Title: Relationship intention, customer-firm association length and customer satisfaction: a multi-country exploration

Authors: Pierre Mostert; Derik Steyn; Pamela Rogers; Cornelia Du Toit; Wena Van Niekerk

Addresses: Department of Marketing Management, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa ORCID: 0000-0002-4046-3312 ' Division of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Michael F. Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma, 307 West Brooks, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019-4000, USA ORCID: 0000-0001-5107-282X ' Department of Management and Marketing, Nelson Rusche College of Business, Stephen F. Austin State University, P.O. Box 13070, SFA Station, Nacogdoches, Texas 75962, USA ' Department of Marketing Management, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa ' Department of Marketing Management, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa

Abstract: Customer-firm association length is used frequently as an indicator for identifying relational customers. This study explores rather using customers' relationship intentions by also considering the relationships between customer satisfaction with both association length and relationship intention. Data were collected under 1915 cell phone customers for the USA, South Africa, and the Philippines. Results confirm for all three samples: the measure is valid and reliable; three distinct relationship intention groups; similarity between corresponding relationship intention groups across the three countries; no relationship between customer-firm association length and customer satisfaction; and a direct relationship between satisfaction and relationship intention.

Keywords: relationship intention; involvement; feedback; expectations; fear of relationship loss; forgiveness; customer-firm association length; satisfaction; cell phone networks; multi-country comparison.

DOI: 10.1504/JGBA.2020.112374

Journal for Global Business Advancement, 2020 Vol.13 No.4, pp.408 - 430

Received: 23 Nov 2019
Accepted: 08 Jul 2020

Published online: 13 Jan 2021 *

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