Behavioural Intentions

Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman (1996) describe behavioural intentions as the customers’ response to a service encounter. Intentions can be favourable which may cause customers to continue doing business with the organization or unfavourable which may cause the customers to withdraw their patronage. Although the definition of behavioural intentions varies depending on the research context, this study adopts the conceptualization of the behavioural intentions construct as suggested by Zeithaml et al. (1996). It considers behavioural intentions as a customer’s willingness to provide positive word-of-mouth, to visit the restaurant again in the future, to stay longer than anticipated and to spend more time than anticipated.

According to Zeithaml et al. (1996), behavioural intentions can be measured by factors such as repurchase intentions, word-of-mouth, loyalty, complaining behaviour and price sensitivity. Certain behaviours signal that customers are bonding with a company. Customer loyalty is evident when customers express a preference for one company over others, continue to purchase from it and, hence, increase future business (Boulding, Kalra, Staelin, & Zeithaml, 1993; Zeithaml et al., 1996). As noted by Olorunniwo et al. (2006), high service quality viewed from the customers’ perspective often leads to favourable behavioural intentions but low service quality tends to lead to unfavourable behavioural intentions.

2.4.4.1The Positive Effect of Service Quality on Behavioural Intentions

Several studies indicate that service quality affects behavioural intentions only through customer satisfaction (Brady & Robertson, 2001; Brady et al., 2001; Qin & Prybutok, 2008; Yap & Kew, 2006). However, the results of other studies suggest that service quality may also have a direct effect on behavioural intentions (Brady & Robertson, 2001; Olorunniwo et al., 2006; Qin & Prybutok, 2008; Yap & Kew, 2006). For example, in a study of fast food restaurants, Qin and Prybutok (2008) proposed that service quality had a direct effect on behavioural intention produced a significant result not unlike that of the study by Cronin et al. (2000) regarding the effects of a direct relationship between service

quality and behavioural intentions in six industries (namely, spectator sports, health care, participation sports, long distance carriers, entertainment, and fast food). After analysing data collected from those six industries, Cronin et al. (2000) concluded that the results were significant, except for fast food restaurants. The standardized coefficient paths in the five industries were small



 0.100.23



whereas that between service quality and behavioural intentions for fast food restaurants was moderate



 0.33



.

Nevertheless, several researchers have maintained that the effect of service quality on behavioural intentions is indirect through customer satisfaction. For example, Cronin and Taylor (1992) proposed that service quality positively affected behavioural intentions in four industries (banking, pest control, dry cleaning and fast food restaurants). However, the results for all industries showed that the effect appeared to be indirect, through customer satisfaction. Similarly, Brady et al. (2001) proposed that there was a significant effect of a direct relationship between service quality and behavioural intentions in fast food restaurants in the United States and Ecuador. However, the findings from both samples were not significant so the authors concluded that the effect was indirect through customer satisfaction assessments and service value evaluations. Some studies on the relationship between service quality and behavioural intentions report different findings, for example Olorunniwo et al. (2006) and Keillor et al. (2007). Olorunniwo et al. (2006) studied service quality in middle-class restaurants in the United States and proposed that service quality affected behavioural intentions not only indirectly but also directly. The result was significant but the standardized coefficient path between service quality and behavioural intentions was low



 0.10



whereas the indirect effect of service quality on behavioural intentions through customer satisfaction was stronger



 0.89



. In their study, Keillor et al. (2007) proposed that service quality would positively affect behavioural intentions in all eight countries studied. However, the results of the statistical analyses varied: six countries showed significant results (Australia, Germany, India, Netherlands, Sweden and the United States), whereas two countries (China and Morocco) showed insignificant results.

2.4.4.2The Positive Effect of Customer Satisfaction on Behavioural Intentions

A literature review indicates that there are several studies on the relationship between customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions in various service industries.

Several studies have reported a positive relationship between customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions (Han & Ryu, 2006; Kim, Lee, et al., 2006; Kim et al., 2009; Patterson & Spreng, 1997; Pollack, 2009; Taylor & Baker, 1994; Weiss, 2003; Yap & Kew, 2006).

Overall, the literature suggests that customer satisfaction is an important antecedent of behavioural intentions. For example, Cronin and Taylor (1992) and Oliver (1980) agree that customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions although not similar are related, because the outcome of satisfaction may reinforce a customer’s decision to use a particular brand of service on a given occasion. The findings from studies on the restaurant industry also support a significant link between customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions. For example, Yap and Kew (2006), in a study of Chinese cuisine family restaurants in Malaysia, found that there was a significant relationship between customer satisfaction and re-patronising intentions. The finding of Weiss (2003), who investigated theme restaurants, were similar leading to the conclusion that customer satisfaction influences restaurant patrons’ revisit intentions. The findings of Pettijohn et al. (1997) suggest that satisfied restaurant patrons’ show a significantly higher intention of returning, whereas Kivelä et al. (2000) suggest that dining satisfaction significantly influences post-dining behavioural intentions. Similar studies by Yüksel and Yüksel (2002b) and Oh (2000) show that customer satisfaction is important to foodservice managers because it leads to repeat patronage. Recently, Ha and Jang (2010b) proposed that customer satisfaction positively influences behavioural intentions. The findings of that study conducted in a Korean restaurant suggest that customer satisfaction is a significant antecedent of behavioural intentions. Nevertheless, the extent to which customer satisfaction carries over into intention behaviours in moderate upscale restaurants remains unclear.

In document An analysis of restaurant patrons' experiences in Malaysia : a comprehensive hierarchical modelling approach (Page 57-59)