Gender and age as moderators in the service evaluation process

Purpose – Prior research exploring the relationships among sacrifice, service quality, value, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in service evaluation models did not consider customer characteristics. This study aims to test the moderating effects of two demographic variables (i.e. gender and a...

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Main Authors: Sharma, Piyush, Chen, I.S., Luk, S.T.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Emerald Group Publishing 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/5497
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author Sharma, Piyush
Chen, I.S.
Luk, S.T.
author_facet Sharma, Piyush
Chen, I.S.
Luk, S.T.
author_sort Sharma, Piyush
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Purpose – Prior research exploring the relationships among sacrifice, service quality, value, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in service evaluation models did not consider customer characteristics. This study aims to test the moderating effects of two demographic variables (i.e. gender and age) on all the relationships in the “comprehensive” service evaluation model.Design/methodology/approach – Responses from a diverse group of shoppers (n ¼ 2,727) in six retail categories (cosmetics, electronics, fashion, jewelry, telecom services, and department stores) were examined using structural equation modeling.Findings – The negative relationship between sacrifice and perceived value, and the positive association of perceived value and satisfaction with behavioral intentions, is stronger for the male and older customers; whereas the positive association of service quality with satisfaction and value is stronger for female and younger customers.Research limitations/implications – The study examined behavioral intentions instead of actual behavior due to its cross-sectional design. However, in the categories examined (cosmetics, fashion, department stores, etc.) where purchase frequencies range from moderate to high, behavioural intentions may highly correlate with actual behavior.Practical implications – The findings help retail managers understand the differences in the influence of perceived sacrifice, value, service quality, and satisfaction on the behavioral intentions of customers, based on individual characteristics such as gender and age. They should be able to plan and prioritize their marketing activities for diverse customer segments.Originality/value – The study offers new insights on the individual differences in the service expectations and perceptions, which in turn affect customer behavior and loyalty.
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format Journal Article
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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last_indexed 2025-11-14T06:07:26Z
publishDate 2012
publisher Emerald Group Publishing
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-54972017-02-28T01:29:46Z Gender and age as moderators in the service evaluation process Sharma, Piyush Chen, I.S. Luk, S.T. Value Customer satisfaction Sacrifice Service quality Loyalty Demographics Purpose – Prior research exploring the relationships among sacrifice, service quality, value, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in service evaluation models did not consider customer characteristics. This study aims to test the moderating effects of two demographic variables (i.e. gender and age) on all the relationships in the “comprehensive” service evaluation model.Design/methodology/approach – Responses from a diverse group of shoppers (n ¼ 2,727) in six retail categories (cosmetics, electronics, fashion, jewelry, telecom services, and department stores) were examined using structural equation modeling.Findings – The negative relationship between sacrifice and perceived value, and the positive association of perceived value and satisfaction with behavioral intentions, is stronger for the male and older customers; whereas the positive association of service quality with satisfaction and value is stronger for female and younger customers.Research limitations/implications – The study examined behavioral intentions instead of actual behavior due to its cross-sectional design. However, in the categories examined (cosmetics, fashion, department stores, etc.) where purchase frequencies range from moderate to high, behavioural intentions may highly correlate with actual behavior.Practical implications – The findings help retail managers understand the differences in the influence of perceived sacrifice, value, service quality, and satisfaction on the behavioral intentions of customers, based on individual characteristics such as gender and age. They should be able to plan and prioritize their marketing activities for diverse customer segments.Originality/value – The study offers new insights on the individual differences in the service expectations and perceptions, which in turn affect customer behavior and loyalty. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/5497 Emerald Group Publishing restricted
spellingShingle Value
Customer satisfaction
Sacrifice
Service quality
Loyalty
Demographics
Sharma, Piyush
Chen, I.S.
Luk, S.T.
Gender and age as moderators in the service evaluation process
title Gender and age as moderators in the service evaluation process
title_full Gender and age as moderators in the service evaluation process
title_fullStr Gender and age as moderators in the service evaluation process
title_full_unstemmed Gender and age as moderators in the service evaluation process
title_short Gender and age as moderators in the service evaluation process
title_sort gender and age as moderators in the service evaluation process
topic Value
Customer satisfaction
Sacrifice
Service quality
Loyalty
Demographics
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/5497