The Asymmetric Impact of Negative and Positive Attribute-Level Performance on Overall Satisfaction and Repurchase Intentions

The relationship between attribute-level performance, overall satisfaction, and repurchase intentions is of critical importance to managers and generally has been conceptualized as linear and symmetric. The authors investigate the asymmetric and nonlinear nature of the relationship among these constructs. Predictions are developed and tested empirically using survey data from two different contexts: a service (health care, n = 4517) and a product (automobile, n = 9359 and n = 13,759). Results show that (1) negative performance on an attribute has a greater impact on overall satisfaction and repurchase intentions than positive performance has on that same attribute, and (2) overall satisfaction displays diminishing sensitivity to attribute-level performance. Surprisingly, results show that attribute performance has a direct impact on repurchase intentions in addition to its effect through satisfaction.