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DECLARATION
I declare that this study submitted for the degree of Master of Business Administration has not
already been accepted in substance of any degree, and is not being concurrently submitted in
candidature for any degree.
I also declare that this study submitted for the degree of Masters of business administration is the
result of my own work and investigations. Wherever possible I have acknowledged the authors
of references used and of views expressed which are then my own.
Contents
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.0: Introduction, Research Aim and Objectives .......................................................................................... 6
1.1: Introduction: ...................................................................................................................................... 6
1.2: Customers Satisfaction In Banking Industry And Its Importance: .................................................... 6
1.3: Importance Of Pricing: ....................................................................................................................... 7
1.4: Antecedents Of Price And Its Satisfaction: ........................................................................................ 8
1.5: The Context Of Price Satisfaction In Banking Sector: ........................................................................ 8
1.6: Research Aim: .................................................................................................................................... 9
1.7: Research Questions: .......................................................................................................................... 9
1.8: Research Objectives: .......................................................................................................................... 9
1.9: Significance of the Study: ................................................................................................................. 10
2.0: Review of Literature............................................................................................................................. 11
2.1: Introduction: .................................................................................................................................... 11
2.2: Satisfaction of the Customers: ......................................................................................................... 11
2.3: Loyalty of Customer: ........................................................................................................................ 11
2.4: Analysis of Consumer Behavior-Significance: .................................................................................. 12
2.5: Pricing Strategy: ............................................................................................................................... 12
2.6: Pricing and Customers Satisfaction: ............................................................................................... 12
2.7: Price Satisfaction:............................................................................................................................. 13
2.8: Dimensions of Price Satisfaction: ..................................................................................................... 13
2.8.1: Price Transparency:................................................................................................................... 14
2.8.2: Relative Price: ........................................................................................................................... 14
2.8.3: Price-Quality Ratio: ................................................................................................................... 14
2.8.4: Price Confidence: ...................................................................................................................... 14
2.8.5: Price Fairness: ........................................................................................................................... 15
2.8.6: Price Reliability:......................................................................................................................... 15
3.0: Methodology and Data Collection ....................................................................................................... 17
3.1: Introduction: .................................................................................................................................... 17
3.2: Need for Research: .......................................................................................................................... 17
3.3: Type of Data to be Collected: .......................................................................................................... 17
Abstract
Introduction: The said research is purely based on the customers price satisfaction on overall
customers satisfaction and to analyze customers satisfaction on pricing at retail banking sector
of Pakistan. These are important determinents of customers of satisfaction.
Aims and Objectives: The aim of this research is to analyze customers price satisfaction on
overall customers satisfaction and to analyze customers satisfaction on pricing at retail banking
sector of Pakistan. It is an important part to discuss as well as others to focus on customers price
satisfaction.
1.1: Introduction:
Customer satisfaction has long been researched by the academics and practitioners of business
(Amin and Isa, 2008, Anderson et al., 1994, Anderson, 1998, Arasli et al., 2005, Bell et al., 2005,
Biyalogorsky et al., 2001, Brown, 2001, Churchill and Suprenant, 1982, Dick and Basu, 1994,
Gonzalez et al., 2004, Huber et al., 2001, Lee and Lin, 2005, Ranaweera and Neely, 2003, Rust
et al., 2004, Sadiq Sohail and Shanmugham, 2003, Wilding and Juriado,2004). Different
businesses, manufacturing to retailing, now focus on customers retention and satisfaction. This
includes both services and products. Kotler and Armstrong (2010) suggested that to satisfy the
customers needs and wants, organizations should give more attention on their products and
services. This would give competitive advantage to an organization over its counterparts.
Organizations who pay much attention to needs and wants of the customer satisfaction ensure
that they are following the philosophy of customer orientation. Moreover, Fornell et al. (1994)
indicated that businesses should have to pay more attention on customers satisfaction as this is
becoming the major problem of the businesses.
satisfaction may also lead to repeat purchase among customers as well as positive word of mouth
for organization. Customers satisfaction has positive impact on sales and profitability of an
organization. This leads to increase in market share. Banks performance is also based on
customers satisfaction. Banking customers are said to be satisfied when the banks meet their
expectation level of the quality service and on the other side, dissatisfaction occurs if the
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expectations are not fulfilled. It is important to identity the factors on which customers
satisfaction is based in the banking sectors. The modern banking is moving towards mobile or
electronic banking and presently there are not too many banks that are providing the mobile
banking service facility. Customers satisfaction is not more than an act of providing enough
services acceptable by the customer. Customers satisfaction directly effects the profitability of
any organization. Customer satisfaction effects the reliability, reputation and success in the
banking sector. (Zaman, Rustam, Umar 2013)
The organizations who monitor its customers needs and wants, they retain their customers.
