Expectancy Disconfirmation Paradigm Research Articles

Cultural Values of Tourists as Moderators of the Satisfaction-Loyalty Link: An Empirical Investigation in the Hospitality and Tourism Context

Purpose - The role of customer satisfaction in predicting customer loyalty has attracted a great deal of attention from academics and practitioners in recent years. However, there have been limited empirical studies on this topic, particularly in the context of Korean tourism. Additionally, since tourists typically come from diverse cultural backgrounds, they may present a wide range of subsequent attitudes and behaviors, even after identical tourism experiences. This implies that the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty may appear vastly different in different tourists. In this vein, the purpose of the present paper is twofold: (1) to empirically examine the association between tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty, and (2) to explore cultural values as potential moderators of the aforementioned tourist satisfaction-tourist loyalty link, namely long-term orientation and cultural intelligence. Design/Methodology/Approach - Using the expectancy disconfirmation paradigm as a theoretical backdrop, the present study proposed and tested the research hypotheses. Data were collected from a web-based survey of 400 tourists visiting South Korea. Findings - The findings of this study indicated that tourist satisfaction with a trip was positively related with tourist loyalty. The findings further revealed that the long-term orientation of tourists positively moderates the tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty relationship, yet this moderating impact of long-term orientation varies in accordance with the level of cultural intelligence of tourists. Research Implications - With the increased recognition of importance of tourism in South Korea’s trade, this paper enhances the current understanding of the tourist satisfaction-tourist loyalty link and provides important insights into tourism management.

Determination of visitors’ intentions to revisit a natural history museum in a national park

The Kruger National Park (KNP) is regarded as the flagship ecotourism destination in South Africa. It showcases unique fauna and flora and natural features and as an ecotourism attraction it also hosts a number of facilities that cater to visitors’ needs. One such facility is the Letaba Elephant Hall: a natural history museum located in the Letaba rest camp. The facility promotes education related to elephant biology, human–elephant relations, and conservation. Museums, require visitors to remain financially sustainable and to promote education and in the case of the Letaba Elephant Hall, to promote conservation. However, museums often have a negative connotation of being boring, with poor visitor engagement, and overly theoretical displays. These potentially poor experiences may influence visitor satisfaction, which, in turn, could affect the visitor’s post-visitation intentions. This study adopted the theory of planned behaviour and the expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm to conduct an exploratory quantitative survey to measure visitors’ experiences and how those experiences might influence their intentions to revisit the Letaba Elephant Hall. A total sample of 163 was achieved and results were analysed descriptively, followed by the development of binary categorisations. Chi-square tests were used to test the identified hypotheses, followed by multiple logistic regression to determine whether any significant relationships between variables exist.Implications for conservation: The results provide an overview of the visitor profile and descriptive experience results, as well as an indication of significant relationships that exist between expectations, experiences, perceived quality, satisfaction, pleasure, and revisit intentions. Understanding who museum visitors are and managing their experiences are pivotal in ensuring that the efficient functioning of these facilities are carried out such as effective education, which in the case of the Letaba Elephant Hall, may result in authentic learning and the promotion of elephant conservation. The study provides insight into possible ways of enhancing the visitor experience at the Letaba Elephant Hall as a natural history museum, which could also be transferred to other similar interpretation centres in the KNP and other protected areas.

Impact of e-service quality on e-loyalty of online banking customers in Pakistan during the Covid-19 pandemic: mediating role of e-satisfaction

