공동체의식과 관계혜택이 장기적 관계지향성에 미치는 영향: 소비자-기업 동일시 및 고객만족을 매개로

Recently, due to rapid changes in the environment, company has been experiencing radical change in the exclusive relationship with customers. Accordingly, marketing strategies are required to build long-term relationships between company and its customers for their’s long-term relationship orientation. This study was conducted with the aim of developing a strategic approach to establish long-term relationships between company and its customers. We analyzed a causal structural model based on empirical data using sense of community and relational benefits as the leading variable of long-term relationship-orientation, mediated with consumer-company identification and customer satisfaction. The empirical analysis was conducted on the customers of the credit union, which is known to have a relatively high level of sense of community. Based on statistical analysis using SPSS 24.0, AMOS 24.0, and PROCESS Macro 3.2, the reliability and validity of the research model were verified and meaningful results were obtained using 386 samples. The important results of this study showed that the sense of belonging of the community and fulfillment of needs had a significant impact on the consumer-company identification, and the confidence benefit and special treatment benefit exerted significant effect on the customer satisfaction. Second, not only customer satisfaction but also consumer-company identification appear to have a significant impact on the long-term relationship orientation which means the consumer-company identification is also important variable in the long-term relationship. Third, the sense of community and relational benefits are mediated by consumer-company identification and customer satisfaction in shaping the long-term relationship orientation. The foregoing findings suggest that continued customer satisfaction through relationship benefits is important but consumer-company identification through sense of community is also an important pathway to long-term relationship orientation, especially in company’s marketing context. In particular, it emphasizes that establishing corporate identity through strengthening sense of community is an important factor in establishing marketing strategy.