TY - JOUR
T1 - Dimensions of customer loyalty in hospitality micro-enterprises
AU - Haghighi, Azin Mostajer
AU - Baum, Thomas
AU - Shafti, Farhad
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - This study aims to explore the role of customer loyalty as a managerial tool in the context of hospitality micro-enterprises (HMEs). In the absence of the concept of franchise customer loyalty becomes one of the key factors for survival. Analysis of data results in exploring the importance of customer loyalty to owner-managers, and their role in generating the antecedents of loyalty is also revealed. Encounter of owner-managers' motivations with small hospitality business characteristics appears to be influential. Motivation leads to creation of an ‘at home’ feeling and offering extra services. These directly influence customer loyalty in HMEs. A paradox has been highlighted: as a result of the same factors (host motivations and small business characteristics) customer loyalty cannot be built in its higher levels.
AB - This study aims to explore the role of customer loyalty as a managerial tool in the context of hospitality micro-enterprises (HMEs). In the absence of the concept of franchise customer loyalty becomes one of the key factors for survival. Analysis of data results in exploring the importance of customer loyalty to owner-managers, and their role in generating the antecedents of loyalty is also revealed. Encounter of owner-managers' motivations with small hospitality business characteristics appears to be influential. Motivation leads to creation of an ‘at home’ feeling and offering extra services. These directly influence customer loyalty in HMEs. A paradox has been highlighted: as a result of the same factors (host motivations and small business characteristics) customer loyalty cannot be built in its higher levels.
KW - hospitality micro-enterprises
KW - customer loyalty
KW - service management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84873940073&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/02642069.2013.763928
DO - 10.1080/02642069.2013.763928
M3 - Article
JO - Service Industries Journal
JF - Service Industries Journal
SN - 0264-2069
ER -