The different roles of switching costs on the satisfaction-loyalty relationship

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test the antecedent, mediating andrnmoderating role of switching costs on the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty.rnDesign/methodology/approach - Competing models are proposed based on previous studiesrninvestigating the influence of switching costs on satisfaction and loyalty. A survey was conductedrnwith 7,461 customers of a large Brazilian bank. The four competing models were tested usingrnstructural equation modeling technique.rnFindings - The analysis revealed that: switching cost is a significant antecedent of both attitudinalrnand behavioral loyalty; the mediating effect of switching cost is stronger in the relationship betweenrnsatisfaction and attitudinal loyalty; and the moderating effect of switching cost is stronger in thernrelationship between satisfaction and behavioral loyalty.rnPractical implications - This study emphasizes the relevance of the switching cost construct in thernbanking industry. Customers with different switching costs levels will manifest distinct relationshiprnbetween satisfaction and behavioral loyalty. Thus, investment on marketing strategies and campaignsrnshould be oriented to better convert switching perceptions into effective loyalty considering itsrnmediating or moderating effects.rnOriginality/value - Even though there are several different approaches (i.e. direct, mediator andrnmoderator) concerning the effects of switching costs on the satisfaction-loyalty relationship, there is arnlack of integration between these approaches. The paper tests and compares the different roles ofrnswitching costs. Another contribution is the inclusion of both attitudinal and behavioral aspects ofrnloyalty, given that the current literature is incipient concerning the role of switching cost whenrnconsidering the distinct loyalty components.