Mark P. Pritchard

Analyzing the Commitment-Loyalty Link in Service Contexts

This study addressed the ill-understood issue of how loyalty develops in service patrons. Although many theorists hold commitment to be an essential part of this process, the link between commitment and loyalty has received little empirical attention. To address this void, the study first portrayed commitment’s root tendency to resist changing preference as a function of three antecedent processes. Second, this portrayal formed the basis for developing a psychometrically sound scale to measure the construct of commitment. Third, the scale was then used in a mediating effects model (M-E-M) to test the commitment-loyalty link. Path analyses found this parsimonious structure to be a significant improvement over rival direct effects models (D-E-Ms). Results found the tendency to resist changing preference to be a key precursor to loyalty, largely explained by a patron’s willingness to identify with a brand. Implications of these findings for loyalty’s development and research are explored.

The Loyal Traveler: Examining a Typology of Service Patronage

The first goal of this study was to determine whether Days (1969) measure of loyalty could be extended to better understand travel service patronage. Findings provide clear support that this composite measure, of repeat purchase and loyal attitude, is an effective approach to distinguishing the loyal traveler. A cluster analysis that combined scores on the composite measure from 428 travelers supported a two-dimensional matrix that identified four types of loyalty: true, spurious, latent, and low. This accomplished the studys second purpose by confirming that the four distinct levels of loyalty exist in a variety of service settings. Discriminant analysis was used to achieve the third objective — To identify those characteristics that differentiate the truly loyal patron. The resulting profile found this traveler to be a highly satisfied, symbolically involved consumer drawn to those services that exhibit an empathetic, caring concern for their patrons. These findings generate a much clearer understanding of how service providers can measure and manage their returning patrons.

Loyalty measurement: A critical examination and theoretical extension

Abstract Although the construct of consumer loyalty has received considerable attention in the consumer behavior literature, its recent application to recreation and tourist behavior has not sufficiently addressed several theoretical and methodological issues. Following a critique of loyalty research in the leisure literature, we discuss suggestions for improving both the behavioral and attitudinal components of loyalty measurement. Crosby and Taylors (1983) theory of psychological commitment is proposed as a basis for better operationalizing the attitudinal component of loyalty. This conceptualization describes the psychological phenomena that underlie loyalty to leisure goods and services in terms of preference stability (cognitive consistency) and resistance to change. Adopting this cognitive interpretation would allow leisure researchers to avoid some of the operational difficulties currently evident in consumer loyalty measurement.

The Impact of Constraints on Motivation, Activity Attachment and Skier Intentions to Continue

Abstract The present study examines the impact of constraints on motivation, activity attachment, and future behavior of recreational skiers. Two hundred and ninety four (N=294) recreational skiers participated in the study and completed questionnaires measuring leisure constraints, strength of motivation, activity attachment and behavioural intentions. A confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the nine-factor measurement model. The SEM analysis indicated negative relationships between constraints and motivation, and between constraints and activity attachment. Positive relationships were observed between motivation and activity attachment, as well as between motivation and future behavioural intentions. These results provide empirical support for the interaction of activity attachment with constraints and motivation. The theoretical implications of the results are discussed with reference to the negotiation of leisure constraints proposition.

The stage-based development of physically active leisure: a recreational golf context.

Abstract The current study tested the validity of the Psychological Continuum Model and its usefulness in understanding the progressive nature of participation in recreational golf. Attitudinal and behavioral characteristics that underpin each of the frameworks four different stages of increased participation were examined. Surveys were collected from recreational golfers and non-golfers (N=1224) in southern Queensland Australia. A three-step staging procedure classified respondents into one of four stages: Awareness, Attraction, Attachment and Allegiance. MANOVA comparisons supported the distinct nature of progressive stages of participation and revealed consistent, positive links between each levels attitudinal and behavioral indicators. Evidence supports the frameworks ability to distinguish distinct stages of physically active leisure and practical insights are offered on how recreation professionals can promote and maintain activity levels in adults.

Sport Loyalty Programs and Their Impact On Fan Relationships

This paper examines the effectiveness of a sport loyalty program in fostering fan relationships with a team and its sponsors. The study of 268 US baseball spectators revealed that, in the mind of the fan, loyalty programs generally consist of three underlying components. When these components perform well, they can fuel a members sense of attachment to a team and their tendency to purchase sponsor products. Recommendations to improve loyalty program performance focus on tactics that build member relationships and identification with the team.

