Do switching barriers of a service company moderate the relationship of perceived image and its antecedents?

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to identify key antecedents of the perceived image. The paper presents a new model in which switching barriers play specific role. They have been highlighted as a potential moderator of relationship between the perceived image and its drivers. The survey was conducted on a sample of 221 respondents. The suitability of conceptual model was tested using confirmative factor analysis. When examining relations between the variables of the proposed model the main and interaction effects are determined. The paper provides useful managerial implications. Findings of the research indicate the factors that impact the perception of the image, where the intensity of the impact of each individual factor is established. The positioning of the image as dependent variable in the model gives the paper a certain specificity, since there are numerous examples of works in the field of services marketing in which authors identify the key drivers of customer satisfaction and loyalty. There are few studies which have analyzed the antecedents of the perceived image. Furthermore, the importance of the switching barriers as a potential moderator between certain variables is examined in the market of financial services, hotel and restaurant management, but so far it has not attracted greater attention of authors when it comes to the business of cable operators.