The influence of social regard on the customer-service firm relationship:The moderating role of length of relationship

Journal of Business and Psychology

Volumn 24, Issue 4, 2009, Pages 441-453

  Sabiote, Estela Fernández ^a   Román, Sergio ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF MURCIA   (Spain)

Author keywords

Customer organization relationship; Length of relationship; Satisfaction; Services marketing; Social regard; Trust; Word of mouth

Indexed keywords

EID: 84862910356     PISSN: 08893268     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s10869-009-9119-z     Document Type: Article

References (95)

1. Aaker, D. A. (1991). Managing brand equity. New York: The Free Press.
2. Anderson, E., Fornell, C., & Lehman, D. R. (1994). Customer satisfaction, market share, an profitability: Findings from Sweden. Journal of Marketing, 58, 53-66.
3. Arnett, D. B., German, S. D., & Hunt, S. D. (2003). The identity salience model of relationship marketing success: The case of nonprofit marketing. Journal of Marketing, 67, 89-105.
4. Auh, S. (2005). The service effects of soft and hard attributes on zloyalty: The mediating role of trust. Journal of Services Marketing, 19(2), 81-92.
5. Bagozzi, R. P., & Yi, Y. (1988). On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16(2), 74-94.
6. Barnes, J. G. (1997). Closeness, strength, and satisfaction: Examining the nature of relationships between providers of financial services and their retail customers. Psychology & Marketing, 14(8), 765-790.
7. Barnes, J. G., Dunne, P. A., & Glynn, W. J. (2000). Self-service and technology: Unanticipated and unintended effects on customer relationships. In T. A. Swartz & D. Iacobucci (Eds.), Handbook of services marketing & management (pp. 89-102). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
8. Berry, L. L. (1995). Relationship marketing of services growing interest, emerging perspectives. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 23, 236-245.
9. Bettencourt, L. A. (1997). Customer voluntary performance: Customers as partners in service delivery. Journal of Retailing, 73(3), 383-406.
10. Bettencourt, L. A., & Brown, S. W. (1997). Contact employees: Relationships among workplace fairness, job satisfaction and prosocial service behaviors. Journal of Retailing, 73(1), 39-61.
11. Bitner, M. J., Booms, B. H., & Mohr, L. A. (1994). Critical service encounters: The employee0s viewpoint. Journal of Marketing, 58, 95-106.
12. Bitner, M. J., Booms, B. H., & Tetreault, M. S. (1990). The service encounter: Diagnosing favorable and unfavorable incidents. Journal of Marketing, 54, 71-84.
13. Bitran, G. R., & Hoech, J. (1990). The humanization of service: Respect at the moment of truth. Sloan Management Review, 31(2), 89-96.
14. Blodgett, J. G., Wakefield, K. L., & Barnes, J. H. (1995). The effects of customer service on consumer complaining behavior. Journal of Services Marketing, 9(4), 31-42.
15. Bolton, R. N., & Lemon, K. N. (1999). A dynamic model of customers' usage of services: Usage as an antecedent and consequence of satisfaction. Journal of Marketing Research, 36(2), 171-186.
16. Bove, L. L., & Johnson, L. W. (2001). Customer relationships with service personnel: Do we measure closeness, quality or strength? Journal of Business Research, 54, 189-197.
17. Brown, T. J., Barry, T. E., Dacin, P. A., & Gunst, R. F. (2005). Spreading the word: Investigating antecedents of consumers' positive word-of-mouth intentions and behaviors in a retailing context. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 33(2), 123-138.
18. Butcher, K., Sparks, B., & O'Callaghan, F. (2001). Evaluative and relational influences on service loyalty. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 12(4), 310-327.
19. Butcher, K., Sparks, B., & O'Callaghan, F. (2003). Beyond core service. Psychology & Marketing, 20(3), 187-208.
20. Cooil, B., Keiningham, T. L., Aksoy, L., & Hsu, M. (2007). A longitudinal analysis of customer satisfaction and share of wallet: Investigating the moderating effect of customer characteristics. Journal of Marketing, 71, 67-83.
21. Coulter, K. S., & Coulter, R. A. (2002). Determinants of trust in a service provider: The moderating role of length of relationship. Journal of Services Marketing, 16(1), 35-50.
