TRANSITIONING FROM THE STAGE TO THE BARRACKS: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF MILITARY SERVICE ON BTS ARMY’S CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Main Article Content
Abstract
BTS’ loyal fandom exists in the Philippines despite the geographic disparity and the language barrier and they have developed a fanatical attitude towards the group. All "able-bodied men" in South Korea, including members of BTS, are required to serve in the military for two years. This study seeks to examine the effect of the inactivity of BTS on Filipino ARMY but might have the intention to switch to other K-pop groups to idolize. The study is anchored in the Expectation Disconfirmation Theory and mainly employed a quantitative design. The results showed that Filipino ARMY’s Expectation and Hedonistic Consumption have a significant effect on Disconfirmation. Emotional Attachment was added as a moderating variable, and results showed that it has a significant moderating effect between Disconfirmation and Switching Intention. The study will benefit marketers as the results can give insights on how to sustain brand loyalty.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright
Submission of a manuscript to the WILAYAH implies that the submitted work has not been published before (except as part of a thesis or report or abstract), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that all co-authors have approved its publication. The WILAYAH : International Journal of East Asian Studies adopts CC BY license. As such, we would be grateful if an acknowledgement accompanies the republication that the work was originally published in WILAYAH. The editors will ensure digital preservation of access to the journal content by the Journal depository section.
Disclaimer
Although the Department of East Asian Studies is the publisher of the WILAYAH : International Journal of East Asian Studies, the views presented in the WILAYAH are entirely those of the contributors and do not reflect the official stand of the Department of East Asian Studies. The Department does not hold itself responsible for the accuracy of any article published. Publisher and co-publishers assume no responsibility, nor by the editors for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a result of any actual or alleged libellous statements, infringement of intellectual property or privacy rights, or products liability, whether resulting from negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any ideas, instructions, procedures, products or methods contained in the material therein.
References
“BTS Members Are Joining the Military — Here’s How Much It Will Cost South Korea’s
Economy,” November 16, 2022. https://www.cnbc.com/video/2022/11/14/bts-is-joining
the-military--heres-how-much-it-will-cost-south-korea.html.
Adisak Suvittawat, “The Influence of Customer Expectations, Customer Loyalty, Customer
Satisfaction and Customer Brand Loyalty on Customer Purchasing Intentions: A Case
Study of K-POP Fans in Thailand”, African Journal of Business Management 16, No. 1 (31
January 2022): 1–9. https://doi.org/10.5897/ajbm2021.9321
Anol Bhattacherjee, “Understanding Information Systems Continuance: An Expectation
Confirmation Model,” MIS Quarterly 25, No. 3 (2001): 351,
https://doi.org/10.2307/3250921
Ashley Martelino, “ARMY, Here's How to Reserve a Slot to Visit the BTS Pop-Up Store in
Manila”, SPOT.PH, 26 May 2021, https://www.spot.ph/shopping/the-latest
shopping/86294/bts-pop-up-map-of-the-soul-store-how-to-reserve-slot-a3440-20210526
Ashley Martelino, “ARMY, The Newest Puma x BTS Sneaker Just Dropped in Manila”,
SPOT.PH, (2018), https://www.spot.ph/shopping/the-latest-shopping/75971/puma-x-bts
sneaker-manila-a3440-20181207
Ashley Martelino, “Life Is Dynamite With This Colorful New BTS x FILA Collection”,
SPOT.PH, (2022), https://www.spot.ph/shopping/the-latest-shopping/88357/fila-bts
dynamite-collection-philippines-a3440-20220106
Carl Agustin, “ARMYs! Start off BTS’ next chapter with Binggrae Milk x TinyTAN”,
Lifestyle.Inq, 15 December 2022, https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/435855/armys-start-off-bts
next-chapter-with-binggrae-milk-x-tinytan/
Chantal Da Silva, “K-Pop Band BTS Will Serve Mandatory Military Duties”, NBC News, 17
October 2022, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/bts-k-pop-stars-military-service
south-korea-rcna52497
Chieh-Peng Lin, et.al., “Modeling Customer Loyalty from an Integrative Perspective of Self
Determination Theory and Expectation–Confirmation Theory”, Journal of Business and
Psychology 24, No. 3 (1 May 2009): 315–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-009-9110-8
Chih Wen-Hai et.al., (2012), From disconfirmation to switching: An empirical investigation of
switching intentions after service failure and recovery, The Service Industries Journal. 32.
