The influence of the philosophy of science on brand loyalty

Abstract

“What we do” is likely to be affected by “what we believe”. The interpretation of researchers' findings is often influenced by what we think is right or wrong. Thus, it is necessary to know what kind of belief system or philosophy of science we hold as scholars and to understand whether and how that philosophy of science has an effect on what we study. Despite its importance, investigation of the impact of the philosophy of science on our field has been undermined in the literature. The present study examines how the notion of brand loyalty has been conceptualized, challenged and expanded by the influence of diverse philosophies of science. Investigating how brand loyalty has been developed, it will provide an example showing how the philosophy of science makes an impact on the literature of key constructs in the marketing field. It will also deepen our understanding of brand loyalty by presenting the interactions between the philosophy of science and the research method and the definition of brand loyalty. First, the influence of the philosophy of science on the research method of brand loyalty will be described. Then, we will specify how the philosophy of science has affected the notion of brand loyalty, focusing on its definition and the main antecedent, satisfaction.