This study explores the mediating role of e-satisfaction during the pandemic on the relationship between e-service quality and e-loyalty of banking customers in Pakistan. The data were collected from 442 customers of online banking services in Pakistan during the Covid-19 pandemic, following a survey-based study. Baron and Kenny (J Personal Soc Psychol, 51(6):1173, 1986) and Preacher and Hayes (Behav Res Methods, 40(3):879-891, 2008) mediation technique which utilizes the bootstrapping method has been used to explore mediation. The findings show that e-service quality has a significant positive effect on the e-loyalty of the customers of online banking services. Relationships between e-service quality and e-loyalty of online banking customers in Pakistan are significantly and fully mediated by their online satisfaction in unusual situations. This study would help the bankers to implement more effective marketing strategies to retain their customers and attract potential customers, particularly during non-normal situations like the Covid-19 pandemic. It will help them identify the areas of e-services that need improvement to enhance the satisfaction and loyalty of the customers. The bootstrap method for mediation along with Baron and Kenny (J Personal Soc Psychol, 51(6):1173, 1986) leads to using a more sophisticated methodological technique to explore the mediation. The Oliver Expectancy-Disconfirmation Paradigm (EDP) in electronic banking setup during non-normal situations like the Covid-19 pandemic also served as a unique contribution to this study. Application of Baron and Kenny (J Personal Soc Psychol, 51(6):1173, 1986) mediation along with Preacher and Hayes (Behav Res Methods, 40(3):879-891, 2008) leads to more robust findings for the study in non-normal situations like the Covid-19 pandemic. The study findings add scientific value as they are applicable to the banking sector in particular in non-normal situations like the Covid-19 pandemic and the overall service sector in general. Further, as two different methods of mediation have been employed and this makes the study more rigorous and scientific.

Linen Quality and Guest Satisfaction in Star-rated Hotels in Upper East Region of Ghana

Purpose: Linen as launderable textiles is indispensable in the hotel business. Guests pay for hotel services rendered and deserve quality linen. Linen (bed linen, bath linen, guest room curtains) is expected to be clean, crisp, spotless, attractive and comfortable. Linen quality can be attributable to the fibre of fabric, care and maintenance. Thus, the study investigated linen quality and guest satisfaction in star-rated hotels in Upper East Region of Ghana. The reference was on the relationship that exists between linen quality and guest satisfaction and to test if any association existed between them.
 Methodology: The study employed a descriptive survey research design. A sample of 327 guests was sampled using a random sampling technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Analysis of data was done by the use of SPSS version 26. Data were presented using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistics were frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. For the inferential statistics, Spearman’s Rank-Order correlation was used to determine the relationships, directions, and magnitude among the study variables. The regression model was used for testing the hypotheses. The hypothesis was tested at a 5% level of significance.
 Findings: The findings revealed an association existed between linen quality and guest satisfaction with a moderate positive correlation (r =.04 to .52) and statistically significant (R2 =.197, F(2, 324) = 39.80, β = .522, p = .000). The hypothesis there is no association between linen quality and guest satisfaction was rejected at 95% confidence level. The study concluded linen quality significantly influences guest satisfaction. However, the predictor variable (linen quality) explained approximately 19.2% of the variations in guests’ satisfaction.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study employed Expectancy-Disconfirmation Paradigm (EDP) model. The expected clean, comfortable and adequate linen met the expectation of the guests for satisfaction to occur. The study recommended stakeholders in the hotel industry should continuously ensure standards on linen quality to improve guest satisfaction. It is suggested the hotel management should purpose to provide quality linen and ensure proper care and maintenance of linen through effective supervision. The study as well calls for the Ghana Tourism Authority, the regulatory body for hotel activities to set standards and intensify monitoring activities regarding the quality of linen presented to guests. As an avenue for the hotels to acquire more knowledge, skills and a better attitude towards the handling of linen, the government of Ghana can institute policies on training on linen management.

When injured product users may also stay satisfied: A macro-level analysis

Product-harm crises literature has mostly studied product user harm proxies i.e., risk of injury or fictitious crises. Our macro-level study is the first to determine the consequences of actual non-automobile product-related injuries on customer satisfaction. We leverage a dataset statistically representative of injuries reported at over 5,000 U.S. hospitals. Employing the expectation-disconfirmation paradigm, we study 800 product categories, 52 industries and 30 injury diagnoses to find that severe product-related injury (SPI), on average, hurts customer satisfaction. Our research reveals that varying types of consumers’ expectations can result in asymmetric effects. Consumer sentiment and future growth may set varying boundary conditions for product users’ expectations; while higher consumer sentiment is found to worsen the association between SPI and customer satisfaction, future economic growth attenuates that relationship. Also, the type of hospital may help account for consumers’ disconfirmation of product beliefs, as it is found to improve the negative effect of SPI.

