This study provides empirical evidence to clarion calls for insights on the lack of work on resorts specifically the five-star resorts sector which is referred to works by Line and Runyan in identifying the deficiency in empirical evidence towards literature on resorts.
This study provides new evidence into the formation of loyalty determinants in the five-star resorts, specifically in the Malaysian tourism industry. Although various studies have been conducted by scholars to identify such a phenomenon, very few has identified salient marketing strategies to be of value to practitioners, in overcoming the lack of loyal customers.
This study frames the current problems faced by academia, the industry and the government to produce a cogent discussion on how to solve these problems by providing a strong and tested strategy, the service guarantee, to enhance customer loyalty in the resort sector. Problems associated with the industry and marketing gaps in literature are mainly based on a lack of strategy and factors in determining loyalty from the customers’ perspective. Based on gaps in literature related to the hospitality industry as a whole a lack of a structural modelling and is identified. The second order latent modelling that this study envisions, would provide clearer directions to the industry and other stakeholders to develop and mitigate customer centric marketing strategies to acquire and retain their target markets.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
1.2 Study Context
1.3 Motivation of Study
1.4 Problem Statement
1.5 Research Gaps
1.6 Research Questions
1.7 Research Objectives
1.8 Significance of Study
1.8.1 Theoretical Contributions
1.8.2 Practical Implications
1.9 Scope of Study
1.10 Overview of the Research Methodology
1.11 Outline of Study
1.12 Operational Definition of Terms
1.13 Summary of the Chapter
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Customer loyalty
2.3 Loyalty Studies in the Services Sector
2.4 Relationship between Loyalty and its Determinants in the Resort Industry
2.5 Applying a SEM Integrated Second Order Latent Modeling of Loyalty
2.6 Theoretical Background
2.6.1 The Signaling Theory
2.6.2 Significance of Signalling Theory as Opposed to Justice Theory
2.6.3 The Prospect Theory
2.7 Review of Relevant Theoretical Models
2.7.1 Integrative Loyalty Model for Chinese Telco
2.8 Service Quality Models
2.8.1 The Nordic Model
2.8.2 The SERVQUAL Model
2.8.3 The Three-Component Model
2.8.4 The Integrated Hierarchical Model
2.9 Measuring Service Quality
2.9.1 The SERVQUAL Scale
2.10 Criticism of SERVQUAL
2.11 Performance-Based Measures (SERVPERF)
2.12 Service Quality Instruments in the Hotel Industry
2.13 Service Quality Dimensions for Resorts
2.13.1 Hotel Ambience and Staff Courtesy
2.13.2 Food and Beverage Product and Service Quality
2.13.3 Staff Presentation and Knowledge
2.13.4 Reservation Services
2.13.5 Overall Value for Money
2.14 Service Quality
2.15 Service Guarantee
2.15.1 The Prospect of Service Guarantee
2.16 Theories Related to Service Guarantee
2.16.1 Signaling Theory
2.16.2 Prospect Theory
2.16.3 Justice Theory
2.17 Antecedents of Customer Loyalty in the Malaysian Hotel Industry
2.18 Customer Satisfaction
2.19 Perceived Value
2.20 Corporate Image
2.21 Summary of the Chapter
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Survey Instrument Development
3.4 Hypotheses Development
3.4.1 The Relationships between Construct Variables
3.4.2 Multiple Mediation Effect
3.4.3 Effect of Service Guarantee on Multiple Mediators
3.5 Customer Loyalty
3.6 Service Quality
3.7 Service Guarantee
3.8 Perceived Value
3.9 Customer Satisfaction
3.10 Corporate Image
3.11 Demographic Characteristics
3.12 Measurement Scale
3.13 Questionnaire Development
3.14 Questionnaire Design
3.15 Reliability Analysis
3.16 Pre-Testing
3.17 Sampling
3.17.1 Sample Size
3.18 Sampling Design
3.19 Five Star Resorts in Malaysia
3.20 Survey Procedure
3.21 Data Analysis Procedures
3.22 Data Collection
3.23 Preliminary Data Analysis
3.24 Factor Analysis
3.25 Structural Equation Modelling (SEM)
3.26 SEM Assumptions
3.27 Reliability and Validity
3.28 Evaluating the Fit of the Model
3.29 The Mediation Effect
3.30 Ethical Consideration
3.31 Proposed Theoretical / Conceptual Framework
3.32 Proposed Theoretical / Conceptual Framework
3.33 Summary of the Chapter
CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Data Coding and Treatment of Missing Values
4.3 Non-Response Bias Test
4.4 Outliers Test
4.5 Testing for Normality and Multicollinearity
4.5.1 Normality Test
4.5.2 Multicollinearity Test
4.6 Reliability Analysis
4.7 Respondents’ Demographic Profile
4.8 Nationality Demographics
4.9 Descriptive Statistics of the Research Variables
4.9.1 Service Quality
4.9.2 Service Guarantee
4.9.3 Perceived Value
4.9.4 Corporate Image
4.9.5 Customer Satisfaction
4.9.6 Customer Loyalty
4.10 Confirmatory Factor Analysis
4.10.1 Confirmation of Second Order Variables for Service Quality
4.10.2 CFA of Service Guarantee
4.10.3 CFA of Perceived Value
4.10.4 CFA of Corporate Image
4.10.5 CFA of Customer Satisfaction
4.10.6 CFA of Customer Loyalty
4.11 Construct Validity and Reliability of the Measurement
4.12 Correlations Among Latent Variables
4.13 Analysis of the Baseline Structural Model
4.14 Results of Hypothesis Testing
4.15 Chapter Summary
CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Summary of the Study
5.3 The multiple mediator effects of constructs
5.4 The direct and multiple mediator effect of service guarantee
5.5 Theoretical Contributions
5.6 Practical Implications
5.7 Limitations of the Study
5.8 Directions for Future Research
5.9 Summary of the Chapter
5.10 Conclusion
Research Objectives & Core Themes
This study aims to investigate the role of service quality, perceived value, customer satisfaction, corporate image, and service guarantee as key determinants of customer loyalty within the five-star resort sector of the Malaysian tourism industry, utilizing a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to evaluate direct and indirect causal paths.
