How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom?

An exploratory study

Thesis completed for the partial fulfilment of an MSc. in Consumer Behaviour Goldsmiths, University of London Researcher: Dekkel Simmons Candidate Number: 3344288501 Supervised by: Dr Patrick Fagan

Word count-10, 500

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Statement of Originality This is to certify that this study is an original piece completed by the research and any other work which is not original to the author has be acknowledged and appropriately referenced.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Acknowledgements The completion of the study would not be possible without the support from God my parents Dennis and Linnette Simmons and my family. By extension special thanks to Bishop Claion Grandison, Mrs. Sonia Grandison, Lay Leaders, Members and Followers of New Testament Church of God Chrisma Christian Centre for allowing me to use their conference room facilities and being a supportive church family. To Dr Patrick Fagan for his insights as my supervisor. Thank you to Institute of Management Studies Team for their support and guidance. To all participants who took part in both studies. Dr Garrick Wilson for his support and insights.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Table of Contents Statement of Originality ........................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements .................................................................................. 3 Abstract.................................................................................................. 7 Introduction............................................................................................ 8 History of Pentecostalism in the UK ................................................................... 8 Next Chapter ................................................................................................ 11

Literature Review ................................................................................... 12 Service Quality .............................................................................................. 12 Brand Image ................................................................................................. 17 Output Word of Mouth Communication ........................................................... 20 Service Delivery for Churches ..................................................................................................... 22 Marketing Pentecostalism ............................................................................................................ 23 Research Questions ....................................................................................... 24

Research Methodology ............................................................................ 25 Exploratory Focus Group ............................................................................... 25 Data Collection ............................................................................................................................ 25 Sample Selection .......................................................................................................................... 26 Procedure ..................................................................................................................................... 26 Structured Survey .......................................................................................... 26 Sample Selection and data Collection ......................................................................................... 26 Measurements .............................................................................................................................. 28

Findings ................................................................................................ 29 Exploratory Focus Groups .............................................................................. 29 Quantitative Study ......................................................................................... 30

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Normality ..................................................................................................... 30 Exploratory factor analysis ............................................................................. 31 Service Quality Perception ........................................................................................................... 31 Brand Image (BRIM) Scale .......................................................................................................... 32 Output WOM .............................................................................................................................. 34 Factor Extraction .......................................................................................... 37 BRIM Scale and OWOM ............................................................................................................ 37 Service Quality Perception ........................................................................................................... 38 Scale Viability and Reliability ...................................................................................................... 38 Hypothesis Testing ........................................................................................ 39

Discussion & Analysis ............................................................................. 44 RQ1-Does the service quality of a church influence the perception consumer have a church? ........................................................................................................ 44 RQ2- Do service quality perceptions lead to output word of mouth communication? ................................................................................................................... 45 RQ3-Will brand image impact the way people share information about the church? ................................................................................................................... 45 RQ4-Can a model be developed to show service quality perceptions, lead to brand image development and brand image leads to output WOM communication. ........ 46

Limitations ............................................................................................ 47 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 48 References ............................................................................................. 50 Appendix 1- Focus Group Script ................................................................ 55 Appendix 2- Transcript Focus Group 1 ...................................................... 58 Service Quality .............................................................................................. 58

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

WOM Communication ................................................................................... 64 Brand Perception .......................................................................................... 66

Appendix 3- Transcript Focus Group 2 ...................................................... 68 Appendix2- Survey .................................................................................. 73 Service Quality Dimenssions .......................................................................... 75 WOM Activity................................................................................................ 76 WOM Praise ................................................................................................. 76 BIM-Brand Image Scale (Kim & Kim, 2005) ...................................................... 77

