Relationship quality in a coproduction context and the moderating effects of relationship orientation

Abstract

Despite the much discussed link between relationship quality (RQ) and loyalty, the complexity of the connection and the distinct roles various RQ-constructs play circumstantially merit further investigation. This study examines the RQ effect on attitudinal and behavioural loyalty in a coproduction context, as well as the antecedents of RQ. The results demonstrate that trust is the key factor for increasing the behavioural loyalty of customers, while satisfaction primarily impacts on attitudinal loyalty. Service quality and relationship investment are two major drivers of customer trust and satisfaction. For the moderating effect of relationship orientation, we tested the proposed model on both the relational and transactional segments. We found that trust is the key determinant of loyalty outcomes for the relational segments, while satisfaction is more influential for the transactional segment. Moreover, communication quality pleases the relational segment more than it does the transactional segment. Service firms can use these findings as guidelines to locate resources while implementing customer relationship management programs.