Title: A disaggregated approach to establishing the antecedents and outcome of relationship quality in the South African banking industry

Authors: Pierre Mostert; Eksteen Theron; Jack Kruger

Addresses: 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 ' Department of Marketing Management, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa

Abstract: Practitioners and academics are showing greater interest in the relationship quality between firms and their customers due to its positive association with customer loyalty. To improve relationship quality, it is imperative to identify its antecedents. The purpose of this study was, by following a disaggregated approach, to establish the predictability of three antecedents (customer intimacy, communication effectiveness and relationship investment) on relationship quality and one of its outcomes, namely customer loyalty. Data were collected from 258 South African banking customers by means of self-administered questionnaires. Results showed that customer intimacy and communication effectiveness predict all three relationship quality dimensions, namely satisfaction, trust and commitment. In contrast, relationship investment predicted only trust. Finally, although commitment did not predict loyalty, both satisfaction and trust did, with satisfaction being the strongest predictor of customer loyalty.

Keywords: relationship quality; disaggregated approach; satisfaction; trust; commitment; loyalty; customer intimacy; communication effectiveness; relationship investment; banking industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSEM.2020.10037147

International Journal of Services, Economics and Management, 2021 Vol.12 No.4, pp.317 - 337

Received: 11 Dec 2019
Accepted: 18 Dec 2020
Published online: 23 Dec 2021 *

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