An Influence of the Source Information of Word Mouth on the Sales of Educational Service

구전의 정보원천이 교육서비스 판매에 미치는 영향

This study is designed to examine the effects of information source effects of the word mouth have on the formed expectations for the private institution and to explore the formed expectations' effects on the actual sales of the educational service. Moreover, its purpose is in analyzing what medication effects the pre-conceived expectation has on selecting the educational service. After testing hypothesis, the results showed that the source effects of the information from word of mouth had a significant effect on the expectation factors, in terms of expertise, similarity, likability and familiarity expectation factors. However, it was found that effect was not significant for the truthfulness. The significant result was found on the expectation factors before visiting the private institution on selecting educational service, indicating a positive effect. As for the influence of source of the word of mouth information on selecting educational service, the results from the mediation effects of the expectation factors on selecting the educational service showed that for expectation factors, expertise had the partial mediation effect, truthfulness, perfect mediating effect, similarity, partial mediation effect, likability, perfect mediating effect, and familiarity, perfect mediating effect. A test of the mediating role of attribute expectations in the influence of WOM message source attributes on educational services choices showed the following: 1) It was proven that attribute expectations played a partial mediating role in the influence of expertise and similarity, respectively, on educational services choices. 2) On the influence of trustworthiness, likability, and familiarity on educational services choices, respectively, attribute expectations had a full mediation effect. This research differs from the previous ones, which focused only on consumer satisfaction with educational services offered by private educational institutions in that it covers not only the influences of both WOM source attributes and key component factors of educational services on both educational services choices and satisfaction with such services but also the influence of WOM source attributes on attribute expectations prior to the first visit to a particular private educational institutions, and in turn the influence of such attribute expectations on educational services choices. Most particularly, the significance of this study lies in the fact that in an effort to more clearly explain the causal relationship between WOM source effects and educational services choices a test of the mediating role of attribute expectations was conducted. Although the research seems simple, some theoretical implications can be drawn as follows: WOM message source effects on educational services choices were positive and moreover these positive impacts are likely to be reinforced by means of the mediating variable of attribute expectations.

본 연구는 구전의 정보원천 효과가 학원에 대한 기대형성에 미치는 영향을 규명해 보고자 함과 동시에, 기대형성이 실제 교육서비스 판매에 미치는 영향을 알아보기 위한 것이다. 또한 교육서비스 판매에 있어 사전에 형성된 기대가 교육서비스 판매에 있어 매개효과를 분석하는 데 그 목적이 있다. 가설검증 결과 구전정보 원천효과가 기대속성에 미치는 영향에 있어서는 전문성, 유사성, 호감성, 친숙성의 요인들이 기대속성에 미치는 영향이 유의한 결과를 보이고 있다. 그러나 진실성은 유의하지 않은 것으로 나타났다. 학원 방문전 기대속성이 교육서비스 판매에 미치는 영향에 있어서는 유의한 결과를 보이고 있어, 긍정적인 영향을 미치고 있다. 구전정보의 원천이 교육서비스 판매에 있어서 미치는 영향에 있어 기대속성의 매개역할에 대한 결과는 기대속성은 전문성이 교육서비스 판매에 미치는 영향에 있어 부분매개효과, 진실성에 있어서 완전매개효과, 유사성에 있어 부분매개효과, 호감성에 있어 완전매개효과, 친숙성에 있어 완전매개 효과가 있다는 결과가 도출되었다.