Sustainability in Logistics Service Quality: Evidence from Agri-Food Supply Chain in Ukraine

The purpose of this paper is to explore which attributes of logistics service quality (LSQ) are associated with the superior LSQ in rural territories of the developing economy of Ukraine. The data were collected from 52 Ukrainian agrarian companies. Ukraine was chosen because of the high potential of its agricultural sector, which has been one of the world’s largest exporters of agricultural goods for years. This paper investigates LSQ from the perspective of agri-businesses and addresses sustainability. The primary data were obtained in a survey of clustered samples of agri-businesses in rural Ukraine. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with the Stata 16 software to test one hypothesis. This study builds on the expectancy–disconfirmation paradigm in service management research and the related service quality in order to compare the perceived and expected quality of social and environmental sustainability-related aspects of LSQ to test two hypotheses. The findings revealed that service quality in agricultural logistics is a five-dimensional construct. Its five dimensions are reliability, digital transformation, corporate image, environmental sustainability, and quality of customer focus. Furthermore, the study delivers evidence that the perceived and expected quality of the social sustainability-related aspects of LSQ are substantially different. As the study’s data collection process was interrupted by the Russian–Ukrainian war, the proposed model was only tested with 52 enterprises in an agri-food supply chain in rural Ukraine. Such a small sample is one of the study’s limitations. The research has great managerial implications as managers can use the explored attributes as a basis for customer satisfaction analyses or benchmarking in agricultural logistics. This is the first work exploring LSQ in rural Ukraine. The major contributions of this paper are the explored dimensions of LSQ with EFA. The study presents the first and most current data about LSQ from four united territorial communities in the rural center of Ukraine.

Patients’ Satisfaction with Quality Healthcare Services in Omani Public Hospitals: The Moderating Role of the Perceived Risk of Covid 19

The quality of healthcare services becomes more important during crisis, In the event of a COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare scenario is chaotic and confusing owing to the random and unexpected spread of the pandemic. The present study aims to use the SERVQUAL model in measuring the healthcare service quality and patient satisfaction and while the moderation of the perceived risk of COVID 19 between healthcare service quality, Resources availability, Healthcare facility preparedness and patient satisfaction in the public healthcare sector in Oman. The research is based on Expectancy-Disconfirmation Paradigm, Extended Valence Framework, and stakeholders’ theory. In this study, the use of mixed research design the sample size for the quantitative approach is 387 patients selected using probability random sampling and the sample size for the qualitative approach is 8 patients who visited public Omani hospitals during COVID 19 period. The result of the quantitative analysis using SEM and RMSEA results showed a good fit. Only the tangibility dimension of the SERVQUAL model and the resource availability had an insignificant effect on the healthcare quality in Omani public hospitals. The moderation effect of Perceived risk of COVID-19 pandemic between healthcare service quality, Resources availability, Healthcare facility preparedness and patient satisfaction among Omani patients in public hospitals was insignificant. The results of the qualitative analysis indicated that assurance, reliability, responsiveness and empathy were the most important aspects of quality healthcare service. This research adds value for practitioners by providing in depth view of the current status of the patient satisfaction of the public healthcare sector especially during COVID 19 pandemic Keywords: SERVQUAL, healthcare quality, Covid 19, Oman.

Digital technologies: students’ expectations and experiences during their transition from high school to university

University students’ expectations of digital technologies in their studies are greatly influenced by their previous exposure both within the secondary school classroom and in their private lives. These expectations often play a powerful role in their approaches and learning strategies in their first-year university classes. In this work, we investigated students’ expectations and utilisation of digital technologies in their transition from high school to tertiary studies. A survey encompassing the Expectancy-Disconfirmation Paradigm was conducted amongst second year students across the university. The results showed students expected to use advanced IT technologies and equipment at university. The high expectations were similar regardless of demographic parameters, such as gender, school type or field of studies. The findings also indicated that most students perceived little disconnection between the technology they used in high school and that of university. The majority of students seemed satisfied and even positively surprised by the use of technology in their university courses.

