Exploring the role of trust in the satisfaction - loyalty link: empirical evidence from a follow-up study / Rosidah Musa and Sarminah Samad

Theoretically, satisfaction should be positively linked to customer loyalty but
it is difficult to observe it because most customer satisfaction surveys rely on
intentional behaviour data rather than actual behaviour. In response to this
issue, a follow-up study was set to validate an integrative framework which
include overall satisfaction, trust and simultaneously incorporates not only
attitudinal loyalty but behavioural loyalty construct. Specifically, this study
aims to examine the hypothesised linear relationship among satisfaction -
attitudinal loyalty, satisfaction - behavioural loyalty, and attitudinal loyalty
- behavioural loyalty paths. What is more, the researchers also endeavour to
explore the role of trust in the satisfaction - attitudinal loyalty - behavioural
loyalty link; thus distinctively differentiating it from the existing model. To test
the hypothesised links among the constructs in the framework, Structural
Equation Modelling (AMOS programme) and subsequently the moderating
effect of trust in the satisfaction - attitudinal loyalty - behavioural loyalty
chain are determined by two-way ANOVA. The findings are important to the
development of marketing theory and evidence of the plausibility of the present
model suggests the need for further investigation and validation in other
research contexts and across other countries.