The growing number of academic studies on customer satisfaction and the mixed findings they report complicate efforts among managers and academics to identify the antecedents to, and outcomes of, businesses having more-versus less-satisfied customers. These mixed findings and the growing emphasis by managers on having satisfied customers point to the value of empirically synthesizing the evidence on customer satisfaction to assess current knowledge. To this end, the authors conduct a meta-analysis of the reported findings on customer satisfaction. They document that equity and disconfirmation are most strongly related to customer satisfaction on average. They also find that measurement and method factors that characterize the research often moderate relationship strength between satisfaction and its antecedents and outcomes. The authors discuss the implications surrounding these effects and offer several directions for future research.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adams, J. Stacy
. 1963. “Towards an Understanding of Inequity.”Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology67 (November): 422-436.
2.
Aiello, Albert, Jr.
, John A. Czepiel, and Larry J. Rosenberg. 1977. “Scaling the Heights of Consumer Satisfaction: An Evaluation of Alternative Measures.” In Consumer Satisfaction. Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior. Ed. Ralph L. Day. Bloomington: Indiana University School of Business, 43-50.
3.
Anderson, Eugene W.
, Claes Fornell, and Donald R. Lehmann. 1994. “Customer Satisfaction, Market Share, and Profitability: Findings From Sweden.”Journal of Marketing58 (July): 53-66.
4.
Anderson, Eugene W.
, Claes Fornell, and Roland T. Rust. 1997. “Customer Satisfaction, Productivity, and Profitability: Differences Between Goods and Services.”Marketing Science16 (2): 129-145.
5.
Anderson, Eugene W.
, and Mary W. Sullivan. 1993. “The Antecedents and Consequences of Customer Satisfaction for Firms.”Marketing Science12 (2): 125-143.
6.
*Andreasen, Alan R.1984. “Life Status Changes and Changes in Consumer Preferences and Satisfaction.”Journal of Consumer Research11 (December): 784-795.
7.
*Andreasen, Alan R.1988. “Consumer Complaints and Redress: What We Know and What We Don't Know.” In The Frontier of Research in the Consumer Interest. Ed. E. Scott Maynes. Columbia, MO: American Council on Consumer Interest, 675-722.
8.
*Baer, Robert and Donna J. Hill. 1994. “The Impact of Satisfaction on Brand Loyalty: Urging on Classifying Satisfaction and Brand Loyalty.”Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Complaining Behavior7:152-160.
9.
*Bearden, William O. and Jesse E. Teel. 1983. “Selected Determinants of Consumer Satisfaction and Complaint Reports.”Journal of Marketing Research20 (February): 21-28.
10.
*Bitner, Mary Jo. 1987. “Contextual Cues and Customer Satisfaction: The Role of Physical Surroundings and Employee Behaviors in Service Settings.” Ph.D. dissertation. University of Washington, Seattle.
11.
*Bitner, Mary Jo. 1990. “Evaluating Service Encounters: The Effects of Physical Surroundings and Employee Responses.”Journal of Marketing54 (April): 69-82.
12.
*Bloemer, Jose and Ko de Ruyter. 1995. “Integrating Service Quality and Satisfaction: Pain in the Neck or Marketing Opportunity?”Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior8: 44-52.
13.
Bolton, Ruth N.
and James H. Drew. 1991. “A Longitudinal Analysis of the Impact of Service Changes on Customer Attitudes.”Journal of Marketing55 (January): 1-9.
14.
Burnett, John J.
and Patrick M. Dunne. 1986. “An Appraisal of the Use of Student Subjects in Marketing Research.”Journal of Business Research14:329-343.
15.
*Cadotte, Ernest R., Robert B. Woodruff, and Roger L. Jenkins. 1987. “Expectations and Norms in Models of Consumer Satisfaction.”Journal of Marketing Research14 (August): 305-314.
16.
*Churchill, Gilbert A. and Carol Surprenant. 1982. “An Investigation Into the Determinants of Customer Satisfaction.”Journal of Marketing Research19 (November): 491-504.
