The role of guest loyalty between satisfaction with service recovery and guest behavior in mountain hotels

Milica  Josimović; Dragan  Ćoćkalo; Nikola Radivojević

doi:10.5937/menhottur2400012J

Authors

Milica Josimović University of Novi Sad, Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, Zrenjanin, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2180-0237
Dragan Ćoćkalo University of Novi Sad, Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, Zrenjanin, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2085-5420
Nikola Radivojević Academy of Applied Studies “Šumadija”, Kragujevac, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6137-4431

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2400012J

Keywords:

loyalty, satisfaction, service recovery, customer citizenship behavior, dysfunctional customer behaviour, hotel industry

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to investigate the role of guest loyalty in the relationship between satisfaction with service recovery (SSR) and consumer citizenship behavior (CCB), as well as dysfunctional customer behavior (DCB) of hotel guests. Methodology – The study was conducted on a sample of 1,324 guests from hotels operating in the Republic of Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia in mountain tourism. The obtained data were analyzed using an SEM approach. Findings – Loyalty has a mediating role in the relationship between SSR and CCB. On the other hand, loyalty does not have a mediating role in the relationship between SSR and DCB of hotel guests during their stay. Implications – The study has theoretical and practical implications. The theoretical implication is that loyalty forms the foundation for guests’ cognitive and affective responses when they are satisfied with a service recovery; this means that loyalty is a driver of hotel guests’ CCB. In the opposite situation, loyalty does not act as a shock absorber that will mitigate the impact of dissatisfaction with service recovery on the manifestation of DCB. The practical implications are that hotels must prioritize effective service recovery strategies to enhance guest loyalty and encourage CCB while simultaneously reducing the risk of DCB.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alavi, M., Visentin, D. C., Thapa, D. K., Hunt, G. E., Watson, R., & Cleary, M. L. (2020). Chi-square for model fit in confirmatory factor analysis, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 76(9), 2209–2211. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14399

Antón, C., Camarero, C., & Laguna-Garcia, M. (2017). Towards a new approach of destination loyalty drivers: Satisfaction, visit intensity and tourist motivations. Current Issues in Tourism, 20(3), 238–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2014.936834

Bagherzadeh, R., Rawal, M., Wei, S., & Saavedra Torres, J. L. (2020). The journey from customer participation in service failure to co-creation in service recovery. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 54, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102058

Betts, T. K., Wood, M. S. & Tadisina, S. K. (2011). The impact of failure severity, prior failure, and company control on service recovery outcomes. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 8(3), 365–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051811404892

Bowen, D. E. (1986). Managing customers as human resources in service organizations. Human Resource Management, 25(3), 371–383. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.3930250304

Chen, F. F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 14(3), 464–504. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705510701301834

De Mantos, C. A., Henrique, J. L., & Rossi, C. (2007). Service recovery paradox: A meta-analysis. Journal of Service Research, 10(1), 60–77. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670507303012

Dhir, S., & Chakraborty, T. (2023). Does the perceived efficiency of the HR department matter in influencing satisfaction and employee performance? International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 72(4), 943–961. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-01-2021-0047

Eisinga, R., Grotenhuis, M. T., & Pelzer, B. (2013). The reliability of a two-item scale: Pearson, Cronbach, or Spearman-Brown? International Journal of Public Health, 58, 637–642. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0416-3

Forbes. (2018). Retrieved March 12, 2024 from www.forbes.com/sites/shephyken/2018/08/05/what-customers-want-and-expect/#366bc4157701

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312

Gelbrich, K., & Roschk, H. (2014). A meta-analysis of organizational complaint handling and customer responses. Journal of Service Research, 14(1), 24–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670510387914

Górska-Warsewicz, H., & Kulykovets, O. (2020). Hotel brand loyalty – A systematic literature review. Sustainability, 12(12), 4810. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12124810

Groth, M. (2005). Customers as good soldiers: Examining citizenship behaviors in internet service deliveries. Journal of Management, 31(1), 7–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206304271375

