Mediating effect of customer satisfaction on the relationship between core service quality and behavioral intentions in liner shipping

Liner shipping, which offers the door-to-door transportation service, has pre-determined departure, arrival and transfer ports and carries cargo mainly through container ships, has been playing a key role in the global cargo transportation industry for more than 60 years and is still growing rapidly. Therefore, understanding of the relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions in liner shipping is of critical importance for global competition. From this standpoint, this study aims to determine whether customer satisfaction creates an alternative effect through its mediating effect on the causal relationship between core service quality and customers' behavioral intentions in liner shipping sector. To do so, it obtains data through survey from forwarder companies that operate in Turkey and analyzes the obtained data using SPSS v22 and AMOS v22 statistical package software. This study concludes that core service quality has a positive effect on customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions, and that customer satisfaction has a mediating effect on the relationship between core service quality and behavioral intentions. It reveals that core service quality and customer satisfaction are important constructs for future behavioral intentions. In conclusion, this study suggests that business managers in liner shipping sector need to incorporate core services that will positively affect customer satisfaction in their marketing policies, and to engage in managerial activities that enhance customer satisfaction.