22. Crosby, L. A., Evans, K. R., & Cowles, D. (1990). Relationship quality in services selling: An interpersonal influence perspective. Journal of Marketing, 54, 68-81.
23. Crosby, L. A., & Stephens, N. (1987). Effects of relationship marketing on satisfaction, retention, and prices in the insurance industry. Journal of Marketing Research, 24, 404-411.
24. Dabholkar, P. A. (2000). Technology in service delivery: Implications for self-service and service support. In T. A. Swartz & D. Iacobucci (Eds.), Handbook of services marketing & management (pp. 103-110). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
25. De Wulf, K., Odekerken-Schröder, G., & Iacobucci, D. (2001). Investments in consumer relationships: A cross-country and cross-industry exploration. Journal of Marketing, 65, 33-50.
26. Dotson, M., & Patton, W. E. (1992). Consumer perceptions of department store service: A lesson for retailers. Journal of Services Marketing, 6(2), 15-28.
27. Dubinsky, A. J. (1994). What marketers can learn from the Tin Man. Journal of Services Marketing, 8, 36-45.
28. Ensher, E. A., Thomas, C., & Murphy, S. E. (2001). Comparison of traditional, step-ahead, and peer mentoring on protégés' support, satisfaction, and perceptions of career success: A social exchange perspective. Journal of Business and Psychology, 15(3), 419-438.
29. Farrell, A. M., Souchon, A. L., & Durden, G. R. (2001). Service encounter conceptualisation: Employees'service behaviours and customers'service quality perceptions. Journal of Marketing Management, 17, 577-593.
30. Ganesan, S. (1994). Determinants of long-term orientation in buyerseller relationships. Journal of Marketing, 58, 1-19.
31. Ganesh, J., Arnold, M. J., & Reynolds, K. E. (2000). Understanding the customer base of service providers: An examination of the differences between switchers and stayers. Journal of Marketing, 64, 65-87.
32. Garbarino, E., & Johnson, M. S. (1999). The different roles of satisfaction, trust, and commitment in customer relationships. Journal of Marketing, 63, 70-87.
33. Geyskens, I., Steenkamp, J. B. E. M., & Kumar, N. (1999). A metaanalysis of satisfaction in marketing channel relationships. Journal of Marketing Research, 36, 223-238.
34. Goodwin, C., & Frame, C. D. (1989). Social distance within the service encounter: Does the consumer want to be your friend? In Advances in Consumer Research (vol. 16). Provo, UT: Association of Consumer Research.
35. Goodwin, C., & Smith, K. L. (1990). Courtesy and friendliness: Conflicting goals for the service provider. Journal of Services Marketing, 4, 5-20.
36. Gounaris, S. P., & Venetis, K. (2002). Trust in industrial service relationships: Behavioral consequences, antecedents and the moderating effect of the duration of the relationship. Journal of Services Marketing, 16(7), 636-655.
37. Grayson, K., & Ambler, T. (1999). The dark side of long-term relationships in marketing services. Journal of Marketing Research, 36(1), 132-141.
38. Gremler, D. D. (1994). Word-of-mouth about service providers: An illustration of theory development and marketing. In C. W. Park, & S. C. Smith (Eds.), AMA winter educators' conference proceedings (Vol. 5, pp. 62-70). Chicago: American Marketing Association.
39. Gremler, D. D., Gwinner, K. P., & Brown, S. W. (2001). Generating positive word-of-mouth communication through customeremployee relationships. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 12(1), 44-59.
40. Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (1998). Multivariate data analysis (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
41. Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press.
42. Harrison-Walker, L. J. (2001). The measurement of word-of-mouth communication and an investigation of service quality and customer commitment as potential antecedents. Journal of Service Research, 4(1), 60-75.
43. Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., & Gremler, D. D. (2002). Understanding relationship marketing outcomes. An integration of relational benefits and relationship quality. Journal of Service Research, 4(3), 230-247.
44. Herr, P. M., Kardes, F. R., & Kim, J. (1991). Effects of word-ofmouth and product-attribute information on persuasion: An accessibility-diagnosticity perspective. Journal of Consumer Research, 17(4), 454-462.
45. Hochschild, A. (1983). The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