Exploring the impact of student developed marketing communication tools and resources on SMEs performance and satisfaction

A number of SMEs lack the essential marketing skills, knowledge, tools and resources, and financial access to ensure the survival of their businesses. Service learning could be used as an effective pedagogy for assisting SMEs with vital marketing communication (MC) strategies via the development of tools and resources that may increase business growth and sustainability. The primary research objective was to evaluate SMEs’ satisfaction regarding performance factors, and student developed MC tools and resources that were implemented via a MC service learning programme (in the form of student-run agencies). The inquiry utilized the triad service learning model and quality assurance cycle to apply an evaluation research design that was substantiated by the expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm. A survey was conducted among 107 SME owners and managers via a structured questionnaire. The student developed MC tools and resources and their perceived usefulness resulted in a positive influence on a number of performance factors among SMEs. MC tools and resources such as a customer database, email address, and Facebook page had the largest influence on performance factors. Performance factors such as an increase in sales, new customers, brand awareness, competitive advantage, business efficiency, and motivation of employees were found to have a positive influence SME satisfaction. Further inquiry could replicate the study via various marketing-related service learning programmes in different countries that have divergent cultures, economics and contexts.

THE IDEA OF BRANDING IN THE CONTEXT OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION THEORIES

An important part of marketing theory is the theory of consumer satisfaction, through which an attempt is made to model the process of consumer satisfaction as a result of consuming a product or a service, to identify the reasons and factors that affect it. Although there are many valuable and applicable theories in the marketing literature, the idea of branding as a separate factor is not considered in any of them. This paper attempts to consider the idea of branding in the context of theories of consumer satisfaction and to include it as a separate factor. Within the framework of the work the dissonance theory of consumer satisfaction, the theory of contrast, as well as the expectancydisconfirmation paradigm are considered. The main theses proposed are the dependence of branding and expectations from the product or service, the impact of branding on the effects of dissonance or contrast, its impact on evaluations of a product or service and on the importance of the purchase for the consumer. The proposed theses can serve as a basis for further empirical analysis.

Modelling Satisfaction and Behavioural Intention of Malaysian Fine Dining Restaurants

Consumer satisfaction was long recognized by scholars and practitioners as one major ingredient for business survival and prosperity. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to offer an integrated approach to understanding consumer satisfaction and post-dining behavioural intentions by examining the causal relationship among five constructs of fine dining restaurant with satisfaction and behavioural intentions. The Likert scale survey instrument was used to collect data via the ‘drop-off and collect’ survey technique. The sample was drawn from participating restaurants in the Malaysia International Gastronomy Festival 2017.Four hundred and nineteen useable questionnaires were garnered from eight fine dining restaurants that agreed to participate in the study. A research model based on the expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm investigating the relevant relationships among the constructs by using a structural equation modelling (SEM) approach was proposed and tested. This study examined a mediating model of the relationship between the restaurant service/product dimensions, marketing dimension centred on customer-based brand equity constructs, satisfaction and revisit intention. A parsimonious model of restaurant satisfaction and behavioural (revisit) intention was successfully developed and the proposed framework was substantially validated with four hypotheses supported and seven not. Theoretical and practical implications with relevant and importance to academicians and practitioners were offered.

Engaging expectations: Measuring helpfulness as an alternative to student evaluations of teaching

Abstract We propose an alternative to student evaluations of teachers (SETs), arguing that writing programs can use the SET moment to share responsibility for students’ expectations and course experiences. We argue studying students’ perceptions can help writing programs generate research for localizing engagement and aiding professional development. We study the perceived helpfulness of first-year writing (FYW) program experiences for students at a large, doctoral-granting research institution in the Midwest. We engage the expectation disconfirmation paradigm, which posits both expectations and experiences contribute to satisfactory outcomes. We analyze two semesters of survey data (n = 977) using structural equation modeling and find that disconfirmation – a confrontation between students’ expectations and experiences – related to students’ ratings of helpfulness. Helpfulness ratings varied directly with disconfirmation, suggesting students found courses more helpful when their experiences exceeded locally defined expectations, and less helpful when experiences did not meet expectations. Program and instructor variables may have also influenced student attitudes. Male instructor gender identity associated with greater helpfulness ratings. Additionally, disconfirmation varied with enrollment level, and had an indirect effect on helpfulness ratings. Given our findings, we describe directions for professional development. We also identify opportunities for future writing assessment research related to the perception of helpfulness.