Guchait, P., Han, R., Wang, X., Abbott, J., & Liu, Y. (2019). Examining stealing thunder as a new service recovery strategy: Impact on customer loyalty. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31(2), 931–952. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-02-2018-0127

Harrison-Walker, L. J. (2019). The critical role of customer forgiveness in successful service recovery. Journal of Business Research, 95, 376–391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.07.049

Hayes, A. F., & Coutts, J. J. (2020). Use omega rather than Cronbach’s alpha for estimating reliability. But…. Communication Methods and Measures, 14(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/19312458.2020.1718629

Hazee, S., Van Vaerenbergh, Y., & Armirotto, V. (2017). Co-creating service recovery after service failure: The role of brand equity. Journal of Business Research, 74,101–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.03.006.

Hewagama, G., Boxall, P., Cheung, G., & Hutchison, A. (2019). Service recovery through empowerment? HRM, employee performance and job satisfaction in hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 81, 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-03-2018-0256

Hollebeek, L., & Rather, R.A. (2019). Service innovativeness and tourism customer outcomes. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31(11), 4227–4246. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-03-2018-0256

Hung, C.L. (2017). Online positioning through website service quality: A case of star-rated hotels in Taiwan. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 31,181–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2020.1711546

Hwang, Y., & Mattila, A. S. (2020). The impact of customer compassion on face-to-face and online complaints. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 29(3), 1–21.

Jackson, M. (2019). Utilizing attribution theory to develop new insights into tourism experiences. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 38, 176–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2018.04.007

Jin, D., Dipietro, R. B., & Fan, A. (2019). The impact of customer controllability and service recovery type on customer satisfaction and consequent behavior intentions. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 29(1), 65–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2019.1602095

Kang, M., & Gong, T. (2019). Dysfunctional customer behavior: Conceptualization and empirical validation. Service Business, 13(4), 625–646. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-019-00398-1

Kim, J., Lee, S., Chun, S., Han, A., & Heo, J. (2017). The effects of leisure-time physical activity for optimism, life satisfaction, psychological well-being, and positive affect among older adults with loneliness. Annals of Leisure Research, 20(4), 406–415. https://doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2016.1238308

Koc, E. (2019). Service failures and recovery in hospitality and tourism: A review of literature and recommendations for future research. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 28(5), 513–537. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2019.1537139

Lee, K., & Allen, N. (2002). Organizational citizenship behavior and workplace deviance: The role of affect and cognitions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 131–142. https://doi.org/10.1037//0021-9010.87.1.131

Lee, S. W., & Xue, K. (2020). A model of destination loyalty: Integrating destination image and sustainable tourism. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 25(4), 393–408. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2020.1713185

Luo, A., Guchait, P., Lee, L., & Madera, J. M. (2019). Transformational leadership and service recovery performance: The mediating effect of emotional labor and the influence of culture. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 77, 31–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.06.011

Makuljevic, Dj., & Knezevic, M. (2023). The impact of dysfunctional guest behavior on hotel business efficiency: A case study of the Republic of Serbia. Managing the Future by Learning from the Past – Contemporary Trends in Tourism & Hospitality (pp. 29–36). https://doi.org/10.15308/Sitcon-2023-29-36

Migacz, S. J., Zou, S., & Petrick, J. F. (2018). The terminal effects of service failure on airlines: Examining service recovery with justice theory. Journal of Travel Research, 57(1), 83–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287516684979

Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia. (2022). Report on hotel categorization. Belgrade: Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia.

Nunkoo, R., Teeroovengadum, V., Ringle, C. M., & Sunnassee, V. (2020). Service quality and customer satisfaction: The moderating effects of hotel star rating. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 91, 102414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.102414

O’connor, P., & Assaker, G. (2022). Examining the antecedents and effects of hotel corporate reputation on customers’ loyalty and citizenship behavior: An integrated framework. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 31(5), 640–661. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2022.2034560

Odoom, R., Agbemabiese, G., & Hinson, E. (2020). Service recovery satisfaction in offline and online experiences. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 38(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-09-2018-0422

Oliver, R. L. (1997). Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Boston, MA: Irwin/McGraw-Hill.