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Abstract After an extensive exploratory study into the service quality perception, brand image and output word of mouth communication, there was sufficient evidence to show positive service quality perceptions yield a positive brand image. Further positive brand image will lead to positive output word of mouth communication in Pentecostal churches. The ANOVA between service quality perceptions with brand image and brand image with output word of mouth communication demonstrate that such a model of predictability is significantly important.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Introduction Since the 1980's literature, surrounding service quality has significantly contributed to the development of service management and service marketing. Furthermore, empirical evidence on how it can be perceived by customers (Gronroos, 1988), demonstrated the relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction and purchase intentions (Cronin et al., 1992), which has in turn impacted significantly on consumer brand perceptions and preferences (Bahn, 1986; Kim and Kim, 2005) and word-of-mouth intentions (Berry and Parasuraman, 1991; Aderson, 1998). The literature also provides a conceptual frame work for service quality (Parasuraman et al., 1985) with relevance to word-of-mouth and brand perceptions confined to various organisations within society including universities, banks, and insurance agents (Harrison-Walker, 2001; Folks and Patrick, 2003; Jiewanto et al., 2012). However, there is a gap within literature that provides a model which show how service quality influence brand perception and word-of-mouth communications. Further, little research has been done to demonstrate the significance of service quality within the church environment and the implications it has on the overall service delivery and brand image of church organisations. Also, it must be noted that Pentecostal Churches vary in service offering, demographic and organisational objectives (Shawchuck et al., 1993 and Anderson, 2014). To this end, a study of this calibre would be significant to understand how Pentecostal church meets service delivery is perceived by members, followers and visitors.

History of Pentecostalism in the UK To simply put, Pentecostalism is an extend belief system with the Christian faith. This definition, however, just touches the surface of the Pentecostal movement. To fully digest and understand Pentecostalism, Aderson (2014) give a very detailed, global and chronological account Pentecostalism. However, for this research, the focus will primarily be contextualised within the UK. 8

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

According to Brierley (2015) as of 2013, there are 432,687 Pentecostal churches registered within the UK. Some of which were birth within the UK such as the United Pentecostal Church of Great Britain. Some are independent- nondenominational churches, while others have international associations such at New Testament Church of God. One of the difficulties identified by Aderson (2014) was developing a final term for Pentecostals because there are different identities in which Pentecostals associate. However, it was not denied that the Pentecostal movement is one of the fastest growing within Christianity today (Anderson, 2014). Nonetheless, to what extent is this growth quantifiable? If it is related to the number buildings the same is true from the UK, but if it refers to a church member, the latter is false.

Bailey (2013) suggests between 2008 and 2013; there has been a decline in first stream tradition churches and increase in certain Pentecostal denominations. For clarity, a denomination refers to a church organisation uniting some local congregations (Adair, 1977 cited by Bailey, 2015: p7).

Church

Membership Percentile

Redeemed Christian Church Known West African and West Indian Churches Assemblies of God New Testament Church of God Oneness Church Kingsway International Christian Church

24% 15% 13% 7% 4% 2%

United Pentecostal Church of Great Britain Church of Pentecost Apostolic Church

2% 1% 1%

Mountain of Fire Ministries 1% Deeper Life Bible Church 1% Church of God of Prophecy 1% Holiness Church 1% Small Denominations 12% Table: 1.0 Most recent account of Pentecostal Churches in the UK (Brierley, 2015).

From the offset, Anderson (2015) made it clear in his book that the Pentecostal Movement in Europe have been less significant numerically than it has been in North America and Latin

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

America. However, it has proven very successful. The development of Pentecostalism has strong associations with different “spiritual movements.� The first instance of Pentecostalism in Western Europe began after the Azusa Street Revival with influences from the Holiness movement, Keswick movement, Pietism in state churches and Welsh Revival. Further, these events were associated with the likes of Thomas Ball Barratt from Norway.

The Welsh Revival between 1904 and 1905 was the first significant phase in introducing Pentecostalism into the UK. There were an estimated 100,000 people added to the Christian church because of this first step. The historic time-lapse continued in London, Britain 1907 where the first record instance speaking in tongues occurred at the Home of Catherine Price in Brixton; this followed a series of denominational conversions of non-Pentecostals to Pentecostal, Alexander Bobby was one of these individuals. Alexander Bobby was an Anglican Vicar pastoring a church in Sunderland. His church became a significant Pentecostal centre in the UK after a meeting occurred where Barret a Pentecostal leader preached to his congregation and all at the meeting received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Bobby later became a significant leader in the development of the Pentecostal movement.

There also annual conventions and larger gatherings that help to unite Pentecostal from all parts of the Britain and Europe. These included the Whitsun (Pentecost) Conventions (19081914), the Sunderland Conventions, Easter Conventions, European Pentecostal Conference.

Other significant development which occurred included: 1. The Consultative Pentecostal Council- formed to prevent false teachers in the movement 2. The Pentecostal Missionary Unions for Great Britain (PMU) in 1909- A Pentecostal Missionary society with train institutions.

