Precursors and outcomes of satisfaction in business-to-business relationship marketing. Insights from Hawkers/street vendors leafy vegetable market in South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of the empirical study was to determine the precursors and outcomes of customer satisfaction in the South African hawkers/vendors in the leafy vegetable market. Purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from 370 street vendors/hawkers using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analysed using the structural model with the aid of SmartPLS 3. One of our findings reveals that word-of-mouth, commitment, trust, and customer loyalty are significantly influenced by customer satisfaction. This finding makes a major contribution to academic and practice because most literature, support the notion that trust and commitment are precursors of customer satisfaction. The results show that suppliers/farmers of leaf vegetables need to establish relationships that are focused on communication and product mix in order to satisfy customers in the leaf vegetable market. Our findings cement the argument that the relationship between the variables, i.e., trust, commitment, and satisfaction are interdependent and multifaceted. One can, therefore, conclude that the relationship between these constructs is dependent on characteristics of samples used for the study, industry sector and product type amongst other factors.

Precursors and Outcomes of Perceived Value in Achieving Student Loyalty in Open Distance Electronic Learning Institutions

“…Various studies have been conducted on the relationship between the variables/constructs, service quality and reputation as determinants of customer value and trust and commitment's influence on loyalty (Morgan and Hunt, 1994;Mpingangira et al, 2014;Mbango and Mmatli, 2019;Moore, 2012;Mendez, 2009;Henning-Thurua, 2001;Siu et al, 2013;Chinomona and Bikissa-Macongue, 2021;Kassanig, 2018;Mohammed, 2012). However, these studies do not show the differences in the magnitude of each variable.…”

A multidimensional approach to the outcomes of perceived value in business relationships

“…Regarding its consequences, empirical research in business-to-business markets has shown that perceived value is a significant predictor of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (Mbango and Mmatli, 2019; Susanti et al , 2019; Nguyen et al , 2019; Jayawardhena, 2010; Molinari et al , 2008; Lam et al , 2004). Other studies have found that perceived value’s influence on customer loyalty is only indirectly through customer satisfaction (Tournois, 2015).…”

“…At the outset of this research, customer loyalty was identified as the main outcome of a value creation strategy. Several studies have established a positive correlation between customer loyalty, perceived value and customer satisfaction (Mbango and Mmatli, 2019; Askariazad and Babakhani, 2015; Jayawardhena, 2010; Callarisa-Fiol et al , 2009). Despite growing evidence supporting the notion that satisfaction plays a mediating role in the relationship between perceived value and customer loyalty (Askariazad and Babakhani, 2015), studies have yet to distinguish between economic satisfaction and non-economic satisfaction in the value-satisfaction-loyalty relationship.…”

Antecedents and postcedents of satisfaction in seller-business relationships: positive and negative alter egos

“…As a result, an increased focus on trust and commitment as antecedents to satisfaction and opportunism and conflict as postcedents is required. Various other antecedents (emotion, positive disconfirmation, perceived value and product quality) and postcedents (loyalty, positive word of mouth, price tolerance and repurchase likelihood) of satisfaction have been explored before (Balaji, 2009; Mbango and Mmatli, 2019; Ruiz-Alba et al , 2019). However, marketing scholars such as Fullerton (2011), Jimenez et al (2016) and Wang et al (2015) validate the growing importance of understanding trust and commitment as antecedents of satisfaction and opportunism and conflict as postcedents, considering the increased competitiveness and fragile nature of B2B relationships.…”