Chahal Hardeep, Bala Madhu
Department of Commerce, University of Jammu, Jammu, India.
Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2012;25(4):343-62. doi: 10.1108/09526861211221518.
The purpose of the study is to examine three significant components of service brand equity--i.e. perceived service quality, brand loyalty, and brand image--and analyze relationships among the components of brand equity and also their relationship with brand equity, which is still to be theorized and developed in the healthcare literature.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Effective responses were received from 206 respondents, selected conveniently from the localities of Jammu city. After scale item analysis, the data were analyzed using factor analysis, correlations, t-tests, multiple regression analysis and path modeling using SEM.
The findings of the study support that service brand equity in the healthcare sector is greatly influenced by brand loyalty and perceived quality. However, brand image has an indirect effect on service brand equity through brand loyalty (mediating variable).
RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The research can be criticized on the ground that data were selected conveniently from respondents residing in the city of Jammu, India. But at the same time the respondents were appropriate for the study as they have adequate knowledge about the hospitals, and were associated with the selected hospital for more than four years. Furthermore, the validity and reliability of the data are strong enough to take care of the limitations of the convenience sampling selection method.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study has unique value addition to the service marketing vis-à-vis healthcare literature, from both theoretical and managerial perspectives. The study establishes a direct and significant relationship between service brand equity and its two components, i.e. perceived service quality and brand loyalty in the healthcare sector. It also provides directions to healthcare service providers in creating, enhancing, and maintaining service brand equity through service quality and brand loyalty, to sustain competitive advantage.
本研究旨在考察服务品牌资产的三个重要组成部分，即感知服务质量、品牌忠诚度和品牌形象，并分析品牌资产各组成部分之间的关系以及它们与品牌资产的关系，而这在医疗保健文献中仍有待理论化和发展。
设计/方法/途径：从查谟市当地方便选取了206名受访者，收到了有效的回复。经过量表项目分析后，使用因子分析、相关性分析、t检验、多元回归分析以及使用结构方程模型的路径建模对数据进行了分析。
研究结果支持医疗保健行业的服务品牌资产受品牌忠诚度和感知质量的极大影响。然而，品牌形象通过品牌忠诚度（中介变量）对服务品牌资产有间接影响。
研究局限/启示：该研究可能会受到批评，因为数据是从印度查谟市的受访者中方便选取的。但与此同时，这些受访者适合该研究，因为他们对医院有足够的了解，并且与所选医院有四年以上的关联。此外，数据的有效性和可靠性足以弥补便利抽样选择方法的局限性。
原创性/价值：从理论和管理角度来看，该研究为医疗保健文献中的服务营销提供了独特的价值补充。该研究在医疗保健行业中确立了服务品牌资产与其两个组成部分，即感知服务质量和品牌忠诚度之间的直接且显著的关系。它还为医疗保健服务提供商通过服务质量和品牌忠诚度来创建、提升和维护服务品牌资产以维持竞争优势提供了方向。
