Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

Satisfaction and Attitude 
Consumer decision about marketing organizations is to be guided by customer satisfaction, perceived 
service quality, perceived value, trust and commitment. These evaluations are believed to summarize consumers’ 
knowledge and experiences with a particular firm. Overall satisfaction is an overall evaluation of a customer based 
on total purchase and consumption experience with service or a good over time. Trust is generally viewed as a 
subject for a successful relationship. It is confidence in the exchange partner’s reliability and integrity. Research 
indicates that the psychological benefit of trust and confidence are more important than social benefits or special 
treatment in relationship management. Commitment is believed to be an important ingredient for a successful 
relationship. According to Garbarino and Johnson (1999) commitment has three components: First; an instrumental 
component that is a form of investment, second; an attitudinal component described as effective or psychological 
commitment and last; a temporal dimension which indicates that the relationship exists over time. They also argue 
that there is a strong statistical relationship among overall satisfaction, perceived service quality and value.
According to business marketing literatures satisfaction is an important but not a necessary condition for a 
party to be committed to the relationship. In some cases, a customer continues the relationship not because he/she 
satisfied but the quality of the available alternatives so bad. Ganesan (1994) argues that satisfaction directly relates 
to a party’s relationship commitment. Halinen (1996) and LaBahn and Kohli (1997) examined the impact of 
satisfaction on commitment and they found that satisfaction related to customers’ relationship commitment. On the 
other hand, Morgan and Hunt (1994) argue that satisfaction doesn’t contribute significantly to a party’s commitment 
in relationship with structural ties, trust and shared values.