- Empirical analysis of customer loyalty determinants in five-star resorts.
- Evaluation of service guarantees as a marketing strategy to signal quality and ensure loyalty.
- Validation of a second-order latent variable model for service quality.
- Examination of mediating effects of satisfaction, perceived value, and corporate image.
- Assessment of the applicability of Signaling and Prospect theories in a hospitality context.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Background of Study
The competitive rivalry in the tourism industry, specifically the accommodation sectors has solidified the importance of recognizing factors that will give the industry a competitive advantage (Lean, 2017). Resorts which are classified as a tourism product, is one of the most significant components of the tourism industry and its activities serves the unmeasured needs of tourists (Nguyen, 2017). Resorts have shaped to be one of the fastest growing segments of the hospitality industry and are rapidly growing (Ali, et al., 2014; Ali, Amin & Omar, 2013). The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) concurs the importance of resorts in the tourism industry (UNWTO, 2014), however, it is surprising to note that this sector has not gained much scholarly attention in literature (Ali & Amin, 2014). According to Line and Runyan, (2012), resorts are the least researched component in the tourism industry, comprising of only 0.7% of total studies done.
By definition, Gee (2000, p.22) states that, "the core principle of the resort concept is the creation of an environment that will promote and enhance a feeling of well-being and enjoyment". Furthermore, Gee (2000) identified two characteristics of resorts: (i) sufficient indoor amenities including quality services, pleasant physical surroundings, convenient entertainment and other facilities; and (ii) unique location in terms of climate, scenery and recreational attractions. This definition of resorts is also supported by other scholars and practitioners (Ali & Amin, 2014; Gonzalez, Comesana & Brea, 2007; Meng, Tepanon & Uysal, 2008; Prideaux, 2000). According to (Kapferer and Bastien, 2009), five-star resorts are also known as luxury resorts since most companies want their products to be luxurious. Five-star resorts are generally described as having higher quality and higher priced offerings with very high customer evaluations with regards to standards of products and services (Lee, Toh and Kim, 2016).
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION: This chapter provides an overview of the resort industry, the significance of five-star resorts in Malaysia, and establishes the research problem, objectives, and scope.
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW: This chapter covers the theoretical frameworks, including Signaling and Prospect theories, and reviews existing literature on customer loyalty, service quality, and service guarantees to identify research gaps.
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: This section details the research design, survey instrument development, data collection procedures from Malaysian five-star resorts, and the statistical methods used for data analysis.
CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This chapter presents the empirical results, including reliability analyses, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses.
CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: This chapter synthesizes the study's findings, provides theoretical and practical implications, acknowledges research limitations, and offers suggestions for future studies.
Keywords
Customer Loyalty, Five-star Resorts, Service Quality, Service Guarantee, Malaysia, Perceived Value, Customer Satisfaction, Corporate Image, Structural Equation Modeling, Signaling Theory, Prospect Theory, Hospitality Industry, Tourism Marketing, Mediation Effects, Service Recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
This research focuses on identifying and analyzing the determinants of customer loyalty within the five-star resort sector in Malaysia, specifically examining the influence of service quality, perceived value, satisfaction, corporate image, and service guarantees.
Which specific variables are identified as the main drivers of customer loyalty in this study?
The study identifies service quality, perceived value, customer satisfaction, corporate image, and service guarantee as the primary marketing constructs affecting customer loyalty in the resort sector.
What is the research objective of this study?
The core objective is to analyze how service guarantees contribute to the sustainable development of five-star resorts by examining their direct and indirect effects on customer loyalty through multiple mediator constructs.
What scientific methods are utilized for this research?
The study employs a quantitative methodology, utilizing a cross-sectional survey of 328 international and domestic tourists. Data analysis is performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) through AMOS.
What does the research cover in the main section?
The main sections delve into the literature surrounding service quality models, the application of Signaling and Prospect theories, the operationalization of customer loyalty, and the empirical testing of hypothesized relationships via SEM.
Which keywords best describe this academic work?
Key terms include Customer Loyalty, Five-star Resorts, Service Guarantee, Service Quality, Malaysia, SEM, and Marketing Strategy.
How does this study contribute to the current knowledge on service guarantees?
This study bridges a gap in the literature by testing an integrated mediation model of service guarantees and loyalty in the under-researched context of five-star resorts in Malaysia, providing both theoretical and practical insights for industry stakeholders.
What is the significance of the "Second-Order Factor Model" mentioned in this study?
The study validates service quality as a second-order latent variable, allowing for a more nuanced and accurate measurement of service quality by accounting for its multidimensional sub-components within the resort environment.
- Citation du texte
- Pradeep Paraman (Auteur), 2020, Service Guarantee prospect in signalling Service Quality towards Customer Loyalty, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/948980
