전자상거래 플랫폼에서 반품 보험 서비스가 소비자 만족도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구 : 지각된 위험, 지각된 가치 및 소비자 신뢰의 매개효과를 중심으로 = A Study on the Effect of Shipping Insurance Service on Consumer Satisfaction in E-Commerce Platforms: Focusing on the Mediating Effects of Perceived Risk, Perceived Value, and Consumer Trust

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

With the rapid growth of the global e-commerce market, the rising return rate of online shopping and the increasing cost of reverse logistics have emerged as important structural challenges facing the e-commerce ecosystem. In particular, in online shopping environments, consumers are required to make purchase decisions without directly inspecting products. As a result, various uncertainties exist regarding product quality, size, color, delivery conditions, return possibility, and the burden of return shipping costs. Such uncertainties may increase consumers’ perceived risk and influence the formation of trust in e-commerce platforms and consumer satisfaction.
Against this background, Shipping Insurance Service has emerged as a representative value-added service jointly provided by e-commerce platforms and insurance companies. By compensating consumers for shipping costs incurred during the return process, this service functions to reduce consumers’ psychological burden and financial risk related to returns. Furthermore, Shipping Insurance Service should not be understood merely as a means of cost compensation. It can also be regarded as a service that enhances the value of the online shopping experience by providing consumers with economic benefits, procedural convenience, and psychological reassurance. However, existing studies on Shipping Insurance Service have mainly been conducted from the perspectives of supply chain game theory, pricing decisions, platform strategies, and return policies. Relatively few studies have systematically and empirically analyzed the mechanism through which Shipping Insurance Service operates from the perspective of consumers’ psychological perceptions. This academic gap constitutes the main starting point of the present study.
This study first examined the industrial background and development status of Shipping Insurance Service in the Chinese e-commerce market. Specifically, it systematically analyzed the growth of the Chinese e-commerce market, the online shopping return environment, the introduction and development process of Shipping Insurance Service, its major types and operational mechanisms, market structure and participating actors, major problems, and future development directions. Through this analysis, the study confirmed that Shipping Insurance Service is not merely a small-scale insurance product, but an important institutional mechanism that connects the risk-sharing structure and after-sales service system among e-commerce platforms, insurance companies, sellers, and consumers. It also demonstrated that Shipping Insurance Service is closely related to consumers’ pre-purchase uncertainty, return burden, perceived risk, perceived service value, and platform trust formation.
From a theoretical perspective, this study integrated Perceived Risk Theory and Expectation Confirmation Theory （ECT） and constructed a dual-path sequential mediation model based on the core logic of “risk mitigation–value perception–trust formation–satisfaction formation.” In the research model, the Awareness Level of Shipping Insurance Service （SIA） was set as the independent variable, perceived risk and perceived value as first-stage mediating variables, consumer trust as the key mediating variable, and consumer satisfaction as the final dependent variable. Through this model, the study sought to clarify the process by which the awareness level of Shipping Insurance Service converges into consumer trust through two psychological paths, namely perceived risk and perceived value, and ultimately influences consumer satisfaction. Based on this research model, a total of seven research hypotheses （H1–H7）, including direct-effect hypotheses and sequential mediation-effect hypotheses, were established.
In terms of research methodology, this study adopted a quantitative research approach. A structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale was designed. Each variable was measured using scales whose reliability and validity had been verified in prior studies, and the items were modified and supplemented to fit the research context of Shipping Insurance Service. The survey was conducted in mainland China through the WJX.cn platform and WeChat channels. The target respondents were Chinese adult consumers aged 18 or above who had experience with online shopping returns. After applying data quality control procedures, including response time screening, screening questions, straight-line response checks, and logical consistency reviews, a total of 378 valid responses were obtained. The data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and SmartPLS 4.0. Specifically, descriptive statistical analysis, reliability and validity tests, structural model analysis, path analysis, and Bootstrap mediation effect tests were conducted. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling （PLS-SEM） was applied to test the research model, and 5,000 Bootstrap resampling procedures were used to examine the statistical significance of path coefficients and mediation effects.