46. Hsieh, Y. C., Chiu, H. C., & Chiang, M. Y. (2005). Maintaining a committed online customer: A study across search-experiencecredence products. Journal of Retailing, 81(1), 75-82.
47. Iacobucci, D., Grayson, K. A., & Ostrom, A. (1994). The calculus of service quality and customer satisfaction. In T. A. Swartz, D. E. Bowen, & S. W. Brown (Eds.), Advances in services marketing and management, 7 (pp. 1-67). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press Inc.
48. Iacobucci, D.,&Ostrom, A. (1993). Gender differences in the impact of core and relational aspects of services on the evaluation of service encounters. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2(3), 257-286.
49. Johnson, D., & Grayson, K. (2005). Cognitive and affective trust in service relationships. Journal of Business Research, 58(4), 500-507.
50. Johnson, M., & Zinkhan, G. M. (1991). Emotional responses to a professional service encounter. Journal of Services Marketing, 2, 5-15.
51. Jöreskog, K. G., & Sörbom, D. (1996). LISREL 8: user's reference guide (2nd ed.). Chicago: Scientific Sowftware International Inc.
52. Keegan, W. J. (1989). Global marketing management. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
53. Kim, M. S., & Ahn, J. H. (2006). Comparison of trust sources of an online market-maker in the e-marketplace: Buyer's and seller's perspectives. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 47(1), 84-94.
54. Koernig, S. K. (2003). E-scapes: The electronic physical environment and service tangibility. Psychology & Marketing, 20(2), 151-167.
55. Liu, A. H., Leach, M. P., & Bernhardt, K. L. (2005). Examining customer value perceptions of organizational buyers when sourcing from multiple vendors. Journal of Business Research, 58(5), 559-568.
56. Matsuno, K., Mentzer, J. T., & Özsomer, A. (2002). The effects of entrepreneurial proclivity and market orientation on business performance. Journal of Marketing, 66, 18-32.
57. Maxham, J. G., & Netemeyer, R. G. (2002). A longitudinal study of complaining customers'evaluations of multiple service failures and recovery efforts. Journal of Marketing, 66, 57-71.
58. Mentzer, J. T., Flint, D. J., & Hult, T. M. (2001). Logistics service quality as a segment-customized process. Journal of Marketing, 65, 82-104.
59. Mitra, K., Reiss, M. C., & Capella, L. M. (1999). An examination of perceived risk, information search and behavioral intensions in search, experience and credence services. Journal of Services Marketing, 13(3), 208-825.
60. Mittal, B. (2004). Lack of attribute searchability: Some thoughts. Psychology & Marketing, 21(6), 443-462.
61. Mittal, V., & Katrichis, J. M. (2000). Distinctions between new and loyal customers. Marketing Research, 12(1), 26-32.
62. Mittal, B., & Lassar, W. M. (1996). The role of personalization in service encounters. Journal of Retailing, 72(1), 95-109.
63. Mohr, L. B., & Bitner, M. J. (1995). The role of employee effort in satisfaction with service transactions. Journal of Business Research, 32, 149-177.
64. Moorman, C., Zaltman, G., & Deshpande, R. (1992). Relationships between providers and users of market research: The dynamics of trust within and between organizations. Journal of Marketing Research, 29(3), 314-328.
65. Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58, 20-38.
66. Nicholson, C. Y., Compeau, L. D., & Sethi, R. (2001). The role of interpersonal liking in building trust in long-term channel relationships. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 29(1), 3-15.
67. Oliver, R. L., & Swan, J. E. (1989). Consumer perceptions of interpersonal equity and satisfaction in transactions: A field survey approach. Journal of Marketing, 53, 21-35.
68. Ostrom, A., & Iacobucci, D. (1995). Consumer trade-offs and the evaluation of services. Journal of Marketing, 59(1), 17-28.
69. Pettijohn, C. E., Pettijohn, L. S., & Taylor, A. J. (2000). Research note: An exploratory analysis of salesperson perceptions of the criteria used in performance appraisals, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. The Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 20(2), 77-80.
70. Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 19, pp. 123-205). New York, NY: Academic Press.
71. Prendergast, G. P., & Marr, N. E. (1994). Disenchantment discontinuance in the diffusion of technologies in the service industry: A case study in retail banking. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 7(2), 25-40.
