1. Summary and Implications
During the last years relationship marketing has been introduced within services marketing since more efficient, profitable and long-term marketing can be achieved by focusing on present customers instead of concentrating ...
1. Summary and Implications
During the last years relationship marketing has been introduced within services marketing since more efficient, profitable and long-term marketing can be achieved by focusing on present customers instead of concentrating on attracting new ones.
The purpose of this study has been to offer a general background to ralationship marketing which during the last years has developed as an alternative way of handling marketing in service firms. The traditional marketing paradigm has not been able to provide us with an understanding of and tools for handling and interaction and network approach within marketing are based on the assumption that long-term relationship are basis for firms wanting to satisfy their customers and productive business.
As the weaknesses of the transactional approach become apparent, new concept of relationship marketing are employing a strategic perspective intended to develop guest's commitment in a way that cannot easily be duplicated by competitors.
The hotel industry has in recent years become interested in developing loyal guests through relationship marketing, but that initiative has progressed only by fits and starts.
This study of relationship marketing focuses on furture performances-a relationship marketing activities built on relationship qality between the guest and hotel.
In this study, I have explored theoretical background to accomplish the research objectives by reviewing the related previous researches. And I have established the hypotheses to answer the research questions. To test them empirically, I collected 579 questionnaires from the guests of 27 deluxe hotel in Seoul. Specifically, three groups of hypothese were established regarding (1) the effects of three set factors, such as confidence, contact and communication service to hotel guest, on a relationship marketing, (2) relationship quality (trust, satisfaction) will influenced on the repeat purchase on the role of commitment (intermediation factor), (3) relationship quality (trust, satisfaction) will influenced on the word of mouth on the role of commitment (intermediation factor).
The several statistical methods were used including descriptive analysis, reliability test, covariance analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, covariance structural analysis. The result of this study can be summed up as follows.
First, confidence service act as antecedents of symbolic relationship marketing activities. So, symbolic relationship marketing activities has a direct influence upon relationship quality(trust, satisfaction). The result supports empirically that relationship marketing activities is a significant determinant of relationship quality.
Second, contact guest service acting have negative influence upon relationship marketing activities. On the other hand, take care of unsatisfaction guest, among the predicted variables, has been prove to be the most influential one when we regard the effect of the variables upon contact guest service acts. Therefore, it means that hotel should make an effort, in advance, to increase relationship quality.
Third, as I have predicted, communication service acting affect relatioship quality, so they act as antecedents for relatioship quality. Also, as a result of investigating the influence of communication service acting factors, hotel newsletter, direct mail, information, menbership, telemarketing service have the influence upon the direct effect and the total effect as well.
Fourth, relationship quality(trust, satisfaction) influence upon performance (repeate purchase, positive word-of-mouthn). Also, relationship quality has a direct influence upon commitment, commitment was influence upon repeat purchase, positive word-of-mouth. This reflects the direct effect of commitment upon performance, and shows that commitment has an influence upon performance as an important variable. The results support the proposition that confidence, contact and communication service acting lead to relationship commitment, the behavioral outcome of loyalty to performance. Also, relationship quality are the most important antecedents to commitment.
2. Limitations and Further research directions
Several issues can be raised for further research.
First, this study guest a cross-sectional analysis, Although a protest was conducted to overcome this problem, it was not solved completly. The outcome of relationship marketing will be shown not in the short run but in the long run. In this regard, the further study may conduct a longituidinal analysis.
Second, this study used only subjective measures to measure performance. The further studies are recommended to use the financial performance indices to test the structural relationship between antecedents and consequences of relationship marketing
Third, the subjects of this study are restricted to the domestic hotel guest of the deluxe hotel in seoul area. Further studies are recommended to foregien guest and nationwide as respondents.