Products and the services offered by an organization should be changed with the change in needs
and wants of the customer. Therefore, needs and wants should therefore be researched (Pine et
al,. 2010).
Colgate and Varki (2001) identify that price and the level of general satisfaction have positive
relationship with each other. The prices charge to the people directly relates with customer
satisfaction. If a bank decides to charge high price for its services, this may result in
dissatisfaction of customer and lost the customer, as customer would switch to other banks,
which comparatively charge low prices. Price satisfaction is an important area and is still reap for
research.
This dissertation is related to banking industry of Pakistan and purpose of research is to find out
the impact of various dimensions of price satisfaction on customers satisfaction. Hopkinson and
Aman (2009) indicated that distribution channels in Pakistan are changing and has implications
not only for business community but for retail customers also. They highlighted that not only
large banks in market hold large market share but there is also a part of small banks in industry.
Small banks facing threats due to entry of large banks in market. Hopkinson and Aman (2009)
highlighted that retail business is going to be increased during coming years. The dissertation
identified price satisfaction in banking sector of Pakistan for this dissertation research. There
were only 487 bank branches in Pakistan but after independence, many of the branches were
closed and only 195 branches were left in Pakistan. State Bank of Pakistan was launched in May
12, 1948. Various banks are now expanding their operations in various cities. Now, banks are
offering lots of products and services. Price satisfaction in services and products offered by
banks has been identified in this dissertation research.
Following objectives based on aboved mentioned research aims and research questions.
1- To analayze the importamnt dimensions of price satisfaction in banking industry of Pakistan.
2- To analyze the extetnt of customers satisisfaction from dimmensions of price satisfaction in
banking industry of Pakistan.
3- To analyze the influence of different dimensions of price satisfatcion on overall customer
satisfaction.
4- To recomend members of banking industry so that they can increase price satiscfaction of
banking customer.
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In this section, review of literature will be presented including satisfaction of the customer,
customer loyalty, pricing strategies literature, review of global banking sector of Pakistan and
dimensions of price satisfaction. The motif of this section is to explain the conceptual framework
of customer satisfaction on pricing in banking sector.
Bowen (2001) suggested that we need to explore the tactics and strategies of customers
satisfaction in the retail banking. The base of retail banking are relationships. Long-term
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relationships cause the increase in profitability of the bank. Weaven and Herington (2007)
suggested that IT services are not only enough to maintain strong relationships of banking
customers. Customers loyalty can be achieved by attending the personal need of customer by
providing them well-organized web sites. It is also type of a customer relationship development
while the customer use the services online and become delighted.
Weaven and Herington (2007) elaborated that to generate insight organization must have to
study the consumer behavior. Herrmann et al. (2007) highlighted if organization understand the
consumer behavior it would be helpful to increase its customer satisfaction and loyalty to stay
long in the market. To increase the profits and market share organizations will have to recognize
the importance of customer satisfaction (Cacippo, 2000).
The pricing strategy has received significant attention during the last few years. Herrmann et al.
(2007) suggested if a customer perceives that the pricing policy of the organization is fairer than
the customers become satisfied. However, on the contrary, if the pricing is thought to be the
other way round, the customers may switch to other organizations.
Prices are the monitory units that are paid or received against buying and selling of products or
services. For suppliers, it is the way to earn profits. Customers react to changes in prices which
has an influence on their buying behavior. Price setting is a marketing issue, which has an
influence on customers behavior. It is, therefore, very critical decision to set prices. This
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research is about price and pricing strategy. This will explain about the basis of the selected
topic. Many researchers have worked on the customer satisfaction. This research includes
various price dimensions, which deals with the price satisfaction in banking sector. Zhang and
Raju (2010) identified that the customer have to adjust prices according to the marketing mix
variables. For example in telecommunication sector services like pay-as-you-go way to charge
the prices.
