A Theoretical Framework for Consumer E-Satisfaction and Site Stickiness: An Evaluation in the Context of Online Hotel Reservations.

E-satisfaction, defined in this study as overall satisfaction with an e-vendor's website, is considered an important factor in encouraging loyalty to that site. Yet, to date, findings have varied tremendously, in both the strength of the satisfaction-loyalty relationship and factors surrounding it. We approach the study of e-satisfaction and e-loyalty (here termed “site stickiness”) from a site-specific perspective, meaning that we focus on consumer perceptions of satisfaction with, and loyalty toward, the information technology (IT) artifact (website) itself, excluding outside influences, such as offline interactions with the e-vendor and postconsumption experiences. We further seek to understand the satisfaction-stickiness relationship in the context of the hospitality industry, where loyalty programs are believed to play a key role in impacting consumer behavior. We ground our research model in Bagozzi's 1992 framework of the self-regulation of attitudes, intentions, and behavior, and test it using a survey of 4838 consumers who visited a large hotel chain's website for the specific purpose of researching room rates and availability as a prelude to booking a room. Results generally support the proposed model. Post hoc analyses indicate that while trust is not a significant direct predictor of satisfaction, it negatively moderates the value-satisfaction relationship. Loyalty card membership, while an important predictor of site stickiness, does not moderate the satisfaction-stickiness relationship as suggested in prior research. This indicates further research is necessary to explore other ways of conceptualizing the impact of loyalty programs, such as investigating member vestedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]