The causal chain of loyalty

Loyalty is considered as a key concept in the establishment and maintenance of long term relationships. In this work in progress communication, a theoretical framework is proposed on the basis of the relationship marketing paradigm and commitment trust theory. Loyalty is conceived according to Oliver (1997) as a causal chain composed by cognitive loyalty, affective loyalty, conative loyalty and action loyalty. We focus on the site of electronic database (Proquest). Data was collected with students. Factor analysis supports the existence of four loyalty components. Regression analyses are used to test our hypothesis. Results support the relationship between trust and cognitive loyalty. The relationships between the four components of loyalty were also proven. Nevertheless, a non commercial site of electronic database is a particular category of sites with lower risks than those where payments are realized and personal information is provided. Besides, other possible chains of loyalty with the same components may exist. In fact, cognition is not necessarily the first step in the development of loyalty.