17.
*Clemmer, Elizabeth C. 1988. “The Role of Fairness in Customer Satisfaction With Services.” Ph.D. dissertation. University of Maryland-College Park.
18.
Cohen, Jacob
and Patricia Cohen. 1983. Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences.Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
19.
*Crosby, Lawrence A. and James R. Taylor. 1982. “Consumer Satisfaction With Michigan's Container Deposit Law—An Ecological Perspective.”Journal of Marketing46 (Winter): 47-60.
20.
Day, George
. 1984. “Modeling Choices Among Alternative Responses to Dissatisfaction.” In Advances in Consumer Research. Ed. Thomas Kinnear. Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research, 496-499.
21.
*Deeter-Schmelz, Dawn R. 1996. “Customer Contact Teams: The Impact, Structure and Process on Team Effectiveness and Customer Satisfaction.” Ph.D. dissertation. University of South Florida.
22.
*Djupvik, Harald and Dag Eilertsen. 1994. “Customer Satisfaction Monitoring to Understand the Market—Norwegian Telecom.”Marketing and Research Today22 (February): 4-18.
23.
*Duhaime, Carole P.1988. “Customer Satisfaction With the Distribution System for Durable Products.”Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior1:53-59.
Fisk, Raymond P.
and Clifford E. Young. 1985. “Disconfirmation of Equity Expectations: Effects on Consumer Satisfaction With Services.” In Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 12. Eds. Elizabeth C. Hirschman and Morris B. Holbrook. Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research, 340-345.
26.
Folkes, Valerie S.1984. “Consumer Reactions to Product Failure: An Attribution Approach.”Journal of Consumer Research14 (March): 398-409.
27.
*Fu, Shenzhao and Debra S. Perkins. 1995. “Determinants of Technology Licensee's Satisfaction: An Empirical Investigation.”Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Complaining Behavior8:223-233.
28.
Garland, Barbara
and Robert A. Westbrook. 1989. “An Exploration of Client Satisfaction in a Nonprofit Context.”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science17 (Fall): 297-303.
29.
*Gibbon, Cheryl. 1994. “Supplier Quality, Customer Commitment and Satisfaction, and Marketplace Performance.” Ph.D. dissertation, York University, North York, Ontario.
30.
*Gilly, Mary C. and Betsy D. Gelb. 1982. “Post-Purchase Consumer Processes and the Complaining Consumer.”Journal of Consumer Research9 (December): 323-328.
31.
Glass, Gene V.
, Barry McGaw, and Mary Lee Smith. 1981. Meta-Analysis in Social Research.Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
32.
Goodwin, Cathy
and Ivan Ross. 1992. “Consumer Responses to Service Failure: Influence of Procedural and Interactional Fairness Perceptions.”Journal of Business Research25 (September): 149-163.
33.
Gronroos, Christian
. 1982. Strategic Management and Marketing in the Service Sector.Helsinfors, Sweden: Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration.
34.
Hair, Joseph F., Jr.
, Rolph E. Anderson, Ronald L. Tatham, and William C. Black. 1995. Multivariate Data Analysis.Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
35.
Halstead, Diane
, David Hartman, and Sandra L. Schmidt. 1994. “Multisource Effects on the Satisfaction Formation Process.”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science22 (2): 114-129.
36.
Hedges, Larry V.
and Ingram Olkin. 1985. Statistical Methods for Meta-Analysis.San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
37.
*Hiltz, Starr Roxanne and Kenneth Johnson. 1990. “User Satisfaction With Computer-Mediated Communication Systems.”Management Science36 (6): 739-764.
38.
Hirschman, Albert O.1970. Exit, Voice, and Loyalty.Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
39.
Hocutt, Mary Ann
, Goutam Chakraborty, and John C. Mowen. 1997. “The Impact of Perceived Justice on Customer Satisfaction and Intention to Complain in a Service Recovery.” In Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 24. Eds. Merrie Brucks and Deborah J. Macinnis, 457-463.
