The Mediating Role of Customer Commitment in the Relationship Between Customer- Company Fit and Customer Voice: An Empirical Study on Restaurant Customers

Objective: This study analyses value congruence (person-organisation fit) and voice behaviours, which are frequently discussed in the field of organisational behaviour, in the context of marketing. The study aims to examine the effect of customer-company fit (CC fit) on customer voice behaviour as well as the role that customer commitment plays in this effect. Design/Methodology: The research data were obtained from 390 restaurant customers in one province of Turkey through the convenience sampling method using the survey technique. The SmartPLS software (PLS-SEM) was used to conduct the analyses. The research model was analysed using partial least squares path analysis (PLS-SEM) and bootstrap- ping (5,000 bootstrap samples). Results: The results indicate that CC fit directly affects both customer commitment and customer voice behaviour. Furthermore, they reveal that customer commitment plays a mediating role in the effect of CC fit on customer voice behaviour. Theoretical and practical implications: The present study is the first in the literature to jointly discuss the various relationships between these variables (CC fit, customer com- mitment and customer voice). Another distinctive feature of the study is that the sample consists of restaurant customers. The high-contact nature of restaurant service makes service failures inevitable. For this reason, it is much more important to reveal customer voice behaviours in restaurant services than in other sectors. In this respect, the results of the study may provide guiding information to the sector.