Service providers and customers: social exchange theory and service loyalty

Abstract

PurposeThis paper extends Lawler's argument (in “An affect theory of social exchange”) that social exchanges can create a sense of shared responsibility to service settings, and predict that inseparability produces customer perceptions of shared responsibility for service outcomes, resulting in greater emotions. When emotions are positive, there should be increased loyalty to the service provider.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was used to obtain cross‐sectional data pertaining to our model's constructs: inseparability, shared responsibility, emotional response, and service loyalty. A structural equation model evaluated the strength of relationships between these constructs.FindingsSupport was found for the predicted relationships between inseparability and shared responsibility, shared responsibility and emotions, and emotions and service loyalty.Research limitations/implicationsInseparability and shared responsibility have not been measured before, and more research is needed to validate and test the scales we develop. Goods are seldom sold without some service attached, and anything that contributes to perceptions of inseparability and shared responsibility may affect emotional responses and brand loyalty for both services and goods.Practical implicationsService employee training programs should emphasize the customer's role in the service experience to increase perceptions of shared responsibility and to create a positive emotional experience for customers.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the services marketing literature by viewing inseparability as a potential source of service brand loyalty, developing original scales for measuring inseparability and shared responsibility in a services setting, and applying a previously untested theory to a marketing context.

Dampak Service Encounter Quality Terhadap Service Value Evaluation: Studi Pada Higher Education Service

“…Hal ini disebabkan oleh karena salah satu karakteristik jasa adalah inseparibility, yaitu saat produksi yang bersamaan dengan saat konsumsi (Kotler and Keller, 2008;Zeithaml et al , 2009;Sierra and McQuitty, 2005). Kondisi ini menyebabkan terjadinya interaksi antara konsumen dan penyedia jasa selama proses penyajian jasa tidak dapat dihindari.…”

“…Selanjutnya kualitas interaksi ini sangat menentukan kesuksesan sebuah jasa. Bahkan Ozment and Morash (dalam Sierra and McQuitty, 2005) menyatakan bahwa persepsi konsumen terhadap kualitas interaksi itu sendiri sering dirasakan lebih penting oleh konsumen dibanding kompetensi jasa yang sebenarnya diberikan oleh penyedia jasa.…”

“…Hasil pengujian hipotesis dengan analisa regresi berganda dapat dilihat pada tabel 2 dan 3 dibawah ini Sierra and McQuitty, 2005) menyatakan bahwa persepsi konsumen terhadap kualitas interaksi itu sendiri sering dirasakan lebih penting oleh konsumen dibanding kompetensi inti jasa yang sebenarnya diberikan oleh penyedia jasa. Secara konseptual di dalam bab dua, juga sudah dijelaskan bahwa sebagian besar item-item pengukuran dimensi kualitas jasa berhubungan langsung dengan elemen interaksi personal selama dalam proses penyajian jasa.…”

Intrinsic Religiosity and Attitude toward Finales as Precursors of Superstitious Beliefs: A Cross-Cultural Investigation

“…Prosumers who lace superstitions into co-created experiences-such as partaking in superstitious rituals to 'produce' either a favorable outcome for an adored team or an unfavorable outcome for a loathed rival-enhance their enjoyment (Sierra and McQuitty, 2005). The resultingconnectedness with like-minded fans boosts enjoyment in 'being superstitious' (Gilovich, Kumar, and Jampol, 2015).…”

Two social exchanges and service personnel’s internal service behavioural intention at international tourism hotels

“…In social exchange theory, the norm of reciprocity is commonly used to explain bilateral behavioural relationships (Sierra and McQuitty, 2005). The application of LMX to management behaviour requires that the effective leaders are skilled at organizing resources, establishing and maintaining good exchange and interaction relationships with subordinates in the process of allocating resources, and in providing subordinates with extra benefits and opportunities.…”