3. The establishment of Apostolic Faith Church in 1911- UK's first denomination 4. Forming of the Apostolic Church in 1916

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

5. Building of the United Apostolic Church in 1926 6. Establishing of the Elim Pentecostal Church in 1915 and renamed Elim Pentecostal Alliance in 1918 then to Elim Pentecostal Four Square Alliance in 1929.

7. Forming of the Bible Pattern Church Fellowship in 1939 8. Building of Assemblies of God in 1924 9. PMU joining Assemblies of God in 1925 10. Migration of West Africana and West Indians 11. Establishment of New Testament Church of God in 1953 12. The Restoration Movement in the 1950’s

Next Chapter The next section will consider relevant literature in Service Marketing, branding and word-of -mouth communication (WOM). This section will also give proper definitions for each of these areas and how they were applied in various industries. The fundamental aim of the literature review is to ensure than an appropriate hypothesis can be developed and provide sufficient evidence for further discussion of the results.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Literature Review The purpose of this literature review is to highlight key literary viewpoints and themes to underpin the subjectivity of service quality, brand image and word-of-mouth communication.

Further, this study will demonstrate how they all link and mutually influence each other within the context of nonprofit organisations.

Service Quality Service quality, as a concept, can be found in literature from the 1980's. Further to this, marketers are aware that a unique service experience when purchasing a product or service is crucial for developing positive brand image (Svennson, 2003; Kim and Kim, 2005) and positive word of mouth activity (Harrison-Harrison-Walker, 2001). Research surrounding quality has been shown to benefit a company’s return on investment (Aderson and Zeithaml, 1984), mitigated financial loss and improve productivity (Gavin 1983). Accordingly, service quality is vital for developing relationships within relevant marketing areas; i.e. services marketing, industrial marketing, relationship marketing or consumer marketing (Svennson, 2003 p. 267). However, because of its subjectivity it is difficult to measure and control (Gronroos, 1988); hence the importance for organisations to define quality similar to its customers to mitigate losses (Gronroos, 1988).

Service and quality are distinct terms and can be used individually; Gavin (1983) identified quality as “conformance to requirements� so one can assume anything that falls short can be seen as a flaw. While, Gronroos (1988), describes a service as a series of activities or processes which are produced and consumed simultaneously. Svensson (2003 p.267) further describes services as a crucial issue in strategic, tactical and operative management for business. Also, Svensson (2003) intimate that services are not transferable and neither can they be rotated like physical stock or expire. Before this, it was also suggested that services are also intangible, 12

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

heterogeneous and inseparable (Parasuraman et al., 1985; Carman, 1990). Beyond this bridging, both terms are essential for establishing and maintaining relationships in marketing (Kotler et al., 1999). Based on this it can be noted that service quality, a mechanism used to analyse services, has been described as very subjective, an elusive and indistinct construct (Parasuraman et al., 1985; Carman, 1990) or perhaps a complicated phenomenon (Gronroos, 1988).

A key piece is the early literature which had huge impactions for service marketing was Gronroos (1988) six criteria of good service quality. He built on the work of previous authors who contributed to service quality literature in the 1980's. The six criteria are designed for professionals; with a short and comprehensive list of aspects of sound quality (Gronroos, 1988). The six criteria included professionalism and skill, attitudes and behaviour, accessibility and flexibility, reliability and trustworthiness, recovery, reputation and credibility. This approach to providing a rule of thumb retrospective was probably a great asset for service organisations and literature during that era, and can still be applied in some aspect of service marketing today. According Rabin (1983) understanding the concept of quality was a trend in the 1980's. However, the benchmark in service quality literature was the conceptual model by Parasuraman et al. (1985). Furthermore, much of the six criteria offer by Gronroos (1988) can be found in this conceptual model.

This conceptual model of service quality stemmed from an increasing need to understand a fast-growing industry which had little research to offer. Their aim was two-fold: to gain a foundational understanding of service quality and to look for future studies. The literature on service quality at that time included work by Berry (1980), Booms and Bitner (1981), Zeithaml (1981) and Love Lock (1981). These were used in providing an initial understanding 13

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

into the functions, processes, outcomes and characteristics of service quality but until the published work of Parasuraman et al. (1985) literature failed to provide a suitable measure for service quality.

The service quality model was the result of exploratory investigation through extensive primary research via extensive interviews and focus groups. The two-prong study gained insight and perspectives from the marketer and the consumer to provide a holistic output. In hindsight, these are the main characters involved in service transactions; the role of the provider and the role of the customer/consumer. The focus group identified four main gaps by business executives within areas of marketing, operations, senior management and customer relations. These differences suggest that there is a different ideology of what service quality represent which intern may misrepresent what the client's desire. Labelled as the service delivery external communications gap and the expected service-perceived service gap are highly relative to this study.

