ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIALIZATION OF SERVICE CUSTOMERS

This study considers the organizational socialization of the customers of service organizations. Service customers contribute to service quality through what they do (customer technical quality) and how they do it (customer functional quality). The level of organizational socialization achieved by customers was found to be positively related to customer perceptions of the organizational climate for service, the motivational direction of customers, and customer satisfaction. Organizational climate and motivational direction were positively related to customer technical quality. Motivational direction was inversely related to customer functional quality, whereas customer satisfaction was positively related to customer technical and functional quality.