Influence of Service Quality on Emotional Satisfaction in Game Lodges

Abstract

Purpose: Service quality in game lodges context elicit customers’ emotional satisfaction, which subsequently influences consumer behavior such as revisit intentions and WOM recommendations. Service quality research has paid more focus on cognitive dimensions of customer satisfaction, giving little attention on affective or customer emotional satisfaction. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of service quality on tourists’ emotional satisfaction residing in star rated game lodges at Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Methodology: The study adopted epistemological research philosophy guided by positivism paradigm with a quantitative and a cross sectional survey research design. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select the respondents and data was collected using structured questionnaires that were administered to 312 respondents drawn from visitors who resided in star rated game lodges at Masai Mara national reserve and its conservancies in Kenya. Data was analyzed using structural equation model that tested hypothesis and the relationship between service quality and emotional satisfaction.  Data was presented in the form of tables and figures. Findings: The findings suggest that in the context of game lodges, service quality is important for developing customer emotional satisfaction. The study results support a positive and significant relationship between service quality and emotional satisfaction. Recommendations: The study contributes immensely to the theoretical background on service marketing by providing thorough examination of the service quality and its influence on emotional satisfaction. The influence of service quality on emotional or affective aspects of customer satisfaction in game lodges context allied to value- percept display theory is rare. Thus, this study broadens the domain of value- percept display theory that has received little attention. The managers in game lodges should identify and improve on the service quality dimensions that make the most significant contribution to emotional satisfaction. This is a significant input to the service marketing especially in the little researched area in service quality perceptions and emotional responses among the traditional, domestic and the emerging tourism markets in game lodges in Kenya.