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Exploring key antecedents of purchase intentions within different services

Hong-Youl Ha (Department of International Trade, Dongguk University-Seoul, Seoul, South Korea)
Raphaël K. Akamavi (The University of Hull Business School, Hull, UK)
Phillip J. Kitchen (ESC Rennes School of Business, Rennes, France)
Swinder Janda (Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA)

Journal of Services Marketing

ISSN: 0887-6045

Article publication date: 7 October 2014

6389

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to investigate the direct and indirect effects of these determinants on purchase intentions. Competitive environments such as those in retail and banking industries impose increased pressure on managers to enhance customer satisfaction and purchase intentions. Even though satisfaction and purchase intentions are well studied in prior literature, their determinants such as service-oriented employee behavior, advertising campaign familiarity, physical environment and service quality have not been fully investigated together.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from a survey of 508 customers of Korean up-market retail supermarkets and banks are utilized to empirically evaluate the model.

Findings

Results indicate that service-oriented employee behavior and the physical environment have no direct effect on purchase intentions. However, these constructs indirectly influence purchase intentions through the mediating role of service quality and customer satisfaction. Service-oriented employee behaviors play a major role in enhancing service quality and customer satisfaction, but do not directly impact purchase intentions. Interestingly, the strongest direct effect on purchase intentions is more likely to come from service quality, rather than satisfaction.

Practical implications

Findings suggest that for service industries such as retail and banking, it may be strategic to invest more resources aimed at enhancing service-oriented employee behaviors and the physical retail environment compared to advertising campaigns.

Originality/value

Even though prior research has considered the concepts studied here, this study aims to empirically evaluate a variety of antecedent factors that potentially affect purchase intentions. Relationships are established utilizing data collected in South Korea (an increasingly important consumer market) which adds value to extant knowledge in this area.

Keywords

Citation

Ha, H.-Y., K. Akamavi, R., J. Kitchen, P. and Janda, S. (2014), "Exploring key antecedents of purchase intentions within different services", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 28 No. 7, pp. 595-606. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-01-2013-0025

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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