The Expectancy-Disconfirmation Paradigm: A Critique

Accurate measurement of customer satisfaction is a prerequisite for developing effective management strategies. Only with reliable customer feedback, gathered through an adequate and appropriate assessment framework, can managers be in possession of facts that will allow them to implement satisfaction improvement programs. The Expectancy-Disconfirmation Paradigm (EDP) has become the dominant framework employed in the assessment of customer satisfaction with hospitality and tourism services. However, despite its dominance, there remain a number of unresolved issues concerning this model. Given the lack of attention to its limitations, this article reviews a number of conceptual and operational issues relating to the EDP and questions its reliability in assessing customer satisfaction with tourism and hospitality services. Suggestions for future research are also provided.