The empirical results are as follows. First, the awareness level of Shipping Insurance Service had a significant negative effect on consumers’ perceived risk （β = -0.352, p 〈 0.001） and a significant positive effect on perceived value （β = 0.466, p 〈 0.001）. This indicates that the higher consumers’ awareness level of Shipping Insurance Service, the lower the risk they perceive in the online shopping and return process, and the higher their value evaluation of the service. Accordingly, both H1 and H2 were supported. Second, perceived risk had a significant negative effect on consumer trust （β = -0.353, p 〈 0.001）, while perceived value had a significant positive effect on consumer trust （β = 0.438, p 〈 0.001）. This means that the lower the level of perceived risk, the higher consumers’ trust in the e-commerce platform and Shipping Insurance Service; likewise, the higher the perceived value, the stronger the level of consumer trust. Therefore, H3 and H4 were also supported. Third, consumer trust had a significant positive effect on consumer satisfaction （β = 0.378, p 〈 0.001）, supporting H5. This result shows that when consumers develop a high level of trust in an e-commerce platform and its Shipping Insurance Service, their overall satisfaction with online shopping and return service experiences also increases.
Fourth, the results of the sequential mediation analysis using the Bootstrap method showed that perceived risk and consumer trust had a significant sequential mediation effect in the relationship between the awareness level of Shipping Insurance Service and consumer satisfaction （indirect effect = 0.047, 95% CI = [0.030, 0.069]）. This indicates that a higher awareness level of Shipping Insurance Service reduces consumers’ perceived risk, reduced perceived risk enhances consumer trust, and enhanced trust ultimately leads to increased consumer satisfaction. In addition, perceived value and consumer trust also showed a significant sequential mediation effect in the relationship between the awareness level of Shipping Insurance Service and consumer satisfaction （indirect effect = 0.077, 95% CI = [0.050, 0.112]）. This demonstrates that a higher awareness level of Shipping Insurance Service increases consumers’ perceived value, increased perceived value strengthens consumer trust, and ultimately leads to higher consumer satisfaction. Accordingly, both H6 and H7 were supported. Furthermore, the research model showed a certain level of explanatory power for consumer satisfaction, with a coefficient of determination of R² = 0.143. Although the explanatory power for consumer satisfaction was relatively limited, it was acceptable within the context of the final structural model, in which consumer trust was set as the direct antecedent of consumer satisfaction.
The theoretical implications of this study are as follows. First, by systematically examining the development status of Shipping Insurance Service in the Chinese e-commerce market, this study clarified the practical background and industrial context of Shipping Insurance Service research. Second, by organically integrating Perceived Risk Theory and Expectation Confirmation Theory, this study provides a new consumer psychological perception-centered perspective on Shipping Insurance Service research. Third, by constructing and empirically testing a dual-path sequential mediation model of “awareness level of Shipping Insurance Service–perceived risk/perceived value–consumer trust–consumer satisfaction,” this study systematically identified the psychological mechanism through which Shipping Insurance Service affects consumer satisfaction.
From a practical perspective, the findings suggest that e-commerce platforms need to clearly communicate the coverage and claim procedures of Shipping Insurance Service to consumers, simplify the insurance claim and compensation process, and establish differentiated service strategies based on consumer characteristics and product categories. In addition, insurance companies can enhance consumer trust by advancing their cooperation models with e-commerce platforms and establishing data-based actuarial models and transparent compensation systems.
