Modeling relationship strength across service types in an Eastern culture

This study examines for the first time, antecedents of relationship commitm ent in service industries in an Eastern cultural context. The study investi gates the reasons for customers engaging in long-term relational exchanges with service firms, as well as the impact of attractive alternatives and sw itching costs on such relationships. The sample comprised respondents in Ba ngkok, Thailand who each completed a series of five questionnaires over a p eriod of two weeks pertaining to their relational behaviour (technical serv ice performance, social bonds and communication) with five predesignated se rvice types. The results indicate that collectivist cultural norms impact t he nature of relationships, and that antecedent variables have significantl y different impacts across service types. Furthermore, switching costs were identified, which act as Powerful inducements to stay in a service relatio nship. Management implications for relational strategies and future researc h implications of the findings are discussed.