The Research on the Effect of Referral Reward Scarcity on the Referee’s Acceptance Intention
KUANG Di，MA Baolong，LI Xiaofei
1. China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China; 2. Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China;3. Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing, China
Abstract：Based on commodity theory, this study developed a theoretical framework for the effect of referral reward programs on acceptance intention under the context of reward scarcity, and explored the relevant mechanism and boundary conditions. Three situational experiments revealed that reward scarcity could significantly increase the acceptance intention. During this process, the level of perceived specialness acts as a mediator. Furthermore, when there is a strong tie between the referrer and the referee or the product is a hedonic good, reward scarcity has a greater impact on the referee’s acceptance intention by elevating their perceived specialness. However, when the tie between the referrer and referee is weak or the product is a utilitarian good, the positive impact of reward scarcity on the acceptance intention tends to diminish.
匡迪，马宝龙，李晓飞. 推荐奖励稀缺性对被推荐者接受意愿的影响研究[J]. 管理学报, 2025, 22(9): 1725-.
KUANG Di，MA Baolong，LI Xiaofei. The Research on the Effect of Referral Reward Scarcity on the Referee’s Acceptance Intention. Chinese Journal of Management, 2025, 22(9): 1725-.
