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The Effect of Customer Orientation on Perceived Referral Risk and Referral Intention

The Journal of Distribution Science / The Journal of Distribution Science, (P)1738-3110; (E)2093-7717
2017, v.15 no.7, pp.61-71
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15722/jds.15.7.201707.61
Kim, Dong-Hyun
Cha, Jae-Bin
Park, Chan-Wook
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Abstract

Purpose - This study empirically analyzed the effect of the customer orientation in Insurance Salespersons on the perceived referral risk and referral intention. In the empirical study, we try to provide suggestions for reducing the perceived referral risk of customer oriented selling activities and improving the referral intentions according to customers' tendencies. Research design, data, and methodology - Data collection was conducted through the convenience sampling method for customers who had insurance coverage for about two months from March to May 2015. A total of 700 copies were distributed and 670 copies (95.7% recovery) were collected. Finally, 661 copies were used for final analysis. With the IBM PASW 22.0 statistical program. The interaction effect for the hypothesis test was generated by multiplying the average centralized independent variable and the control variable, and the average centralization variable was used to minimize the multi-collinearity problem of the interaction effect between the independent variable and the control variables. Results - Hypothesis 1 was adopted because the effect of customer-oriented selling activities on perceived referral risk were significantly negative. The effect of customer orientation on perceived referral risk is affected by innovative tendency, risk-taking tendency, and interpersonal tendency Interaction effect was observed. Therefore, Hypothesis 2-2, Hypothesis 2-3, Hypothesis 2-4 were adopted. The effect of customer-oriented selling activities on referral intention was significantly positive, and Hypothesis 3 was adopted. The effect of customer orientation was influenced by the interaction effect of innovative tendency. Therefore, only Hypothesis 4-2 was adopted. Finally, the effect of perceived referral risk on referral intention was significantly negative and hypothesis 5 was adopted. Conclusions - This study suggests that it is important for the salespeople to grasp the customers' propensity in consideration of the perceived referral risk and referral intention according to the moderating effect of customer orientation. In this study, we showed that customer-oriented selling activities positively influence referral intention by inducing perceived referral risk in customers with stronger risk-taking tendencies. It is thought that it will be an important basic data in designing a customer's selling strategy or conducting selling activities.

keywords
Customer Orientation, Perceived Referral Risk, Referral Intention, Customer Tendency

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