-1321. 10.1080/02642069.2010.531267
Chung, M. et.al., “Economic Effect of BTS,” 2018 Hyundai Research Institute, Issue Report, 18,
No. 15, 1-11.
Chun-Nan Lin, and Hsiu-Yu Wang, “Understanding Users’ Switching Intentions and Switching
Behavior on Social Networking Sites”, Aslib Proceedings 69, No. 2 (20 March 2017):
–14. https://doi.org/10.1108/ajim-08-2016-0127
CNN Philippines. “Filipinos Named 2nd Biggest Listeners of BTS on Spotify,” 14 June 2022,
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/entertainment/2022/6/14/Filipinos-listeners-BTS-.html.
Colleen Schwarz and Zhiwei Zhu, “The Impact of Student Expectations in Using Instructional
Tools on Student Engagement: A Look through the Expectation Disconfirmation Theory
Lens,” Journal of Information Systems Education 26, No. 1 (2015): 47–58,
https://doi.org/https://aisel.aisnet.org/jise/vol26/iss1/5
Colleen Schwarz and Zhiwei Zhu, “The Impact of Student Expectations in Using Instructional
Tools on Student Engagement: A Look through the Expectation Disconfirmation Theory
Lens,” Journal of Information Systems Education 26, No. 1 (2015): 47–58,
https://doi.org/https://aisel.aisnet.org/jise/vol26/iss1/5
David K. Tse and Peter C. Wilton, “Models of Consumer Satisfaction Formation: An
Extension,” Journal of Marketing Research 25, No. 2 (1988): 204,
https://doi.org/10.2307/3172652
Douglas B. Grisaffe and Hieu P. Nguyen, “Antecedents of Emotional Attachment to Brands,”
Journal of Business Research 64, No. 10 (2011): 1052–59,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2010.11.002.
Dylan Welsh, “6 Qualities That All Successful Musicians Have”, 30 June 2014.
https://blog.sonicbids.com/6-qualities-all-successful-musicians-have
Elizabeth Serra, et al., “How Market Orientation Impacts Customer’s Brand Loyalty and Buying
Decisions.” Journal of Risk and Financial Management 15, No. 8 (11 August 2022): 357.
https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm15080357
Erik Paolo Capistrano, “Understanding Filipino Korean Pop Music Fans”, Asian Journal of
Social Science 47, No. 1 (12 March 2019): 59–87. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685314
Erik Paolo Capistrano, “Understanding Filipino Korean Pop Music Fans,” Asian Journal of
Social Science 47, No. 1 (2019): 59–87, https://doi.org/10.1163/15685314-04701004
Gia Flores et al., “Influence of Digital Media Advertisements of KPOP Industry on Selected
Young Adults in Manila, Philippines”, International Journal of Social Science Research
and Review, October 2022, https://ijssrr.com/journal/article/view/567
Gilbert Churchill, Jr. et.al, “An Investigation into the Determinants of Customer Satisfaction”,
Journal of Marketing Research 19, No.4 (1982): 491-504, https://doi.org/10.2307/3151722
Grace Ing, Azazea Azizi Abdul Adis, & Zaiton Osman. Korean Wave and Malaysian Young
Adults: Attitudes, Intention and Behaviour. 2018. Malaysian Journal of Business and
Economics, 5(1), 77-94.
Grover, C. [@amidocumentary], J, Z & S [@BTS_iTunesZA], and Ringland, K.E. [@liltove].
BTS ARMY CENSUS, 9 July 2022, https://www.btsarmycensus.com/
Hae-Won Lee and Joon-Ho Kim, “Brand Loyalty and the Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS) Korean
Dance: Global Viewers’ Perceptions”, Journal of Psychology in Africa 30, No. 6 (1
November 2020): 551–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2020.1842415
Hanna Panoringan, “7 BTS-Themed Cafes around Metro Manila That Are a Must-Visit for
ARMYs”, Candymag.Com, (2022), https://www.candymag.com/lifestyle/bts-themed
cafes-metro-manila-a00401-20221019
Harvir S. Bansal and Shirley F. Taylor, “The Service Provider Switching Model (SPSM),”
Journal of Service Research 2, No. 2 (1999): 200
,https://doi.org/10.1177/109467059922007
Heesup Han, et.al., “Switching Intention Model Development: Role of Service Performances,
Customer Satisfaction, and Switching Barriers in the Hotel Industry.” International Journal
of Hospitality Management 30, No. 3 (2011): 619–29.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2010.11.006
Ho-Chun Herbert Chang, Becky Pham, and Emilio Ferrara. “KPop Fandoms Drive COVID-19
Public Health Messaging on Social Media.” ResearchGate, October 7, 2021.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355239532_KPop_Fandoms_drive_COVID
_Public_Health_Messaging_on_Social_Media.