Exploring asymmetric effects of attribute performance on customer satisfaction in the hotel industry

Understanding the asymmetric effects of attribute performance (AP) on customer satisfaction (CS) is important for the managers in the hotel industry. Although several studies concerning this issue have been conducted, the varies of asymmetric effects across different market segments have not been revealed. To this end, this study aims to explore the asymmetric effects of AP on CS with respect to different market segments, including different types of hotels, different types of travelers and travelers from different regions. Four theories, i.e., expectation-disconfirmation paradigm, three-factor theory of CS, customer delight theory and prospect theory, are adopted to explain the formation of CS from the perspective of different market segments. The penalty–reward contrast analysis (PRCA) and asymmetric impact-performance analysis (AIPA) are used to analyze 1,547,869 user-generated ratings collected form TripAdvisor posted by the travelers from 140 countries concerning 9,596 hotels from 75 capital cities around the world. The results suggest that the asymmetric effects of AP on CS may vary across different market segments, including different types of hotels, different types of travelers and travelers from different regions. In addition, the priorities of hotel attributes for each type of hotel with respect to different types of travelers and travelers from different regions are also analyzed by AIPA. The obtained results will be valuable for researchers to conduct further studies and hotel managers to formulate improvement strategies.

Measuring Tourist Satisfaction Through a Dual Approach: The 4Q Methodology

Tourist satisfaction is one of the key factors in determining the success of a tourist destination, since it affects behavioural intentions, such as the willingness to revisit and recommend the destination. Therefore, much research has addressed the measuring of tourist satisfaction, either eliciting positive or negative evaluations of a holiday or destination. The spread between expected positive and negative characteristics can trigger a tourist experience. And the gap between expectations and perceptions will produce a feeling of satisfaction or dissatisfaction (Expectancy-Disconfirmation Paradigm, EDP). Under these conditions, this paper adopts a dual approach, considering tourist satisfaction and dissatisfaction as two distinct constructs; it also proposes a practical methodology, termed 4Q, for measuring these constructs in the field of tourism research. Lastly, two distinct composite indicators relating to Tourist Satisfaction (TS) and Tourist Dissatisfaction (TD) are proposed, for comparing the performance of tourist destinations over space and time, and addressing marketing strategies regarding different tourist segments.

An empirical and comparative analysis of E-government performance measurement models: Model selection via explanation, prediction, and parsimony

Driven by the growing importance of the digital provision of government services (e-government), recent research has sought to develop and test conceptual models of citizen satisfaction and trust with these services. Yet, there remains little agreement on how to optimally model these relationships with regards to the somewhat divergent goals of explanation and prediction of citizen trust. In this paper, we test two prominent modeling paradigms of the e-government satisfaction-trust relationship: the “service quality” model and the “expectancy-disconfirmation” model. We compare several variations of these models for their in-sample explanatory abilities, out-of-sample predictive abilities, and parsimony. To test the models, we examine a pooled, cross-agency sample of survey data measuring citizens' experiences with and perceptions of three important and widely accessed U.S. federal e-government services—the webpages of the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Census Bureau. Our findings suggest that while the expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm performs well in explanation, a parsimonious model with an “overall quality-satisfaction-trust” link is best suited for predicting trust. In addition, the service quality paradigm offers the best compromise between predictive accuracy and explanatory power. These findings offer new insights for academic researchers, government agencies, and practitioners, especially those deciding upon an empirical model to adopt to measure e-government satisfaction and its impact upon citizen trust.

Going global, acting local: volunteer tourists as prospective community builders

ABSTRACTIn the growing field of volunteer tourism research, studies have investigated participant motivations and the benefits accruing to both travellers and the community, as well as undertaking critical assessments of the phenomenon. Comparatively little attention has been paid to changes associated with the post-volunteer period and particularly to the likelihood of volunteer tourists making contributions within their home communities. Using the Expectancy-Disconfirmation Paradigm, this study explores the impacts of the volunteer tourism experience on the intentions of volunteer tourists to undertake other variants of volunteering post-trip. The expectations of respondents and their volunteering disconfirmations were measured over the course of travel using a two-round online survey to study the effects of these constructs on respondent intentions to volunteer in their home communities. No strong evidence was found that volunteer tourism acts as a recruitment medium for future volunteering. The research concludes by restating the unresolved question of whether the weak links between volunteer tourism and home community volunteering symptomatise the shallowness of a phenomenon that benefits the privileged or whether volunteer tourism provides a genuine mechanism for developing global citizens who think global and act local.

