Date of Award

1991

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

First Advisor

Dan L. Sherrell

Abstract

The objectives of the dissertation were: (1) examine the relative influence of expectations, performance, and disconfirmation on satisfaction with professional services; (2) assess the relative influence of role based and non-role based dimensions of a professional service on satisfaction; (3) conceptualize and test the influence of consumer role constructs on satisfaction with professional services; and (4) examine the influence of involvement on satisfaction formation for professional services. Prior to seeing their doctor, one hundred and thirty-one orthopedic patients completed a questionnaire concerning their expectations for their own role, the doctor's role, the staff's role, and access mechanisms (non-role based dimensions such as waiting time, parking spaces, etc.). Respondents completed a second questionnaire at home following their visit concerning perceptions of performance, disconfirmation, and satisfaction. Four submodels of satisfaction formation were constructed to explain satisfaction with patient, doctor, staff, and access mechanisms performance. These submodels were tested separately via LISREL VI, and then integrated into an overall model of patient satisfaction. The main premise of the dissertation research was that role based dimensions are more important predictors of satisfaction for professional services than non-role based dimensions. This proposition was supported. Findings regarding the relative influence of expectations, performance, and disconfirmation on satisfaction formation were fairly consistent with the disconfirmation paradigm from the consumer product domain. Conclusions regarding the impact of consumer satisfaction with their own role on overall satisfaction were somewhat limited by multicollinearity among the satisfaction formation constructs. Findings regarding the influence of involvement on satisfaction formation were also inconclusive. Based on the dissertation results, role theory appears to be a useful conceptual perspective from which to model consumers' immediate satisfaction with professional services.

Pages

361

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_disstheses.5148

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