Title: Assessing intervention of satisfaction and switching costs in the perceived service quality-customer loyalty link

Authors: Anicar D. Manavi; D.H. Malini

Addresses: School of Management, Pondicherry University, Karaikal Campus, Karaikal, 609605, India ' School of Management, Pondicherry University, Karaikal Campus, Karaikal, 609605, India

Abstract: The purpose of this research is two-fold. First, it aims to recognise perceived service quality measuring items aligned with express delivery services (EDS) in a business-to-business (B2B) context. Second, to develop a conceptual framework by linking customer perceived service quality, satisfaction, switching costs (procedural and relational) and loyalty based on relationship marketing theory, prospect theory and standard learning hierarchy attitude theory. It is hypothesised that customer satisfaction and switching costs mediate service quality and customer loyalty link simultaneously. The hypotheses are tested from the data collected from corporate customers of EDS. Then perceived EDS-quality is classified into two dimensions - EDS technical quality (EDS-TQ) and EDS functional quality (EDS-FQ). EDS-FQ comprises of three sub-dimensions namely - staff expertise quality, custom-make quality and problem-solving quality. The results confirm the mediating role of customer satisfaction and procedural switching costs; however, the mediation role of relational switching costs is not supported. Practical implications and limitations of this study are discussed along with the scope for future research.

Keywords: business-to-business; B2B; customer loyalty; customer satisfaction; express delivery services; EDS; courier service; service quality; switching costs; relationship marketing; prospect theory; PROCESS macro.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTTC.2021.117620

International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 2021 Vol.18 No.2, pp.172 - 194

Received: 16 Oct 2019
Accepted: 31 Dec 2019
Published online: 16 Sep 2021 *

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