Empirical Study of Relationship Quality in a Service Setting of an Emerging Economy: The Nigerian Experience
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Empirical Study of Relationship Quality in a Service Setting of an Emerging Economy: The Nigerian Experience
Chukwunonso Oraedu, Ernest Emeka Izogo, Johnson Ubaka Ozo, Ama Aka Udu, Aja Ebeke Egele
Received: 15 May 2018 / Accepted: 15 June 2018 / Published: 30 June 2018 © The Society of Service Science and Springer 2018
ABSTRACT This paper examined the behaviour of a relationship quality (hereafter referred to as RQ) model within the service context of an emerging economy. Specifically, the purpose of this paper was two-fold. First was to examine the determinants of RQ and second, to ascertain the impact of those determinants on word-of-mouth behaviour through RQ. A quantitative approach was used to sample 384 customers of telecom services. SEM-PLS analysis was used to ascertain the structural behaviour and, by implication, the research hypotheses. Findings showed support for all the hypothesized relationships. Specifically, service communication and perceived value were found to be positively significant to RQ and RQ, on the other hand, is a significant predictor of word-of-mouth behaviour. The model explains Chukwunonso Oraedu ( ), corresponding author Procurement Department, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku/Ozalla Enugu and Department of Marketing, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Nigeria e-mail: [email protected] Ernest Emeka Izogo Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management Sciences, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria e-mail: [email protected] Johnson Ubaka Ozo Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management Sciences, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria e-mail: [email protected] Ama Aka Udu Department of Business Management, Faculty of Management Sciences, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria e-mail: [email protected] Aja Ebeke Egele Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management Sciences, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria e-mail: [email protected]
118 Chukwunonso Oraedu, Ernest Emeka Izogo, Johnson Ubaka Ozo, Ama Aka Udu, Aja Ebeke Egele
over 40 percent of variance on word-of-mouth behaviour which was attributed by the combined efforts of other predictors. Thus, the research model is modest. Implications and future research agenda were outlined.
KEYWORDS Nigeria, Telecom Sector, Emerging Economy, Relationship Quality, Word-Of-Mouth 1. INTRODUCTION In today’s rapidly changing business environment, service firms are now compelled to search for innovative means of either coping with the changes of the environment or manoeuvring the effects of such changes (Chen et al. 2008; Ndubisi 2006). One of the environmental challenges that has continuously posed as a threat to service firms is competition, which is arguably one of the greatest repercussions of capitalism (Wells and Graafland 2012; Meyer and Kirby 2012). Fierce competition among service organizations has meant that even the most innovative service package or technology procured by a service provider is duplicated by a rival, as such denying such providers the opportunity to maintain
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