72. Price, L. L., Arnould, E. J., & Tierney, P. (1995). Going to extremes: Managing service encounters and assessing provider performance. Journal of Marketing, 59(2), 83-97.
73. Ramsey, R. P., & Sohi, R. S. (1997). Listening to your customers: The impact of perceived salesperson listening behavior on relationship outcomes. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 25(2), 127-137.
74. Reynolds, K. E., & Beatty, S. E. (1999). Customer benefits and company consequences of customer-salesperson relationships in retailing. Journal of Retailing, 75(1), 11-32.
75. Roberts, K., Varki, S., & Brodie, R. (2003). Measuring the quality of relationships in consumer services: An empirical study. European Journal of Marketing, 37(1/2), 169-196.
76. Román, S. (2003). The impact of ethical sales behaviour on customer satisfaction, trust and loyalty to the company: An empirical study in financial services industry. Journal of Marketing Management, 19, 915-939.
77. Román, S., & Ruiz, S. (2005). Relationship outcomes of perceived ethical sales behaviour: The customer's perspective. Journal of Business Research, 58(4), 439-445.
78. Rosen-Grandon, J. R., Myers, J. E., & Hattie, J. A. (2004). The relationship between marital characteristics, marital interaction processes, and marital satisfaction. Journal of Counseling & Development, 82, 58-68.
79. Saxe, R., & Weitz, B. A. (1982). The SOCO scale: A measure of customer orientation of salespeople. Journal of Marketing Research, 19, 343-351.
80. Schwab, D. P. (1980). Construct validity in organizational behavior. In B. M. Staw & L. L. Cummings (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 2, pp. 3-43). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
81. Seiders, K., Voss, G. B., Grewal, D., & Godfrey, A. (2005). Do satisfied customers buy more? Examining moderating influences in a retailing context. Journal of Marketing, 69, 26-43.
82. Selnes, F., & Sallis, J. (2003). Promoting relationship learning. Journal of Marketing, 67, 80-95.
83. Sharma, N., & Patterson, P. G. (1999). The impact of communication effectiveness and service on relationship commitment in consumer, professional services. Journal of Services Marketing, 13(2), 151-169.
84. Silverman, G. (1997). How to harness the awesome power of word of mouth. Direct Marketing, 60(7), 32-37.
85. Singh, J., & Sirdeshmukh, D. (2000). Agency and trust mechanisms in consumer satisfaction and loyalty judgements. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28(1), 150-167.
86. Stafford, M. R. (1995). How customers perceive service quality. Journal of Retail Banking, 17, 29-37.
87. Swan, J. E., Bowers, M. R., & Richardson, L. D. (1999). Customer trust in the salesperson: An integrate review an meta-analysis of the empirical literature. Journal of Business Research, 44(2), 93-107.
88. van Dolen, W., Lemmink, J., de Ruyter, K., & de Jong, A. (2002). Customer-sales employee encounters: A dyadic perspective. Journal of Retailing, 78, 265-279.
89. van Dyne, L., Cummings, L. L., & McLean, P. J. (1995). Extra-role behaviors: In pursuit of construct and definitional clarity (a bridge over muddied waters). Research in Organizational Behavior, 17, 215-285.
90. Verhoef, P. C., Franses, P. H., & Hoekstra, J. C. (2002). The effect of relational constructs on customer referrals and number of services purchased from a multiservice provider: Does age of relationship matter? Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 30(3), 2002-2216.
91. West, D. C. (1997). Purchasing professional services: The case of advertising agencies. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 33(3), 2-9.
92. Westbrook, R. A. (1987). Product/consumption-based affective responses and postpurchase processes. Journal of Marketing Research, 24, 258-270.
93. Wiertz, C., de Ruyter, K., Keen, C., & Streukens, S. (2004). Cooperating for service excellence in multichannel service systems: An empirical assessment. Journal of Business Research, 57(4), 424-436.
94. Winsted, K. F. (1997). The service encounter in two cultures: A behavioral perspective. Journal of Retailing, 73(3), 337-360.
95. Zeithaml, V. A., & Bitner, M. J. (2000). Services marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm (2nd ed.). Hill: McGraw.