40.
Hunter, John E.
and Frank L. Schmidt. 1990. Methods of Meta Analysis.Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
41.
Johnson, Michael D.1998. Customer Orientation and Market Action.Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
42.
*Kennedy, John R. and Peter C. Thirkell. 1988. “An Extended Perspective on the Antecedents of Satisfaction.”Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior1:2-9.
43.
LaBarbera, Priscilla A.
and David Mazursky. 1983. “A Longitudinal Assessment of Consumer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction: The Dynamic Aspect of the Cognitive Process.”Journal of Marketing Research20 (November): 393-404.
44.
*Lai, Mengkuan and Richard Widdows. 1993. “Determinants of Consumers' Satisfaction With Service: A Preliminary Study.”Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior6:166-174.
45.
*LaTour, Stephen A. and Nancy C. Peat. 1979. “The Role of Situationally Produced Expectations, Others' Experiences, and Prior Experiences in Determining Consumer Satisfaction.” In Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 7. Ed. Jerry C. Olson. Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research, 588-592.
46.
*Liljander, Veronica. 1994. “Modeling Perceived Service Quality Using Different Comparison Standards.”Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Complaining Behavior7:126-142.
47.
*Mano, Haim and Richard L. Oliver. 1993. “Assessing the Dimensionality and Structure of the Consumption Experience: Evaluation, Feeling, and Satisfaction.”Journal of Consumer Research20 (December): 451-466.
48.
Matt, George E.
and Thomas D. Cook. 1994. “Threats to the Validity of Research Synthesis.” In The Handbook of Research Synthesis. Eds. Harris Cooper and Larry V. Hedges. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
49.
Mittal, Vikas
, William T. Ross, Jr., and Patrick M. Baldasare. 1998. “The Asymmetric Impact of Negative and Positive Attribute-Level Performance on Overall Satisfaction and Repurchase Intentions.”Journal of Marketing62 (January): 33-47.
50.
*Mullan, Dennis J. 1995. “An Investigation of a Residential Customer Satisfaction Model at an Electric Utility.” Ph.D. dissertation. Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.
51.
Neter, John
, William Wasserman, and Michael H. Kutner. 1989. Applied Linear Regression Models.Homewood, IL: Irwin.
52.
Nyer, Prashanth
. 1999. “Cathartic Complaining as a Means of Reducing Consumer Dissatisfaction.”Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Complaining Behavior12:15-25.
53.
Oliva, Terence A.
, Richard L. Oliver, and Ian C. MacMillan. 1992. “A Catastrophe Model for Developing Service Satisfaction Strategies.”Journal of Marketing56 (July): 83-95.
54.
Oliver, Richard L.1980. “A Cognitive Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Satisfaction Decisions.”Journal of Marketing Research17 (November): 460-469.
55.
Oliver, Richard L.1981. “Measurement and Evaluation of Satisfaction Processes in Retail Settings.”Journal of Retailing57 (Fall): 25-48.
56.
Oliver, Richard L.1987. “An Investigation of the Interrelationship Between Consumer (Dis)Satisfaction and Complaining Reports.” In Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 14. Eds. Melanie Wallendorf and Paul Anderson. Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research, 218-222.
57.
*Oliver, Richard L.1993. “Cognitive, Affective, and Attribute Bases of the Satisfaction Response,”Journal of Consumer Research20 (December): 418-430.
58.
Oliver, Richard L.1997. Satisfaction: A Behavioral Perspective on the Consumer.New York: McGraw-Hill.
59.
Oliver, Richard L.
and Wayne S. DeSarbo. 1988. “Response Determinants in Satisfaction Judgments.”Journal of Consumer Research14 (March): 495-507.
60.
Oliver, Richard L.
and G. Linda. 1981. “Effects of Satisfaction and Its Antecedents on Consumer Preference and Intention.” In Advances in Consumer Research. Ed. Kent B. Monroe. Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research, 88-93.
61.
