The Satisfaction-Loyalty Relationship in Marketing: A Critical Review and Future Research

Abstract:The purpose of this study is to critically review and to recommend future research for the satisfaction-loyalty relationship (SLR) in marketing. The paper is based on over 75 papers published by top peer reviewed journals in marketing throughout the world over the past three decades. The results show that the SLR is suggested to be positive. However, this relationship could be linear or nonlinear depending on the nature, the different approaches of measure and definition of satisfaction and loyalty. Moreover, the relationship is affected by many moderators, mediators and other variables. Future research should extend to test other antecedents besides satisfaction and to use different definitional approaches of satisfaction and loyalty to explain loyalty. Different functional forms of the SLR, moderators and mediators are also recommended to test in a separate or combined approach to shed light on the complex nature of this relationship.