전문서비스 고객이 느끼는 통제력과 서비스 만족에 관한 연구

Abstract

An increasing number of professional service firms have adopted customer orientation as one of major business objectives. Regardless, many industry reports have indicated that customer satisfaction with professional services is consistently below the average among industries compared. Services literature has maintained that professional services have unique industry characteristics, fostering their customers to easily experience stress, frustration, and dissatisfaction. This study proposes and empirically tests perceived control as a promising variable that enhances satisfaction among customers of professional services. Adopting Averill’s (1973) perspective of personal control, the study conceptualizes perceived control as being composed of three components: cognitive, behavioral, and decisional. Data were collected from customers of medical services. The study found that the medical service customer’s perception of overall control was affected by decisional control, which in turn has a significant influence on overall satisfaction with the services. Implications for managers and researchers are provided.