*Oliver, Richard L., Roland T. Rust, and Sajeev Varki. 1997. “Customer Delight: Foundations, Findings, and Managerial Insight.”Journal of Retailing73 (Fall): 311-336.
62.
*Oliver, Richard L. and John E. Swan. 1989a. “Consumer Perceptions of Interpersonal Equity and Satisfaction in Transactions: A Field Survey Approach.”Journal of Marketing53 (April): 21-35.
63.
*Oliver, Richard L. and John E. Swan. 1989b. “Equity and Disconfirmation Perceptions as Influences on Merchant and Product Satisfaction.”Journal of Consumer Research16 (December): 372-383.
64.
*Paul, Kenneth. 1995. “Market Orientation, Quality and Customer Satisfaction in an Industrial Services Market.” Ph.D. dissertation, University of Memphis, TN.
65.
Parasuraman, A.
, Valerie A. Zeithaml, and Leonard L. Berry. 1985. “A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research.”Journal of Marketing49 (Fall): 41-50.
66.
Park, C. Whan
and V. Parker Lessig. 1977. “Students and Housewives: Differences in Susceptibility to Reference Group Influence.”Journal of Consumer Research4 (September): 102-110.
67.
*Prakesh, Ved. 1984. “Validity and Reliability of the Confirmation of Expectations Paradigm as a Determinant of Consumer Satisfaction.”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science12 (4): 63-76.
68.
*Prakesh, Ved. and John W. Lounsbury. 1984. “The Role of Expectations in the Determination of Consumer Satisfaction.”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science12 (3): 1-17.
69.
Richins, Marsha L.1983. “Negative Word-of-Mouth by Dissatisfied Customers: A Pilot Study.”Journal of Marketing47 (Winter): 68-78.
70.
Rust, Roland T.
and Anthony J. Zahorik. 1993. “Customer Satisfaction, Customer Retention, and Market Share.”Journal of Retailing69 (2): 193-215.
71.
*Singh, Jagdip. 1991. “Understanding the Structure of Consumers' Satisfaction Evaluations of Service Delivery.”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science19 (3): 223-244.
72.
*Sirgy, M. Joseph. 1984. “A Social Cognition Model of Consumer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction: An Experiment.”Psychology and Marketing1 (2): 27-44.
73.
*Spreng, Richard A., Gilbert D. Harrell, and Robert D. Mackoy. 1995. “Service Recovery: Impact on Satisfaction and Intentions.”Journal of Services Marketing9 (1): 15-22.
74.
*Spreng, Richard A., Scott B. McKenzie, and Richard W. Olshavsky. 1996. “A Reexamination of the Determinants of Consumer Satisfaction.”Journal of Marketing60 (July): 15-32.
75.
Spreng, Richard A.
and Richard W. Olshavsky. 1993. “A Desires Congruency Model of Consumer Satisfaction.”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science21 (3): 169-177.
76.
Sulek, Joanne M.
, Mary R. Lind, and Ann S. Marucheck. 1995. “The Impact of Customer Service Intervention and Facility Design on Firm Performance.”Management Science41 (November): 1763-1773.
77.
*Swan, John E.1977. “Consumer Satisfaction With a Retail Store Related to the Fulfillment of Expectations on an Initial Shopping Trip.” In Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior. Ed. Ralph L. Day. Bloomington: Indiana University School of Business, 10-17.
78.
*Swan, John E.1988. “Consumer Satisfaction Related to Disconfirmation of Expectations and Product Performance.”Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior1:40-47.
79.
Swan, John E.
and Alice A. Mercer. 1982. “Consumer Satisfaction as a Function of Equity and Disconfirmation.” In Conceptual and Empirical Contributions to Consumer Satisfaction and Complaining Behavior. Eds. H. Keith Hunt and Ralph L. Day. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2-8.
80.
Swan, John E.
and Richard L. Oliver. 1985. “Automobile Buyer Satisfaction With the Salesperson Related to Equity and Disconfirmation.” In Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior. Eds. H. K. Hunt and R. L. Day. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
81.