Parrey, S. H., Hakim, I. A., & Rather, R. A. (2019). Mediating role of government initiatives and media influence between perceived risks and destination image: A study of conflict zone. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 5(1), 90–106 https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-02-2018-0019

Pimić, M., Marković, Z., Dinić, G., & Radivojević, N. (2023). Determinants of success in hotel industry: Case study of the Republic of Serbia. Ekonomija: Teorija i Praksa, 26(2), 151–176. https://doi.org/10.5937/etp2302151P

Qiu, C., Li, M., Mattila,S., & Yang, W. (2018). Managing the face in service failure: The moderation effect of social presence. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(3), 1314–1331. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-06-2016-0315

Radu, A. G., Arli, D., Surachartkumtonkun, J., Weaven, S., & Wright, O. (2019). Empathy and apology: The effectiveness of recovery strategies. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 30(4), 358–371. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-03-2018-0080

Rather, R. A., Najar, A. H., & Jaziri, D. (2021). Destination branding in tourism: Insights from social identification, attachment and experience theories. Tourism in India (pp. 53–67). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2020.1747223

Rather, R. A., & Sharma, J. (2019). Dimensionality and consequences of customer engagement: A social exchange perspective. Vision, 23(3), 255–266. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972262919850923

Reichenberger, I. (2018). Digital nomads – A quest for holistic freedom in work and leisure. Annals of Leisure Research, 21(3), 364–380. https://doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2017.1358098

Repišti, S. (2017). Posebne teme u statističkom obrazovanju: Lekcija o medijatorskim i moderatorskim efektima [Special topics in statistical education: The lesson on mediating and moderating effects]. Istraživanje Matematičkog Obrazovanja (IMO), 9, 15–25.

Shams, G., Rather, R., Rehman, A., & Lodhi, N. (2020a). Hospitality-based service recovery, outcome favourability, satisfaction with service recovery and consequent customer loyalty: An empirical analysis. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 15(2), 266–284 https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-04-2020-0079

Shams, G., Rehman, M.A., Samad, S., & Rather, R.A. (2020b). The impact of the magnitude of service failure and complaint handling on satisfaction and Brand credibility in the banking industry. Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 25(1/2), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41264-020-00070-0

Trizano-Hermosilla, I., & Alvarado, J. M. (2016). Best alternatives to Cronbach’s alpha reliability in realistic conditions: Congeneric and asymmetrical measurements. Frontiers in psychology, 7, 769. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00769

Tsao, W. C. (2018). Star power: The effect of star rating on service recovery in the hotel industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(2), 1092–1111. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-05-2016-0247

Tung, V. W. S., Chen, P. J., & Schuckert, M. (2017). Managing customer citizenship behavior: The moderating roles of employee responsiveness and organizational reassurance. Tourism Management, 59, 23–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.07.010

Turillo, C. J., Folger, R., Lavelle, J. J., Umphress, E. E., & Gee, J. O. (2002). Is virtue its own reward? Self-sacrificial decisions for the sake of fairness. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 89(1), 839–865. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-5978(02)00032-8

Velasquez, M., Andre, C., Shanks, T., & Meyer, M. J. (1987). Thinking ethically. Issues in Ethics, 1(1, Fall).

Yao, S., Wang, X., Yu, H., & Guchait, P. (2019). Effectiveness of error management training in the hospitality industry: Impact on perceived fairness and service recovery performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 79, 78–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.12.009

Zeithaml, V. A. (2000). Service quality, profitability, and the economic worth of customers: What we know and what we need to learn. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28, 67–85. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070300281007

Zoghbi-Manrique-De-Lara, P., Aguiar-Quintana, T., & Suárez-Acosta, M. A. (2014). Hotel guests’ responses to service recovery: How loyalty influences guest behavior, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 55(2), 152–164. https://doi.org/10.1177/1938965513513348