Statistics for managers Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Statistics for managers - Term Paper Example Several empirical studies have highlighted the effect of expectations on customer satisfaction.  The overall conclusion drawn from these studies is that expectations influence customer satisfaction, and the effect can be positive, negative or non-existent.  But it can also be concluded that the positive as well as the negative effect of expectations on customer satisfaction is minimal. We believe partly that expectations is such a complex concept that it is hard to achieve reliable and valid measures, and partly that expectations as a concept does not have a conclusive influence on the formation of customer satisfaction.  We suggest that expectations be dismissed from customer satisfaction measurement instruments in the future.  We state that perceived quality is one of the primary drivers of customer satisfaction. Several empirical studies support these viewpoints.  We agree with Gronross (1993,p.  61) that "it does not seem possible to make independent measurement of customer expectations ...  It seems valid, at least in certain situations, to develop measurement models based on customer experiences of quality only".  Cronin and Taylor (1992) and Liljander and Strandvik (1992) take the same view. First, an experiment where the relationships between expectations, perceived quality and customer satisfaction were studied, using the methodology from the Swedish and American customer satisfaction index.  Second, a customer satisfaction survey, using the methodology for the new European customer satisfaction index (ECSI). The purpose is also to highlight whether buying behavior, described by a set of relevant product category characteristics (price, complexity and sign value), has any influence on the relationship between perceived quality and customer satisfaction, and if so, how strong this influence is.  Do some buying