https://jurcon.ums.edu.my/ojums/index.php/mjbe/article/download/1603/1037
Hugh McIntyre, “J-Hope Becomes The Second Member Of BTS To Enlist In The Korean
Military”, Forbes, (2023), https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/04/19/j-hope
becomes-the-second-member-of-bts-to-enlist-in-the-korean-military/?sh=1be461b39904
Jaehwa Bernardo, “McDonald's to Release Meal with BT21 Toys in PH”, ABS-CBN News, 13
April 2023, https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/04/13/23/mcdonalds-to-release-meal-with-bt21
toys-in-ph
Jamie Sanchez, “ARMY, Get First Dibs on the Mediheal x BTS Mask Sets”, SPOT.PH, 9 March
, https://www.spot.ph/shopping/the-latest-shopping/73117/watsons-mediheal-x-bts
mask-set-a00023-20180309
Janine Peralta, “McDonald’s Launches BTS Meal in PH”, CNN Philippines, 18 June
, https://www.cnnphilippines.com/entertainment/2021/6/18/BTS-Meal-Mcdo
PH.html
Jewel Sta. Ana, “Samsung Galaxy S20+, Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition Priced in the Philippines'',
YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews, (2022),
https://www.yugatech.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s20-galaxy-buds-bts-edition-price
philippines/
Jimmyn Parc and Yeogeun Kim, “Analyzing the Reasons for the Global Popularity of BTS: A
New Approach from a Business Perspective'', Journal of International Business and
Economy 21, No. 1 (1 December 2020): 15–36. https://doi.org/10.51240/jibe.2020.1.2
Jiwon Kang, et.al, “Behind the scenes of K-pop fandom: unveiling K-pop fandom collaboration
network”, Quality & Quantity: Internal Journal of Methodology, 56 (2022): 1481-1502.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021-01189-5
Jiyoung Hwang and Jay Kandampully, “The Role of Emotional Aspects in Younger Consumer
brand Relationships”, Journal of Product & Brand Management 21, No. 2 (13 April 2012):
–108. https://doi.org/10.1108/10610421211215517
John Swan, “Consumer Satisfaction Related to Disconfirmation of Expectations and Product
Performance,” The Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining
Behavior 1 (1988): 40–47.
Jonathan Hicap, “BTS RM’s Solo Album ‘Indigo’ sells 553,770 copies in one day”, Manila
Bulletin, 3 December 2022. https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/03/bts-rms-solo-album-indigo
sells-553770-copies-in-one-day/
Jonathan Hicap, “BTS RM’s Solo Album ‘Indigo’ sells 553,770 copies in one day”, Manila
Bulletin, (2022), https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/03/bts-rms-solo-album-indigo-sells-553770
copies-in-one-day/
Joon-Ho Kim, Hyunju Choi, and Seung-Hye Jung, “Value Expectation Confirmation and Word
of-Mouth Intention among International Tourists of a Cultural Festival Experience”,
Journal of Psychology in Africa (18 August 2017).
https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2017.1347756
Joseph Kim and Seung-Ho Kwon, “K-Pop’s Global Success and Its Innovative Production
System.” Sustainability 14, no. 17 (5 September 2022): 11101.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su141711101
Julien Benatar, “Next Big Sound’s State Of The Industry 2013 - Next Big Sound”, Medium, 11
December 2021. https://blog.nextbigsound.com/next-big-sounds-state-of-the-industry
-e2edd4d0f897
Koh Ewe, “The Wildest Ways People Are Preserving Their McDonald’s BTS Meals”, VICE, 22
June 2021, https://www.vice.com/en/article/jg8j47/mcdonalds-bts-meal-packaging-viral
kpop
Koji Arsua, “Here’s What Went Down at the Global Launch of “Beyond the Story: 10 Year
Record of BTS”, WhenInManila, (2023), https://www.wheninmanila.com/heres-what
went-down-at-the-global-launch-of-beyond-the-story-10-year-record-of-bts/
Korea Legislation Research Institute, Military Service Act.
