Determinants and outcomes of relationship quality : a conceptual model and empirical investigation

This study examines service quality and customer satisfaction as determinants of relationship quality, and the impact of relationship quality on key relational outcomes (customer loyalty and customer commitment). Based on the literature, we develop hypotheses linking relationship quality, service quality, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and customer commitment. Three alternative models were compared and tested using empirical data collected in a consumer sample in a retail chain departmental store setting in Australia. The findings suggest that the inclusion of the relationship quality construct in the service quality-satisfaction model can further enhance the predictive value of service quality and customer satisfaction.