The influence of marital status on customer-centric measures in the context of a ski resort using the importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) framework

Abstract

PurposeThis study assesses the impact of marital status towards customer-centric measures in a Canadian ski resort using the importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) as the analytical framework. For the purpose of this paper, the three groups that were assessed included singles, partnership without children and partnership with children as marital status indicators. From the theoretical and especially managerial point of view, knowing the importance and the performance of the relevant ski resort-related customer-centric perceptions is of key importance.Design/methodology/approachA survey was completed to assess customer-centric measures including customer satisfaction, repurchase intent, value for money, willingness to recommend, overall performance in terms of meeting expectations, relationship quality and skiing service quality. An IPMA was conducted with partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to assess the importance-performance perceptions of the three marital status groups.FindingsThe results indicated that for five of the seven customer-centric measures, there were significant differences between the marital status groups. Overall, singles appeared to have the lowest values in customer-centric measures, whereas respondents living in partnership with children had the highest. This was also the case with the value for money perceptions, although the cost for the ski resort visit was likely to be the highest for the respondents living in partnership with children. There were also differences between the marital status groups in terms of the importance-performance evaluations.Originality/valueResults of this research have implications for ski resort management as the three marital status groups appear to perceive the customer-centric measures quite differently in the IPMA framework.

ThinkBox: Consumer buying behavior: IPMA – the technique that deepens the analysis and suggests management strategies

“…Several studies in recent years have used the IPMA technique to select the constructs necessary for more assertive decision-making (Nawanir et al, 2018; Tailab, 2020; Rašovská, Kubickova, & Ryglová, 2021; Wohlfart, Adam, & Hovemann, 2022; Haverila et al, 2023; Fakfare & Manosuthi, 2023).…”

“…With the same managerial focus, Haverila et al (2023) applied IPMA to assess the impact of marital status on customer-centric measures in a Canadian ski resort concerning repurchase intentions. Using this methodology, the authors verified that the constructs that influence repurchases are different when marital status is considered.…”

“…Its application depends on expectations about important variables and evaluations of the performance of these variables (Martilla & James, 1977). This technique's ease of use and applicability, such as explaining customer satisfaction and suggesting management strategies for prioritizing resources, make it very attractive for use in the most varied aspects of management (Haverila, Haverila, & Twyford, 2023;Fakfare & Manosuthi, 2023;Tailab, 2020;Nawanir, Fernando, & Teong, 2018).…”