A Comparative Study on the Decision-Making Process of Boycott Participation: Focusing on Cost-Benefit Analysis

Participation in the boycott is determined by a conflict between various triggers and the costs and benefits that may arise from one's participation. This study presented the process by which the direction of boycott participation is determined in this aspect, and aimed to examine the moderating effect of consumers' cost-benefit perception in this process. The results of the analysis revealed that perceived egregiousness, fear of missing out, and self-enhancement positively influenced interest uprising in boycotts, perspectively. In addition, higher perceived efficacy of boycotts showed a positive impact on both attitudinal and behavioral participation, with a stronger influence on attitudinal participation. Notably, when examining the effect of boycott participation stimuli on interest uprising across different cost-benefit levels, it was found that while higher self-enhancement led to increased interest uprising, this effect was weaker in the group that perceived high cost-benefits compared to the low cost-benefit perception group. This indicates that when the perceived costs of participating in a boycott are high, positive attitudes towards the boycott are weaker. Conversely, when perceived costs are low, attitudes towards boycotts become more positive.