Examining mediating role of attitudinal loyalty and nonlinear effects in satisfaction‐behavioral intentions relationship

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the mediating role of attitudinal loyalty in the relationship between satisfaction and customer behavioral intentions such as willingness to pay more and internal and external complaining responses. It also seeks to examine the nonlinear effects in the relationship between satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty and behavioral intentions. Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopted the structural equation modeling approach to test the hypotheses (sample size 202). It used Marsh et al. 's unconstrained method to test latent quadratic effects in the conceptualized relationships. Findings – The results support the fully mediating role of attitudinal loyalty in the relationship between satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The paper also finds partial support for nonlinear effects in the relationship. Results support nonlinearity, and in particular diminishing sensitivity, in the link from attitudinal loyalty to willingness to pay more. Originality/value – The paper adds to the existing literature by detangling the complex relationships between satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty and behavioral intentions such as willingness to pay more and external and internal complaining responses. In particular, this is the first study to simultaneously examine the nonlinear effects of attitudinal loyalty on multiple behavioral intentions constructs. This study also establishes the superiority of a fully mediated model, in which satisfaction affects behavioral intentions through attitudinal loyalty, over a partially mediated model.