The constructs of service quality, satisfaction and value are discussed. Instruments are identified and exploratory research is undertaken among customers of an audit firm to determine whether value plays a moderating role between service quality and satisfaction. Results from a moderated regression confirming such a role for value are reported. Implications are drawn and opportunities for further research are highlighted.

The authors acknowledge the help of Moira Ferry in collecting the Maltese data. The helpful comments of two anonymous IMR reviewers and Angela Rushton are acknowledged. All errors and omissions remain our own.

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Socialisation by children is seen as taking place within a socio‐cultural environment where family patterns of communication play a pivotal role. The socio‐ and concept‐orientation are two predominant parental communication styles that are likely to affect the perceived influence that children believe they hold. This study focuses on the perceived influence of children resulting from the communication pattern adopted by parents. Research is conducted among a dyad consisting of parent and child that visit a recreational site. Results are reported, conclusions are drawn and recommendations for future research are made.

Service loyalty, with its final effect on repurchasing by customers, appears to have received relatively little attention. This study starts by first delineating the concept of service loyalty and proceeds to distinguish between service quality and customer satisfaction. A mediational model that links service quality to service loyalty via customer satisfaction is proposed. Appropriate measures are identified and a postal survey is undertaken among 1,000 retail banking customers. A response rate of 20.5 per cent is obtained. Results indicate that customer satisfaction does play a mediating role in the effect of service quality on service loyalty. The effects of a number of demographic indicators on service loyalty are also reported. Implications are discussed, limitations of the study are noted and possible areas for further research are indicated.

This paper examines internal processes associated with delivering customer satisfaction focusing particularly on the relationship between the nature and extent of internal marketing and its outcome in terms of the level of organisational commitment on the part of employees. The concepts of internal marketing and organisational commitment are discussed, suitable measures are identified and research is conducted among managers of a retail bank. The findings confirm a significant relationship between internal marketing and organisational commitment. The relationship of internal marketing is most significant with the affective dimension of organisational commitment. Limitations of the research are noted and directions for future research are indicated.

Explores the effects of dogmatism and social class variables on consumer ethnocentrism and formulates hypotheses linking these variables. Also considers the effects of a number of classificatory variables on consumer ethnocentrism. Reports the findings from a survey of consumers in Malta which show not only that dogmatism and age are positively related to consumer ethnocentrism but also that consumer ethnocentrism is lower among consumers with higher levels of education. Discusses the implications of these findings.

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