Contrasting the Drivers of Switching Intent and Switching Behavior in Contractual Service Settings

52 Pages Posted: 14 Aug 2014

See all articles by Jochen Wirtz

Jochen Wirtz

National University of Singapore

Ping Xiao

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Business School

Jeongwen Chiang

China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)

Naresh K. Malhotra

Georgia Institute of Technology - Scheller College of Business

Date Written: August 13, 2014

Abstract

We examine consumer switching decisions in contractual service settings and contrast the drivers of actual switching with those of switching intent. We surveyed a panel of subscribers to all cell phone service providers in a market and recorded key marketing mix data. At four months intervals, we asked panel members about their switching intentions and then subsequently observed actual switching behavior. Consistent with construal level theory, our findings show that switching intent is explained by only a handful of desirability- or outcome-related variables (i.e., overall satisfaction, performance perceptions of important attributes, and monetary switching costs). In contrast, the results show that many more variable categories contributed to explain actual switching behavior. These findings confirm that switching intent is driven by a qualitatively different set of variables than switching behavior. Implications for theory, research and practice are discussed.

Keywords: Switching behavior, switching intent, construal level theory, marketing-mix.

Suggested Citation

Wirtz, Jochen and Xiao, Ping and Chiang, Jeongwen and Malhotra, Naresh K., Contrasting the Drivers of Switching Intent and Switching Behavior in Contractual Service Settings (August 13, 2014). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2479758 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2479758

Jochen Wirtz (Contact Author)

National University of Singapore ( email )

15 Kent Ridge Drive
Singapore, 119245
Singapore

Ping Xiao

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Business School ( email )

200 Leicester Street
Carlton, Victoria 3053 3186
Australia

Jeongwen Chiang

China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) ( email )

Shanghai-Hongfeng Road
Shanghai 201206
Shanghai 201206
China

Naresh K. Malhotra

Georgia Institute of Technology - Scheller College of Business ( email )

800 West Peachtree St., NW
Atlanta, GA 30308-1149
United States

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