Bitner and Zeithaml (2000) highlighted that customer satisfaction attached with values given to
customer, which influence their loyalty. They also indicate that value of customers associated
with customers paying and getting. Bitner and Zeithaml (2000) highlighted that customer
satisfaction attached with values given to customer, which influence their loyalty. They
also indicate that value of customers associated with customers paying and getting. O.H
(2003) indicate that customer compare the prices charges at the time of buying any new
product or service with price which they had already in mind. High prices will lead the
dissatisfaction of customer (O.H, 2003).
Matzler et al. (2004, 2006) indicated the various price dimensions including price transparency,
relative price, price fairness, price quality ratio and price reliability. They recommended that
customer preferences change with the time. It is important to stare on level of customers price
satisfaction. The price dimensions will be explored further.
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Urban (2003) highlighted that if information is easy to access, easy to access alternatives, easy to
make transactions, easy to communicate with other customers are the five factors who increase
customers power. Existence of price transparency is possible when customer get complete, clear,
recent and effortless information about product prices quoted by company.
Colgate and Varki (2001) suggested that there is relationship between prices and customer
retention. They peruse to evaluate the pricing impact on customer of overall satisfaction and the
value customer receive and customer behavior. Colgate and Varki use the banking sector of New
Zealand and America and advise that pricing perception of customer influence in overall value
that customer perceive from organization.
Cronin et al. (2000) proved that quality and pricing affect the customers satisfaction by overall
and price affect the customers purchase consideration.
Matzler et al. (2006) highlighted that customers satisfaction is related with the price, quality and
price transparency offered by organization. This discussion will end with the favourable prices
offered by organization that are perceived by the customer. To satisfy the customers, confidence
is more important in organizations perspective.
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Chiao (2001) indicated that when organization change the prices, customers perception also
changes. Chiao analyzed two separate areas. In his first research, he studied the relationship
between customers satisfaction and increase in prices of an organizations products and
services. Customers believe that price changing is not fair, this is an unfair practice by
organization. The results of his second research were that the goodwill of an organization will be
decreased if customers will face the unfair price practices by organization.
Nalebuff and Ayres (2003) highlighted that in many situations organizations do not inform
customers regarding prices. They indicate the rental car and cell phone organizations who charge
hidden prices. Price reliability is an important dimension of price, which is the part of price
satisfaction.
Therefore, this situation can arise when customers feel the change in prices unexpectedly. If
organizations communicate the price changes on time then they will not be disturbed regarding
price changing issues. This would help the organization to build long-term relationships.
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3.1: Introduction:
In this section, researcher will present the research philosophy, research approach, research
strategy, time period and data collection methods used in this research project (Saunders et
al. 2007). After this, population and sampling procedures used in this section will also be
discussed here. This will be followed by details about research ethics, validity and reliability of
research findings.
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Researches are associated with human beings. There are a large number of topics to be
researched. Sensitive topics need more ethics, protocol and are linked with high risk. Research is
increasing across national and international boundaries, if the research ethics are not accounted
for. The researcher has selected such topic which will not create any violence at all. The
customers will take part in this research voluntarily. The researcher will not offer any benefits or
pressurize the customers to take part in this research. Anonymity of respondents will be ensured
in this research and no one can trace back the respondents. The researcher will not demand any
account number or bank name in questionnaire to maintain confidentiality. To secure the data
file it will be locked with password. Secondary data will also be acknowledged by researcher.
University has defined referencing style and researcher will follow that properly.
While conducting a research project the researcher should identify the population and sampling
technique to be used in research (Kumar, 2010). In this research, all the customers of banking
sector will be the population, and the targeted population will be customers who are living in
Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sialkot. Because of shortage of time, this will be difficult to
collect data from all the customers, so the researcher decided to collect data from a sample.
Sample can be selected based on either probability or non-probability based sampling. For
probability sampling all elements of population should be known. This was not the case with this
research. Therefore, researcher decided to use non-probability technique to choose sample. To
collect the data, researcher will select 150 respondents based on convenience based sampling
technique. Cost and time of data collection are kept in mind by the researcher while selecting the
basis of sample selection.
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1- This research will include only those people who have their bank accounts. People who
have neither bank account nor any relation with banks will be excluded from this
research.
2- People who had worked in banks and those who are willing to work with bank in future
are excluded.
3- There are various determinants of customers satisfaction in banking sector. However, the
price dimensions will be selected.
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