earticle

영어

As the competition in the healthcare service market is becoming more and more intense, brand equity emerges as one of the important competitive advantages. Relationships among service brand equity, customer satisfaction, trust and commitment have been studies in the past in service industries like hotels and restaurants, but research are fairly rare in healthcare service industries. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship among service brand equity, customer satisfaction, trust, and commitment in the sector of healthcare services. Specific objectives of the current research are three fold. First, the relationship between brand equity (brand awareness, brand image and perceived quality) and satisfaction with the brand is to be empirically investigated. Second, how brand satisfaction, brand loyalty, and switching cost can affect trust and commitment is also to be investigated. Finally, practical implications with regard to effective management of service brand equity, satisfaction, trust, and commitment in healthcare service markets are to be derived. Based on extensive reviews of previous research (on brand awareness, brand image, perceived quality, satisfaction, trust, and commitment), following research hypotheses were developed. H1-1: brand awareness positively affects brand satisfaction (in healthcare services). H1-2: perceived quality of a brand positively affects brand satisfaction. H1-3: brand image positively affects brand satisfaction. H2-1: brand satisfaction positively affects brand loyalty. H2-2: brand satisfaction positively affects brand loyalty. H2-3: brand satisfaction positively affects commitment. H2-4: brand satisfaction positively affects switching cost. H3-1: brand loyalty positively affects trust. H3-2: brand loyalty positively affects commitment. H4-1: switching cost positively affects brand loyalty. H4-2: switching cost positively affects commitment. H5: trust positively affects commitment. The hypotheses above were tested empirically by the data collected at two major hospitals that were believed to have excellent service brand equity by various secondary data - Asan Medical Center (AMC) and Samsung Medical Center (SMC). The sampling frame was the patients and their caretakers waiting for healthcare services at one of two hospitals. A total of 219 questionnaires were collected. Thirty two questionnaires with unsatisfactory responses were eliminated. Consequently 187 questionnaires were finally analyzed in this research. All of eight constructs in this study were measured on a 5 point measurement scale. Each construct was measured by 2 to three items. All measures showed satisfactory results on validity and reliability. Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.73 to 0.81. Structural equation model was employed to perform hypothesis testing in the current research. All hypotheses but H1-1, H1-2, H2-3, H3-1, and H4-1 were supported. The major findings of the research can be summarized as follows : (1) perceived quality affected brand satisfaction, (2) brand satisfaction was shown to have positive effects on brand loyalty, trust, and switching cost, (3) brand loyalty and switching cost were found to have positive influence on commitment, and (4) trust had positive effects on commitment. Implications for healthcare service managers and directions for future research were also suggested.

한국어

본 연구의 목적은 브랜드 자산의 영향력이 더욱 커지는 의료서비스에 대하여 브랜드 가치, 관계의 질이 미치는 영향을 밝히는데 있다. 또한 국내 의료시장에 관한 실증분석을 위하여 브랜드 자산 1위로 평가 받는 서울아산병 원과 서울삼성병원의 실제 이용자를 대상으로 조사하여 더욱 의미를 갖는다. 연구의 결과의 요약은 다음과 같다. 첫째, 지각된 품질은 브랜드 만족에 영향을 미친다. 둘째, 브랜드 만족은 브랜 드 충성도, 신뢰, 전환비용에 정의 영향을 미친다. 셋째, 브랜드 충성도와 전환비용은 몰입에 정의 영향을 미친다. 넷째, 신뢰는 몰입에 정의 영향을 미친다. 즉, 브랜드 자산과 브랜드 만족, 브랜드 충성도, 전환비용, 신뢰와 몰입 의 형성과정을 통합적으로 알아보았다. 이를 바탕으로 이론적으로는 의료서비스 분야의 특수성 및 신뢰의 중요성을 밝혀 향후 연구에 시사점을 제시하였 다. 그리고 경쟁이 더욱 치열해지는 의료기관에는 브랜드 자산 관리와 장기적인 관계 형성이 필수적이라는 실무 적인 시사점을 제공하였다.