Commerce and Management
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Item Effect of Perceived Quality Assurance on Customer Loyalty in Automobile After-Sales Services: Investigating the Mediating Role of Customer Relationship Management(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Perera, G. M. V. D.; Jayawardene, S. M.This research investigates the impact of perceived quality assurance (PQA) on customer loyalty (CL) in the automotive after-sales service sector in Sri Lanka, focusing on the mediating role of customer relationship management (CRM). Sri Lanka’s unique market dynamics, marked by high vehicle ownership costs and reliance on after-sales services, create a critical need for customer retention strategies. This study addresses the discrepancies in the literature regarding the mediating role of CRM in strengthening the relationship between service quality dimensions touch, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy and customer loyalty. Previous scholars have highlighted how integrating quality assurance practices and CRM contributes to sustainable customer engagement and loyalty. In developing countries such as Sri Lanka, the quality of after-sales service is critical for automobile customer loyalty because vehicles are often repaired and used for a long time due to the high purchase cost. Hence, the engagement of automobile customers with aftersales services is very high in countries such as Sri Lanka. However, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding how CRM activities mediate the relationship between perceived service quality and customer loyalty of automobile aftersales industry. Therefore, this research aims to examine the relationship between perceived quality assurance and customer loyalty in automobile aftersales services with special reference to Sri Lanka. A quantitative research approach was adopted using a structured survey distributed to a sample of 400 vehicle customers in Sri Lanka. Data collection targeted key dimensions of service quality, CRM practices, and loyalty indicators. Statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis, was performed using SPSS software. Hypotheses were developed based on a conceptual framework integrating PQA, CRM, and CL and were tested to determine the strength and direction of relationships among the variables. The results confirm that all dimensions of perceived service quality significantly affect customer loyalty, with assurance and reliability showing the highest impact. CRM emerged as an important mediator, enhancing the impact of reliable quality assurance on loyalty. The findings are consistent with the existing literature, highlighting the importance of service quality dimensions in driving loyalty while expanding knowledge by emphasizing the mediating role of CRM. This study reaffirms the need to integrate robust CRM systems to bridge quality gaps and develop deeper customer relationships. Demographic results indicated that most of the participants were male, had been associated with service providers for more than seven years and lived in the western Province. Cronbach’s Alpha and KMO values were applied to assess the internal reliability and validity of items: all Cronbach’s Alpha values, and all KMO values were above the accepted criteria. Pearson coefficient yielded positive correlation between responsiveness, empathy, and customer loyalty where responsiveness and empathy were most correlated with each other with correlation coefficients higher than 0.7. Estimated results of the regression analysis showed that perceived quality assurance had a very significant positive influence on the dependent variable, customer loyalty and mediating role of CRM. As the table of model summary statistics presented, the R squared values were 0.629 meaning high explanatory power. The overall model indicated the values of B = 0.994 and the significance value of 0.000 for confirming all hypothesis. The study’s reliance on cross-sectional data limits its ability to observe long-term dynamics of customer loyalty. Given the self-reported nature of the data, social desirability bias may affect survey responses. In addition, the single market – Sri Lanka – limits the generalizability of the findings to other geographic contexts or industries. Future studies could address these limitations through longitudinal designs and multi-market comparisons. Theoretically, this research contributes to the limited knowledge on the mediating role of CRM in the PQA-CL relationship in developing economies. In practice, it provides actionable insights for automotive service providers in Sri Lanka, emphasizing the integration of quality assurance and CRM to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. Recommendations include standardizing service quality delivery, investing in CRM training, and leveraging data analytics to personalize customer interactions. These steps can guide practitioners in designing effective after-sales strategies. Future research could explore digital CRM tools and evolving customer expectations in the automotive sector.Item The Significant Impact of CRM Practices on Customer Satisfaction: with Special Reference to Interior & Exterior Blinds Companies in Sri Lanka(Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya,Sri Lanka., 2017) Perera, G.D.D.; Gayathree, D.A.G.P.K.This study examined the impact of customer relationship management (CRM) elements on customer satisfaction. CRM is one of the critical strategies that can be employed by organizations to improve competitive advantage. The organizational context of the study was Interior & Exterior blinds companies in Sri Lanka. It is necessary for the organization to build and maintain a strong relationship with the customers in order to achieve the ultimate goal of customer satisfaction. Four critical CRM elements are measured in this study, behavior of the employees, quality of customer services, complaint handling and Social interaction. The population of the present study is customers with high income who are purchasing blinds from western province, 150 respondents were selected through convenient sampling and data has been collected through questionnaire. Correlation and regression analysis are used to examine the relationship of the variables and effect of the independent variables on dependent variables. According to the study it is recommended initiation of loyalty programs and continuous improvement of CRM activities are essential for further development of industry.Item Impact of Customer Relationship Perceptions on Customer Loyalty in Supermarkets in Sri Lanka(Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Piumali, W.M.H.; Wijethunga, W.M.H.U.Building and maintaining strong relationships with their customers has become a basic requirement for companies today. Therefore, firms aim to build close relationships with customers to enhance Customer Relationship Perceptions (CRPs) which would lead to Customer Loyalty (CL). There are only few researches that have studied the relationship between CRPs and CL especially in the Sri Lankan context. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between CRPs and CL of supermarkets in Sri Lanka. This study is descriptive and correlational in nature. Target population of the study was all supermarket consumers and 180 of them were selected as the sample. The results show that, there is a high level of CRPs among supermarket consumers in terms of affective commitment and satisfaction and there is high level of CL towards supermarket consumers in terms of attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty. Findings of the study highlight that CRPs dimensions positively effect to the customer loyalty.Item The Impact of Customer Relationship Management Strategies on Customer Brand Loyalty in Telecommunication Industry, Sri Lanka(2011) Randeni, R.K.S.P.; Wanninayake, W.M.C.B.Telecommunication corporations are in a constant race to increase profits, retain their customers and gain new customers like never before. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is aimed at building strong long-term relationships that keep customers coming back. It aims at helping organizations to build individual customer relationships, so that both the company and the customer get the most out of the exchange. The ultimate outcome of CRM is to develop customer loyalty towards organizational brands. The primary objective of this study was to examine the relative impact of CRM strategies on customer brand loyalty in the telecommunication industry. The study was based on primary and secondary data. The primary data was collected through a survey that was conducted within the Colombo city limits as well as in the Gampaha and Kaluthara districts, which are high consumption areas in Sri Lanka. According to the stratified sampling method, a structured questionnaire was distributed among sample of 160 respondents who currently utilize telecommunication services. Five hypotheses were formed on CRM strategies and central tendency, standard deviation, peason correlation testing, multiple regression analysis etc. were used as data analysis techniques. The findings revealed that CRM strategies have a significant impact on customer loyalty in terms of personalization and interactive management. In other words using customized service systems, paying individual attention to customers, providing necessary service information, proper after-sales services and feedback services of suppliers enable to increase their customer loyalty in the telecommunication sector. Finally, researchers have recommended some CRM strategies and practices to enhance customer loyalty towards telecommunication brands to make a strategic sense towards sustainable growth.