Understanding customers’ discontinuance intention toward curated subscription commerce via the expectation disconfirmation theory

Authors: Yu-Hsin Chen; Chia-Chien Liu; Ching-Jui Keng

Journal: Corporate Management Review. Jun. 2023, 43(1): 65-96

Keywords: Curated subscription boxes, expectancy disconfirmation theory, self- concept clarity, children’s book subscription, discontinuance subscription intention

Abstract:
The service model of curated subscription boxes is a new type of subscription commerce that provides an innovative way of shopping to meet consumers’ buying experience. Drawing on the expectancy disconfirmation theory, this research sets up a model to explore the effect of consumers’ subscription outcome expectations on their discontinuance intention of curated subscription boxes and proposes three types of subscription expectations: utilitarian outcome expectation, hedonic outcome expectation, and subscription value. The three types should impact the disconfirmation and internal psychological states (regret and dissatisfaction) of consumers, which in turn motivate them unsubscribe. We also consider whether self-concept clarity, an individual trait regarding transparency of self-beliefs, influences one’s intention toward discontinuing a subscription. With collected data from 232 subscribers of children’s book subscription boxes in Taiwan, we analyze the findings using a structural equation model. The results reveal that utilitarian outcome expectation, hedonic outcome expectation, and subscription value all positively influence disconfirmation. However, disconfirmation leads to consumer regret and dissatisfaction and further impacts consumers’ intention toward discontinuing a subscription. Interestingly, the impact of self-concept clarity on intention to discontinue a subscription is insignificant. Lastly, theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.