From a policy perspective, the findings suggest that policy makers and regulatory institutions need to strengthen institutional guidelines for information transparency, consumer protection, data use, and dispute resolution in relation to Shipping Insurance Service. Since this service is located at the intersection of e-commerce consumer protection and embedded insurance regulation, it is necessary to establish clear standards regarding coverage disclosure, claim procedures, compensation criteria, personal data protection, and fair risk-sharing among platforms, insurance companies, sellers, and consumers.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• (Abstract)
• 제1장 서론 1
• 제1절 연구의 배경 및 목적 1
• 1. 연구의 배경 1
• 2. 연구의 목적 6
• 제2절 연구의 방법 및 구성 9
• 1. 연구의 방법 9
• 2. 연구 구성​ 11
• 제2장 중국 전자상거래 반품 보험 서비스의 현황 분석 13
• 제1절 중국 전자상거래 시장과 반품 현황 13
• 1. 중국 전자상거래 시장의 성장​ 13
• 2. 중국 전자상거래 시장의 반품 환경​ 15
• 제2절 반품 보험 서비스의 도입·발전 과정 및 운영 방식 17
• 1. 반품 보험 서비스의 도입과 발전 과정​ 17
• 2. 반품 보험 서비스의 주요 유형​ 19
• 3. 반품 보험 서비스의 운영 방식​ 20
• 제3절 반품 보험 서비스의 시장 구조와 참여 주체​ 22
• 1. 반품 보험 서비스의 시장 구조​ 22
• 2. 반품 보험 서비스의 참여 주체​ 23
• 제4절 반품 보험 서비스 발전의 주요 문제와 향후 방향​ 25
• 1. 반품 보험 서비스 발전의 주요 문제​ 25
• 2. 반품 보험 서비스의 향후 발전 방향​ 27
• 제3장 이론적 배경 및 선행연구 29
• 제1절 전자상거래에 대한 고찰​ 29
• 1. 전자상거래의 개념​ 29
• 2. 전자상거래에 관한 선행연구​ 31
• 3. 전자상거래와 반품 보험 서비스의 관계 35
• 제2절 반품 보험 서비스에 대한 고찰​ 38
• 1. 반품 보험 서비스의 개념​ 38
• 2. 반품 보험 서비스에 관한 선행연구​ 42
• 제3절 지각된 위험 및 지각된 가치에 대한 고찰 49
• 1. 지각된 위험의 개념 49
• 2. 지각된 위험에 관한 선행연구 51
• 3. 지각된 위험 이론 53
• 4. 지각된 가치의 개념 56
• 5. 지각된 가치에 관한 선행연구 57
• 6. 기대확인이론(ECT) 60
• 제4절 소비자 신뢰 및 소비자 만족도에 대한 고찰 62
• 1. 소비자 신뢰의 개념 62
• 2. 소비자 신뢰에 관한 선행연구 64
• 3. 소비자 만족도의 개념 66
• 4. 소비자 만족도에 관한 선행연구 66
• 5. 이론 통합의 논리 68
• 제5절 연구의 차별성 69
• 제4장 연구모형 및 가설설정 74
• 제1절 연구모형 및 연구설계 74
• 1. 연구모형의 설계 74
• 2. 연구변수의 설정 76
• 3. 연구의 설계 77
• 제2절 연구가설의 설정 79
• 1. 반품 보험 서비스 인식 수준과 지각된 위험 간의 관계 79
• 2. 반품 보험 서비스 인식 수준과 지각된 가치 간의 관계 80
• 3. 지각된 위험과 소비자 신뢰 간의 관계​ 81
• 4. 지각된 가치와 소비자 신뢰 간의 관계​ 82
• 5. 소비자 신뢰와 소비자 만족도 간의 관계​ 83
• 6. 지각된 위험과 소비자 신뢰의 연쇄 매개효과 가설​ 84
• 7. 지각된 가치와 소비자 신뢰의 연쇄 매개효과 가설​ 85
• 제3절 변수의 조작적 정의와 설문 항목 구성 87
• 1. 변수의 조작적 정의 87
• 2. 설문 항목의 구성 89
• 제4절 자료 수집 및 분석 방법 91
• 1. 표본 선정 및 자료 수집 91
• 2. 분석 방법 93
• 제5장 실증분석 97
• 제1절 기초 자료 분석 97
• 1. 표본의 특성 97
• 2. 자료의 기초통계 99
• 제2절 측정변수의 신뢰성 분석 및 타당성 검증 101
• 1. 측정항목에 대한 신뢰성 분석 101
• 2. 측정변수에 대한 타당성 검증 103
• 제3절 연구가설의 검증 106
• 1. 연구모형의 검증 106
• 2. 연구모형의 적합도 107
• 3. 경로분석을 통한 가설검증 109
• 4. 매개효과 검증 111
• 제4절 가설 검증 결과 113
• 제6장 결론 118
• 제1절 연구의 요약 및 시사점 118
• 1. 연구 요약 118
• 2. 연구 시사점 123
• 제2절 연구의 한계점 및 향후 연구 131
• 1. 한계점 131
• 2. 향후 연구 방향 134
• 참고 문헌 138
• 부록: 설문조사(한국어) 146
• 부록: 설문조사(중국어) 154
• 감사의 글 158