Author

Se-Hyuk Park

Date of Graduation

1994

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This study investigated the antecedents of behavioral loyalty and the relationships among the study variables. The data used in the analyses were collected from participants of a recreational sport/fitness center. Data were collected through a combination of on site and mail survey. The results of the multivariate analyses were based on 208 completed usable questionnaires. The present study corroborated the idea that involvement and attitudinal loyalty constructs should be viewed multidimensionally. Factor analyses produced three factor structure for attitudinal loyalty construct (normative, affective, and investment loyalty), and four factors for involvement construct (self-expression, importance-pleasure, risk-consequence, and risk probability). These dimensions of involvement and attitudinal loyalty constructs should be taken into account in predicting participants' behaviors. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that subjects who reported higher levels of involvement profiles also had higher scores on attitudinal loyalty profiles. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that involvement profiles and attitudinal loyalty profiles uniquely contributed to the prediction of behavioral loyalty. Involvement profiles have a good predictive power in participants' short term usage of the program, while attitudinal loyalty is predictive of long term usage of the program. These results reflect the multidimensionality of behavioral loyalty. A series of t-test and ANOVA revealed that demographic variables may be utilized to segment the market. Further, it was found that participants who were affectively loyal and perceive importance of and pleasure in the program exhibited higher levels of behavioral loyalty dimensions and planned to renew membership in the future. Marketing strategies should be concerned about how to create greater attitudinal loyalty and involvement profiles of participants to influence or increase their levels of behavioral loyalty to the respective organization.

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