Abstract

This study attempts to examine the mediation effect of satisfaction on service quality perception and intentions
behavior of private hospital outpatients in Malaysia. 300 hospital outpatients were selected as the sample size.
Regression analysis was run to test the hypotheses. Based on the 273 completed data, the results provide support
for the association between perceived service quality dimensions (tangibles, assurance, and empathy) and
behavioral intentions. The results also confirm that service quality perception is an antecedent of intentions. In
addition, tangibility, reliability and assurance are important predictors of satisfaction, and satisfaction has a
strong positive relationship with intentions. In short, service quality drives satisfaction which in turn drives
behavioral intentions. The finding also indicates that satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between
perceived service quality and behavioral intentions. As a result, the strength of the perceived service
quality-behavioral intentions relationship becomes weaker when satisfaction is considered. Theoretical and
managerial implications of the findings are also discussed.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.