents of affective and calculative commitments. Our findings indicate that affective commitment had significantly positive effects on positive emotion, brand loyalty, and willingness to pay more. It negatively affects negative emotion. Calculative commitment had significantly positive effects on positive emotion, brand loyalty, and willingness to pay more. However, contrary to our expectations, calculative commitment was positively related to negative emotions. Furthermore, service quality, quality of physical environment, and price fairness significantly affect affective commitments, while only price fairness significantly affects calculative commitments.