The external communications gap suggests that over selling a service through external communications can increase customer expectations of the service they will receive. Failing to fulfil these perceptions can develop negative connotations about the service and by extension the brand. Whereas the expected service-perceived service gap protrudes the opposite; customer believe the key to ensuring good service quality is going above and beyond the expectations of the client.

The service quality model was the outcome of the five gaps (only two of which is relative to this study) and merging the customer and business perspective of service quality. One of the main concluding results from this research was service quality, which can be considered as meeting such expectations the consumer perceives about the service offering. Service quality was illustrated through ten key categories that later became the SERVQUAL scale developed 14

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

by Parasuraman et al., (1988). This was the earliest conceptualisation of service quality in the literature.

The SERVQUAL scale is based on perceived quality, which is the assumptions and perceptions developed by the consumer( Parasuraman et al., 1988).

It was noted that

perceived quality is the result of meeting the customer expectations through performance measures (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Perceived quality differ from objective quality which provides a mechanistic and marketers point of view (Parasuraman et al., 1988).

Bolton and Dre (1991) suggests the SERVQUAL scale was one of the most popular and heavily research measures for service quality. Authors have attempted to improve the measure of service quality by employing several approaches (Brown et al., 1993), including assessing the dimensions of service quality (Carman, 1990), developing a generic conceptual framework of interactive service quality (Svensson, 2003).

Perceived service quality and expected service quality are two important elements of the SERVQUAL scaled items. However, there has been differences of interpretation between authors about define service quality and use of the SERVQUAL scale. Brown et al. (1993) suggested that calculating the difference score of expectation and perception in the SERVQUAL scale can lead to psychometric problems. The first issue cited was that of reliability. Poor reliability occurs in difference scores if there are positive correlations between the component variable which weakens the reliability of the difference score (Brown et al., 1993). The other issue is discriminant validity. Discriminant validity occur when unrelated constructs do not correlate with each other, which it typical of Difference scores (Brown et al., 1993). The final issue cited is variance restriction. Brown et al., (1993) suggested variance

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

restriction happens when one component score is always higher than another. Un equal variance can present statistical problems in an analysis (Brown et al., 1993).

Although the original dimensions proposed by (Parasuraman et al., 1985), were refined in Parasuraman et al. (1988), and further refined (Parasuraman et al., 1991), the original ten dimensions were used for this study. Berry and Parasuraman (1991) confirmed service quality is measured by customers by comparing the expectations of a service they may receive versus the perceptions they develop following receipt of the service. The service quality dimensions will be used to identify which factors can be associated with churches and develop a scale of service perception that will reflect the beliefs about the service offering after it has been used.

Further the original dimensions were used as a template to fulfil the context of service quality and to determine if the dimensions developed by Parasuraman et al. (1985) would suit the context of Pentecostal churches.

The SERQUAL scale is mainly focused on the processes involved with the delivery of the service, rather than outcome of the service offering (Buttle, 1996; Wilson, 2001). However, studies have empirically suggested that combining process and outcome measures of service quality would yield better results (Richard and Allaway, 1993) hence, the use of a dependent measure of brand image and WOM communication as output variables to measure service quality in this study. Further, brand image and WOM communication have been identified as an antecedent of service quality (Harrison-Walker, 2001; Kim and Kim, 2005). Therefore, to further develop an association between these them the next sect will consider literature on the Brand image and its implication on service quality and WOM communication.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Brand Image Brands and branding have been illustrated in literature in many ways. Holland (2006: p. 5) previously stated that at the fundamental level branding was developed to mend the human need to distinguish one thing from another. One author further suggests brands are a form of social insurance and they are used to deliver the expectations the brand (Clifton, 2009: p. 45).

Kotler (2000) identifies a brand to be "a name, term, sign or symbol or design or combination of them intended to differentiate the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from their competitors." Although the name, term, sign or symbol or design are mere identities of a brand (Keller, 1993), the fulfilment of customers' experience is the essence of a branding (Holt, 2004). Beyond the brand identities (tangible attributes) there are also intangible qualities akin to psychological associations people make of the brand (Keller, 1993; Holt, 2004). Hence, it is believed brands mean different things to different people, and it is a broad construct which has subjective viewpoints (Holland, 2006). This leads to the concept of the brand image.

