Emphasizing effort vs talent in personal trainers' performance: consumption response of personal fitness training customers

Abstract

PurposeFitness service companies often promote the companies' personal training service by attributing trainers' competent characteristics, qualifications or/and service provision to their effort or talent. This promotion is called performance attribution promotion. Utilizing attribution theory and the theory's adjacent studies, this study investigated whether and why performance attribution promotion affects consumers' service purchase of personal fitness training.Design/methodology/approachThe authors developed the experimental stimuli of performance attribution promotion and validated those through a pretest (N = 200). Using the validated stimuli, the authors conducted an experiment with employing a single factor between-subject design (performance attribution promotion: effort vs talent) based on random assignment (N = 200).FindingsThe analysis results revealed that attributing trainers' competent characteristics, qualifications or/and service provision to effort (vs talent) leads to a higher level of service registration intention. Moreover, this effect was mediated by the perceived teaching expertise but not by the perceived teaching trustworthiness.Originality/valueThese findings enrich the literature by illuminating a new mechanism and consequence of performance attribution promotion. The authors' study also extends the marketing studies related to expertise perception by presenting the attribution of visible features as one of the characteristics determining expertise perception. Finally, the authors' findings also have implications for fitness service companies and other stakeholders that seek to effectively leverage trainers' competent outcomes for consumer acquisition.

When does highlighting effort or talent in fitness service providers' performance lead to customer compliance? The role of customers' implicit mindset

“…Moreover, in the context of dining restaurant service, performance attribution promotion was found to impact customers' attitudes toward service companies (Hwang and Shin, 2021). Furthermore, in the context of personal fitness training, performance attribution significantly affected customers' service purchases (Park and Lee, 2021). While these findings have contributed to deepening the understanding of the consequences of performance attribution promotion, little research investigated the effect of performance attribution promotion on customer participation (Auh et al.…”

“…Moreover, in the context of dining restaurant service, performance attribution promotion was found to impact customers' attitudes toward service companies (Hwang and Shin, 2021). Furthermore, in the context of personal fitness training, performance attribution significantly affected customers' service purchases (Park and Lee, 2021). While these findings have contributed to deepening the understanding of the consequences of performance attribution promotion, little research investigated the effect of performance attribution promotion on customer participation (Auh et al, 2007;Yim et al, 2012) and compliance (Hasford, 1992;Scheen, 1999).…”

“…Extant research has found that performance attribution promotion can influence customers' attitudes toward service companies (Hwang and Shin, 2021), altruistic behaviors, such as providing service process ideas (Leung et al. , 2020), and service purchase (Park and Lee, 2021). Yet, little is known about the effect of performance attribution promotion on the successful service operation – made possible by customer compliance or fitness service customers' intention to follow and coincide with instructional advice received before, during, and after the service process (Hasford, 1992; Scheen, 1999).…”