Testing the efficacy of an attitudinal process model of the relationship between service quality and visitor satisfaction in a tourism context /
satisfaction have provoked substantial interest among marketing and tourism researchers. However, there is no consensus regarding the relationship between them. The present study focused on examining the relationship between visitor satisfaction and service quality, and was intended to improve under...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1998.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=733052071&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | satisfaction have provoked substantial interest among marketing and tourism researchers. However, there is no consensus regarding the relationship between them. The present study focused on examining the relationship between visitor satisfaction and service quality, and was intended to improve understanding of the extent to which both concepts influence visitors' future behavior. Based on theories from social psychology and previous studies in the marketing, recreation and tourism literatures, an attitudinal process model of the relationship between attitudinal process model of the relationship between service quality and visitor satisfaction was developed. The model portrayed the inter-relationships between transaction level service quality and satisfaction, and global level service quality and satisfaction. At the transaction level, service quality and satisfaction were conceptualized as quality of performance and quality of experience, respectively. At the global level, service quality and satisfaction were perceived to be different attitudes. The model sought to explain the relationship between service quality and satisfaction by examining the cognitive and affective psychological processes that underlie the two constructs. Data collected from visitors to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Calhoun County, Texas were used to test the efficacy of the attitudinal process model. Structural equation modeling procedures were employed to test the effects of variables involved in the model simultaneously. Seven of the eight hypotheses derived from the attitudinal process model were supported by the sample data. Results verified the existence of service quality and visitor satisfaction at both the transaction and global levels. At the transaction level, service quality (i.e. quality of performance) contributed to visitor satisfaction (i.e. quality of experience), while at the global level, visitor satisfaction influenced service quality. Overall service quality and satisfaction as attitudes are both cognitive-driven, but overall satisfaction is more affective-based than overall service quality. Both overall service quality and overall visitor satisfaction were found to directly influence visitors' future behavioral intentions. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Recreation, Park and Tourism Science". |
| Physical Description: | xii, 231 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-207). |