The role of customer engagement in travel services

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the role of customer engagement (CE) in transforming a committed customer into a loyal customer in an online service context. The study explores the varied effect of the dimensions of commitment on the dimensions of beyond purchase CE and their effect on loyalty. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a survey for data collection and assesses the measurement model with confirmatory factor analysis and uses partial least square-structural equation modeling for the structural model. Findings The study reveals that the constructs commitment, CE and loyalty are interrelated. It empirically supports that the affective and continuance commitment has a significant positive association with CE, and two out of the three dimensions of CE have a significant positive association with loyalty. Research limitations/implications This study advances the understanding of the relationship between commitment, CE and loyalty and supports the conceptualization of CE as a behavioral construct. The study uses cross-sectional data, which miss the effect of the time lag of the constructs and use of the context of travel booking websites limits its generalization. Practical implications This study helps marketers to understand CE, what motivates CE, its impact on the firm and how to align CE strategies with the firm’s goal. Originality/value This study proposes a conceptual model for how CE transforms commitment into loyalty. It improves the understanding of CE’s conceptualization, its drivers and its impact on brand loyalty.