https://elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_service/lawView.do?hseq=56344&lang=ENG
Lawrence O. Hamer, “A Confirmation Perspective on Perceived Service Quality,” Journal of
Services Marketing 20, No. 4 (2006): 219–32,
https://doi.org/10.1108/08876040610674571
Lawrence O. Hamer, “A Confirmation Perspective on Perceived Service Quality,” Journal of
Services Marketing 20, No. 4 (2006): 219–32,
https://doi.org/10.1108/08876040610674571
Leonard L. Berry, “Cultivating Service Brand Equity,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing
Science 28, No. 1 (2000): 128–37, https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070300281012.
Matthew Thomson, et.al, “The Ties That Bind: Measuring the Strength of Consumers’
Emotional Attachments to Brands.” Journal of Consumer Psychology 15, No. 1 (2005):
–91. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1480351
Ming-Chi Lee, “Explaining and Predicting Users’ Continuance Intention toward e-Learning: An
Extension of the Expectation–Confirmation Model”, Elsevier 54, No. 2 (1 February 2010):
–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.09.002
Morris B. Holbrook and Elizabeth C. Hirschman, “The Experiential Aspects of Consumption:
Consumer Fantasies, Feelings, and Fun,” Journal of Consumer Research 9, No. 2 (1982):
, https://doi.org/10.1086/208906
Muhammad Mazhar et al., “Gauging Customers’ Negative Disconfirmation in Online Post
Purchase Behaviour: The Moderating Role of Service Recovery,” Cogent Business &
Management 9, No. 1 (2022), https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2022.2072186
Nsobiari Awara and Joseph Anyadighibe, “ The Relationship between Customer Satisfaction and
Loyalty: A Study of Selected Eateries in Calabar, Cross River State,” Interdisciplinary
Journal Of Contemporary Research In Business 5, No. 9 (2014): 110–25.
Oliver, R. L. (1977b). Effect of expectation and disconfirmation on postexposure product
evaluations: An alternative interpretation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 62(4), 480–486.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.62.4.480
Patricia Esteves, “BTS Throwback: When Manila Became a ‘Testing Ground’ for the K-Pop
Superstars”, Philstar.Com, (2022),
https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2022/05/21/2182508/bts-throwback-when-manila
became-testing-ground-k-pop-superstars
Piotr Tarka, et.al., “Consumers’ Personality and Compulsive Buying Behavior: The Role of
Hedonistic Shopping Experiences and Gender in Mediating-Moderating Relationships”,
Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 64 (1 January 2022): 102802,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102802
Ralph L. Day, “Extending the Concept of Consumer Satisfaction,” Advances in Consumer
Research 4 (1977): 149–54.
Rebecca Cook, “BTS Are on the Brink of Enrolling in a Major Military Nightmare”, WIRED
UK, 3 October 2020, https://www.wired.co.uk/article/bts-military-service-soft-power
Richard L. Oliver, “A Cognitive Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Satisfaction
Decisions,” Journal of Marketing Research 17, No. 4 (1980): 460,
https://doi.org/10.2307/3150499
Ritu Singh, “Having More Children Could Exempt South Korean Men From Military Service.
Here's Why”, NDTV, (2023), https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/having-more-children
could-exempt-south-korean-men-from-mandatory-military-service-heres-why-3895774
Rubal Kanozia and Garima Ganghariya. “Cultural Proximity and Hybridity: Popularity of
Korean Pop Culture in India.” Media Asia 48, no. 3 (March 22, 2021): 219–28.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01296612.2021.1902079.