Trust in the Board: A Strategic Imperative in Times of Uncertainty

ABSTRACT In turbulent environments, investors seek to minimize risk. Many public/nonprofit organizations evoke a sense of trust in their members by maintaining boards of directors. This study examined faculty member attitudes about the public/nonprofit institutions and boards who manage their retirement funds (n = 240). A structural model revealed that investors developed trust in the board when they view the organization positively through reliable communication, a sense of shared values and retirement funds that perform soundly. As a mediator of attitude toward the organization trust in the board also diminished investor perceptions of risk, and partially explained whether members cooperated and continued with the organization. The findings support trust as a key intervening factor in member-organization relationships and suggest building trust in board governance as an effective way to reduce uncertainty.

Market Segmentation: Validating a Qualitative Algorithm to Examine Stages of Consumer Involvement in Sport

The purpose of this research is to empirically validate a staging mechanism to segment consumers of hedonic service experiences; sport participants and sport spectators. Theoretically, the stages concept suggests consumers can be assigned according to certain characteristics to a distinct stage from a specific number of stages. Consumers within a given stage are similar in attitudinal and behavioral characteristics while consumers across stages significantly differ in terms of these same characteristics. The multi-dimensional nature of involvement is used to operationalize the stage-based theoretical framework provided by the Psychological Continuum Model (Funk & James, 2001; 2006) which classifies consumers into four hierarchical stages: Awareness, Attraction, Attachment and Allegiance. These four stages reflect the progressive development of a psychological connection to a hedonic consumption activity. Three studies were conducted to provide empirical evidence to validate a three step staging procedure developed for the framework (Beaton, Funk, & Alexandris, 2009). Study 1: 1,224 recreational golfers in Queensland Australia. Study 2: 2,843 marathon and half-marathon event participants in Philadelphia United States. Study 3: 421 sport fans from New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. The staging mechanism proceeds as follows. First, mean scores are calculated for three involvement facets of centrality, sign and pleasure. Second, involvement mean scores are used to create unique consumer profiles based on low, moderate and high categories on each facet (33 = potentially 27 unique profiles). In the final step, consumers are segmented into a specific stage using a qualitative algorithm (i.e., decision tree) specifically developed for the PCM framework. Once stage-placed, the discrete nature of stages was tested using MANOVA through examination of the attitudinal characteristic resistance to change (i.e., commitment) and the behavioral characteristic frequency of self-reported behavior. Across the three samples, results revealed that mean scores for commitment and behavior significantly differed among each of the four stages (p < .01). In addition, commitment and behavior levels incrementally increased from Awareness to Attraction to Attachment to Allegiance. The application and analysis of the staging mechanism revealed that as the level of psychological connection with the hedonic consumption activity progressively increased; so to did the level of attitudinal and behavioral engagement. Implications of this research suggest that different stages give rise to the notion that equally different consumer processes maybe be at work between the stages. SPSS syntax is provided to allow for application of the three step stage-based segmentation procedure for large data samples.

Measuring Loyalty in Travel Services: A Multi-Dimensional Approach

A multi-dimensional measure of loyalty, with a psychological commitment instrument (PCI) and purchase behavior, is used to segment three different travel services. The use of cluster analysis with this conceptualization created distinct loyalty segments in each of the three travel services sampled. Convergent and nomological comparisons of the service loyalty clusters and the related constructs of satisfaction, involvement and perceived differences in service quality substantiated the theoretical consistency and sensitivity of this measure and generated distinct attitudinal segments within the three different travel services.

A Path Analytic Model of the Psychology of Service Commitment

A major thrust of the marketing activities of a firm is often viewed in terms of the development and maintenance of repeat patronage. The psychology that best explains this behavioral phenomenon is customer commitment (e.g., Day 1969; Jacoby and Kyner 1973), as this epistemology looks at how customers think and develop ongoing relationships with products or services (Beatty and Kahle 1988). Current discussion of the phenomenon emphasize its importance and earmark the understanding of customer commitment as an essential focus for firms competing in the 1990s (Martin and Goodell 1991; Ulrich 1989). According to Morgan and Hunt (1994), increased competition over the past decade has turned theorists and practitioners toward relationship marketing and the maintenance and retention of customer relationships. This shift has prioritized commitment research as the key mediating variable of successful, enduring market relationships.