An Empirical Investigation of the Relationships Between Service Quality, Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions among Visitors to a Wildlife Refuge

A model was developed in which quality of performance and quality of experience were conceptualized as direct antecedents of overall service quality and visitor satisfaction, which influence behavioral intentions. Eight hypotheses postulating the interrelationships between these five constructs were tested using structural equation modeling. Data for the study were collected from 282 visitors to a wildlife refuge. Seven of the eight hypotheses were supported. Results verified the existence of service quality and visitor satisfaction at both the transaction and global levels. At the transaction level, service quality (i.e. quality of performance) contributed to visitor satisfaction (i.e. quality of experience); while at the global level, visitor satisfaction influenced service quality. Both overall service quality and overall visitor satisfaction were found to directly influence visitors' future behavioral intentions, and were confirmed as being different constructs.

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