Modeling Relationship Strength across Service Types in Theravada Buddhist Culture

2 This study examines the reasons for customers engaging in long-term relational exchanges with service firms, as well as the impact of attractive alternatives and switching costs on such relationships in Eastern culture. The sample comprised respondents in Bangkok, Thailand who each completed a series of five questionnaires over a period of two weeks pertaining to their relational behaviour (technical service performance, social bonds, communication, switching costs and commitment) with five service types. Results indicate that collectivist cultural norms impact the nature of relationships, and that antecedent variables have significantly different impacts across service types. Furthermore switching costs acted as a powerful inducement to stay in a service relationship. Management implications for relational strategies and future research implications of the findings are discussed.