Sara Kabir, “What BTS’s Military Enlistment Means for Fans and the Group’s Future”, The
Daily Star (2022), https://www.thedailystar.net/shout/news/what-btss-military-enlistment
means-fans-and-the-groups-future-3145931
Shalom Levy, and Hino Hayiel, “Emotional Brand Attachment: A Factor in Customer-Bank
Relationships”, International Journal of Bank Marketing 34, No. 2 (4 April 2016): 136–50.
https://doi.org/10.1108/ijbm-06-2015-0092
SMART Communications, “Smart's BTS campaign bags ‘Best Use of Video’ in Twitter’s Best
of Tweets 2021”, (2021), https://smart.com.ph/About/newsroom/press-releases/products
and-services/2021/12/17/smart's-bts-campaign-bags-best-use-of-video-in-twitter-s-best-of
tweets-2021
So-Hyun Lee et.al, “Unveiling the Success Factors of BTS: A Mixed-Methods Approach”,
Internet Research 31, No. 5 (15 December 2020): 1518-40. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR
-2019-0507
Statista, “BTS YouTube Channel Views by Country 2023”, 23 January 2023,
https://www.statista.com/statistics/973644/south-korea-bts-youtube-channel-views-by
country/
Statista, “Global Music Industry Revenue 2012-2023,” 10 August 2021.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/259979/global-music-industry-revenue/
Sunil Erevelles and Clark Leavitt, “ A Comparison of Current Models of Consumer
Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction”, The Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and
Complaining Behavior 5 (1992), https://jcsdcb.com/index.php/JCSDCB/article/view/636
Susan M. Keaveney, “Customer Switching Behavior in Service Industries: An Exploratory
Study,” Journal of Marketing 59, No. 2 (1995): 71, https://doi.org/10.2307/1252074
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “BTS”, (2023). Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/BTS
Vicki McKinney, Kanghyun Yoon, and Fatemeh “Mariam” Zahedi, “The Measurement of Web
Customer Satisfaction: An Expectation and Disconfirmation Approach,” Information
Systems Research 13, No. 3 (2002): 296–315, https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.13.3.296.76
Vicki McKinney, Kanghyun Yoon, and Fatemeh “Mariam” Zahedi, “The Measurement of Web
Customer Satisfaction: An Expectation and Disconfirmation Approach,” Information
Systems Research 13, No. 3 (2002): 296–315, https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.13.3.296.76
Virginia Pieters, et.al, “Online Transportation Services: Factors Affecting Consumer Switching
Behavior,” Jurnal EMBA : Jurnal Riset Ekonomi, Manajemen, Bisnis Dan Akuntansi 7,
No. 4 (2019). https://ejournal.unsrat.ac.id/v3/index.php/emba/issue/view/2408
Wahdah Amri. “Kpop Fans Fanatism In Social Media Instagram.” International Journal of
Cultural and Social Science 1, No. 1 (2020): 25–34.
https://pcijournal.org/index.php/ijcss/article/view/21
World Music Awards, Twitter, 30 October 2022.
https://twitter.com/WORLDMUSICAWARD/status/1586702424840015872/photo/3
World Vision Philippines,“BTS ARMY To The Rescue”, 2022,
https://www.worldvision.org.ph/bts-army-to-the-rescue/
Xander Zellner, “Hot 100 First-Timers: BTS’ JIN Scores First Solo Entry With ‘The Astronaut”
Billboard, 9 November 2022. https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/bts-jin-the
astronaut-solo-hot-100-hit-1235167955/
Yann Magcamit, “Hotdog and TinyTAN Merch in One? It’s Finally Possible, Thanks to
Virginia!”, Cebu Daily News, Inquirer.Net, 14 April 2023,
https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/496742/hotdog-and-tinytan-merch-in-one-its-finally
possible-thanks-to-virginia
Ysa Abad. “Let’s Be Budol Besties: The Insider’s Guide to Buying K-Pop Photocards.”
RAPPLER, January 13, 2022. https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/arts-culture/things
to-know-starting-k-pop-photocard-collection/.
Yunus Bahadır Güler, “Values and Hedonic Consumption Behavior: A Field Research in
Kirikkale,” Asian Journal of Empirical Research 4, No. 3 (2014)
Yunus Bahadır Güler, “Values and Hedonic Consumption Behavior: A Field Research in
Kirikkale”, (18 March 2014).
https://archive.aessweb.com/index.php/5004/article/view/3780
조선일보. “10년간 데뷔 아이돌 436팀...1년에 한두팀만 남기도,” 22 July 2017.
https://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2017/07/22/2017072200936.html