해외 의료관광객이 느끼는 통제력이 서비스 만족 및 구전의도에 미치는 영향

The Effect of Psychological Control Felt by Overseas Medical Tourists on Service Satisfaction and Word of Mouth Communication

Receiving medical services abroad is an event that involves a high level of risk and stress for most people. This study proposes and empirically examines perceived control as a factor that has a potential to reduce the stress associated with overseas medical experience and enhance satisfaction with it. Based on the research findings in environmental psychology, one’s perceived control was divided into cognitive control, behavior control, and decision control. A research model and a set of hypotheses were constructed to investigate the effect of each control on satisfaction and word-of-mouth communications among consumers who had overseas medical service experiences. The data collection was conducted through an online survey of 220 Chinese consumers who had visited Korea as plastic medicine tourists. Satisfaction with their service experience was significantly affected by both behavioral control and decisional control, but not by cognitive control. Thus, Chinese medical tourists prefer to maintain the belief that they are in charge of major decisions associated with the medical procedure, and that the results of the medical procedure will have personally desirable consequences. In addition, satisfaction experienced by Chinese consumers with overseas medical services had a significant impact on their word-of-mouth activities. Based on the research results, a set of academic and practical implications were derived.