Influence of antecedents of expectations on perceived quality: a study of rural and urban subcultures

Abstract

Creating and delivering perceived quality requires understanding the antecedents of perceived quality. This study examines the influence that antecedents of consumers' prior expectations have on perceived quality. The variables of rural and urban subcultures and those identified from the review of literature as antecedents of expectations and perceived quality are independent variables. They were examined for establishing an association with perceived quality using ordinal regression. The results showed that rural and urban subcultures, personal needs and perceived alternatives were some of the significant factors that influenced the consumers' assessment of quality. Neither personal needs nor subculture was tested in previous studies as antecedents of expectation. The results suggest that creating and delivering perceived quality needs to consider the extent of competition, personal needs and subculture.