This Article Full Text (OnlineFirst PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Gazzoli, G. Articles by Park, Y. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Role and Effect of Job Satisfaction and Empowerment on Customers’ Perception of Service Quality: A Study in the Restaurant Industry

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: gabriel.gazzoli{at}ritz.edu.

	Abstract

Empowerment, job satisfaction, and customer’s perception of service quality have been extensively researched in a multitude of industries. Although the service quality literature points out the importance of managing service quality from both customers’ and employees’ views, only a few studies have jointly considered an employee–customer research design. This study examined the answers from 474 restaurant contact employees and their 1,259 customers to determine the effects of empowerment and job satisfaction on customers’ perception of service quality. The uniqueness of this study is in its service quality variable used in the structural model. Whereas previous research based the service quality variable on the SERVQUAL conceptualization and measurement, this study conceptualized customers’ perceived service quality variable according to the "hierarchical approach" model and used the performanceonly index for its measurement. Findings suggest that empowerment and job satisfaction have a significant impact on customers’ perception of service quality. Implications of the findings are discussed in detail.

First published on October 19, 2009
Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research 2009, doi:10.1177/1096348009344235


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?