Circumventing customers’ switching behavior in telecommunication industry in Tanzania: Insight from Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love

Abstract

Recently, business organizations have been including customers’ switching barriers as part of their strategic plans for retaining customers. For decades, customer switching barriers have been the most important business strategy developed by achieving customer satisfaction. However, evidence from consumer psychology indicate that the majority of satisfied customers switch, and many dissatisfied customers do not switch, implying that satisfaction and dissatisfaction alone cannot fix the problem of customers switching behavior. Therefore, the study developed and tested a model that proposes a relational-based mechanism, i.e., brand love, as the determinant factor in circumventing customers’ switching behavior. Data were collected from 401 customers of five telephony companies in the telecommunication industry in Tanzania, using a cross-sectional survey and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings show that the dimensions of brand love suggested by Sternberg’s triangular theory of love significantly energize customers’ switching barriers. Therefore, service organizations should invest in developing a loving relationship with their customers to reduce the intention to switch

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