Birds of a feather: a normative model of assessing consumers’ satisfaction in a generalized expectation–disconfirmation paradigm

Since consumers’ post-purchase behaviors directly indicate the extent of customer satisfaction (CS), these behaviors are relatively objective and can signal consumers’ attitudes toward the purchased product or service. Based on the basic expectation–disconfirmation paradigm, this article proposes a generalized model in evaluating CS by integrating equity, regret, and disappointment. Within this conceptual framework, CS can be assessed in a global manner so that different marketing mixes and strategies may take to meet consumers’ expectations effectively. In addition, by adopting weight and cluster to classify behaviors signaling-defined post-purchase emotional responses, this disappointment–regret–inequity disconfirmation framework and the post-purchase signal model is expected to compromise variables of chosen and forgone options with social exchange comparisons. One major benefit of this proposed post-purchase signal model is that it may partly overcome the shortcomings and reliability issues of self-report method with the measurement of CS in decomposed dimensions based on the occurred purchasing outcomes.

Importance-performance analysis (IPA) of sustainable tourism initiatives: The resident perspective

While importance-performance analysis (IPA) is one of the most ubiquitous methodological tools utilized in tourism research, its supply-side application to residents has been lacking. Additionally, little research has examined residents' perceptions of sustainable tourism initiatives (STIs) or their community's performance on these STIs. Given this gap, this study conducted an IPA of resident attitudes towards STIs across three U.S. counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia with varying levels of emphasis placed on sustainable tourism within their strategic plans. The results revealed residents of the three counties placed uniformly high levels of importance on the STIs, but varied in their perceptions of performance. The county with the most emphasis placed on sustainable tourism within their plan was found to have the highest performance evaluations. Methodological and theoretical considerations are discussed in detail, including the placement of cross-hairs and how IPA can be situated within social exchange theory and Oliver's expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm.

Predicting Muslim medical tourists' satisfaction with Malaysian Islamic friendly hospitals

This paper examines the factors affecting the Muslim medical tourists' satisfaction, and the role of their attitudes in shaping their clinical experience based on the expectation-disconfirmation paradigm. Data from a survey of 243 Muslim medical tourists who had received treatment from Malaysian Islamic friendly hospitals were analysed using the partial least squares technique. The findings provide evidence that Muslim medical tourists' satisfaction is dependent on the doctors' and hospitals' roles; whilst, the nurse's halal practice is not associated with it. The study also demonstrates that Muslim medical tourists' attitudes only play a mediator role between the hospital's halal practice and Muslim medical tourists' satisfaction. The research result provides useful information in understanding the critical halal practices and, more particularly, aims at helping Islamic hospitals offer quality healthcare services that suit the Muslim medical tourists' needs and, consequently, attracts the Islamic medical tourists.

Quality Management Systems and Organizational Performance: A Theoretical Review in Kenya’s Public Sector Organizations

Total Quality Management (TQM) has become an accepted technique to ensure performance and survival in the modern economies. In order to facilitate and impact the quality issues globally, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was first published in 1987 and was subsequently revised in 1994, 2000 and 2008. The ISO 9001 standards is a quality management standards that embraces principles of TQM and which merges organizational concerns with customer satisfaction, shareholder satisfaction, process efficiency, and employee wellbeing. The study focuses on customer satisfaction, employee engagement, productivity and management control. The paper reviewed the following theories: Expectancy-Disconfirmation Paradigm (EDP) as the most promising theoretical framework for the assessment of customer satisfaction; Herzberg motivation theory; Systems theory which consists of inputs, a transformation process, outputs, feedback and the environment and Henry Fayol’s administrative theory of management which focuses on the entire organization. The study adopted a conceptual research design approach using secondary data. Conceptual analysis was used to draw inferences from QMS studies’ findings in public and private sectors and in both goods and services industries keenly after a thorough examination. The purpose of the paper is to review the extant multidisciplinary based literature on quality management to propose a theoretical model relating quality management practices and firm performance. The paper focused on three objectives. Firstly, it sought to review the extant theoretical literature on the construct of quality management. Secondly, it identified relevant supporting theories to the construct of quality management. Thirdly the paper proposed a theoretical model for explaining the relationship between quality management and performance in diverse environmental contexts.