*Swan, John E. and Richard L. Oliver. 1991. “An Applied Analysis of Buyer Equity Perceptions and Satisfaction With Automobile Salespeople.”Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management11 (2): 15-26.
82.
*Swan, John E. and I. Frederick Trawick. 1981. “Disconfirmation of Expectations and Satisfaction With a Retail Service.”Journal of Retailing57 (Fall): 49-67.
83.
Tabachnick, Barbara G.
and Linda S. Fidell. 1996. Using Multivariate Statistics.3d ed. New York: HarperCollins.
84.
Tavassoli, Nader T.1998. “Language in Multimedia: Interaction of Spoken and Written Information.”Journal of Consumer Research25 (March): 26-43.
85.
Tax, Stephen S.
and Murali Chandrashekaran. 1992. “Consumer Decision Making Following a Failed Service Encounter: A Pilot Study.”Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior5:55-68.
86.
*Taylor, Steven A.1996. “Consumer Satisfaction With Marketing Education: Extending Services Theory to Academic Practice.”Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Complaining Behavior9:207-220.
87.
*Taylor, Steven A. and Thomas L. Baker. 1994. “An Assessment of the Relationship Between Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in the Formation of Consumers' Purchase Intentions.”Journal of Retailing70 (2): 163-178.
88.
*Tessler, Richard and David Mechanic. 1975. “Consumer Satisfaction With Prepaid Group Practice: A Comparative Study.”Journal of Health and Social Behavior16 (March): 95-113.
89.
Thibaut, J. W.
and H. H. Kelley. 1959. The Social Psychology of Groups.New York: John Wiley.
90.
*Tse, David K. and Peter C. Wilton. 1988. “Models of Consumer Satisfaction Formation: An Extension.”Journal of Marketing Research25 (May): 204-212.
91.
Ursic, Michael L.1985. “A Model of the Consumer Decision to Seek Legal Redress.”Journal of Consumer Affairs19 (Summer): 20-36.
92.
*Webb, D. and Abiodun Jagun. 1997. “Customer Care, Customer Satisfaction, Value, Loyalty and Complaining Behavior: Validation in a UK University Setting.”Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Complaining Behavior10:139-151.
93.
Weiner, Bernard
. 1986. An Attributional Theory of Motivation and Emotion.New York: Springer.
94.
*Westbrook, Robert A.1980a. “Consumer Satisfaction as a Function of Personal Competence/Efficacy.”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science8 (4): 427-437.
95.
*Westbrook, Robert A.1980b. “Intrapersonal Affective Influences on Consumer Satisfaction With Products.”Journal of Consumer Research7 (June): 49-54.
96.
*Westbrook, Robert A.1980c. “A Rating Scale for Measuring Product/Service Satisfaction.”Journal of Marketing44 (Fall): 68-72.
97.
*Westbrook, Robert A.1981. “Sources of Consumer Satisfaction With Retail Outlets.”Journal of Retailing57 (3): 68-85.
98.
Westbrook, Robert A.1987. “Product/Consumption-Based Affective Responses and Postpurchase Processes.”Journal of Marketing Research24 (August): 258-270.
99.
*Westbrook, Robert A. and Joseph A. Cote, Jr.1979. “An Exploratory Study of Non-Product-Related Influences Upon Consumer Satisfaction.” In Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 7. Ed. Jerry C. Olson. Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research, 577-581.
100.
*Westbrook, Robert A. and Richard L. Oliver. 1991. “The Dimensionality of Consumption Emotion Patterns and Consumer Satisfaction.”Journal of Consumer Research18 (June): 84-91.
101.
Yi, Youjae
. 1990. “A Critical Review of Consumer Satisfaction.” In Review of Marketing. Ed. Valerie A. Zeithaml. Chicago: American Marketing Association.
102.
Zeithaml, Valerie
, Leonard Berry, and A. Parasuraman. 1993. “The Nature and Determinants of Customer Expectations of Service.”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science21 (1): 1-12.