Brand Image is the way "in which particular groups of people perceive a product, brand, a politician, a company or a country" (Kapferer, 2008: p.174). Brand image is the perspective of the customer/consumer. Kapferer (2008) further suggests brand image is the meaning and personal interpretations associated with messages communicated by the brand.

From a conceptualisation level, it is important to understand how knowledge and memory influence brand knowledge (Keller, 1993). Keller (1993, p.3) suggest brand image as perceptions about a brand as reflected by the brand associations held in consumer memory.� Keller (1993) conceptualisation of the brand image developed a comprehensive model for brand image. It was identified that brand image and brand awareness were key dimensions of brand knowledge. In this study, brand knowledge was defined as a memory

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

structure and foundational element in branding "consisting of brand nods in memory" (Keller, 1993). This conceptualisation of brand knowledge was associated with a memory model called the associative memory model (Keller, 1993). Brand awareness refers to the extent a consumer can recognise a brand based on nod or trace memory (Keller, 1993). This is the combination of brand recognition and brand recall performance. Brand image is firstly dependent on awareness, which influences the consumer decision-making and secondly on brand nod, which is established in memory to affect the information being shared (Keller, 1993). Linked to the brand nod is brand association, these are the underlying meanings the consumer attach to the brand. Brand association help marketers understand the attributes, attitudes and benefits consumer attach to the brand. This all suggests that a measurement of the brand image should address characteristics and relationships of brand associations (Keller, 1993).

Kim and Kim (2005) stated that brand image scale was largely part the brand equality structure used to identify the relationship between equity and a firm's performance in the hospitality industry. It was suggested that the ‘brand symbolises the essences of the customer' perception of hospitality organisations. It was determined that the measure of brand equity should include four dimensions: brand loyalty, brand awareness, perceived quality and brand image. As identified previously, brand awareness and brand image were critical aspects of brand knowledge and a fundamental component in consumer decision making (Keller, 1993).

Furthermore, brand loyalty was based on the suggestion of Aaker (1991) which states customer satisfaction is important in developing a brand (Kim and Kim, 2005). Concluding factors from this study included the view that perceived quality of a specific brand (an integral component of service quality) "significantly affects" the performance of restaurant and hotel industries. Moreover, it was recommended that service brands must consciously maintain 18

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

satisfactory perceived quality to gain positive financial returns. Also, the four dimensions used to measure brand equity were all influential factors in developing brand equity from a customer perspective. It was also identified that brand loyal customers are least likely to make a purchase based on promotions and are more liable to make recommendations to others (an example of output WOM communication).

In a recent study by Chao et al. (2015), it was concluded that there is a positive relationship between service quality and brand image. Chao et al. (2015) further identified that there is no connection between service quality and customer loyalty. The study focused on the Kareokee Television (KTV) industry in Taiwan to examine the relationship between service quality, brand image, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. KTV is one of Taiwan's most thriving industries and brand names have key associations with the service offering of organisations. The brand image scale used was based on the measure outlined by (Kim and Kim, 2005) whereas the service quality scale was based (Parasuraman et al., 1988) and the customer loyalty scale was based on Eggert and Ulga (2002). Brand trust and brand familiarity were identified a guarantee of the service quality.

To this end, the brand image scale assesses to interpretative perception based on one's individualistic experience. It is gradually formed, and the process is driven based on the opinions developed from memory (Thuy and Thao, 2016). In conclusion, the brand image consumers form is subjective (Kim and Kim, 2005, Keller, 1993), can be influenced by wordof-mouth communication (Sundaram and Webster, 1999) and the service quality that is offered (Chao et al., 2015). The brand image also leads to brand trust (Ha, 2004), brand familiarity and positive or negative word of mouth communication (Keller, 1993); all essential for the optimal business performance and growth (Kania, 2001, Ha, 2004).

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Output Word of Mouth Communication West Brook (1987) defined word of mouth communication (WOM) as informal communication about the characteristics of a business or product which occurs between consumer. The success of service businesses thrives on WOM (Berry and Parasuraman, 1991). It is also believed WOM communication assist in shaping the behavioural attitudes of consumers (Johnson and Reingen, 1987). This is particularly the case for negative WOM. In contrast, positive WOM is effective but least used (Wilson, 2001). However, these are not the only predictors to effective WOM communication. A review of the literature suggests that the character of the receivers (and providers), as well as another situational factor, are necessary for WOM effectiveness (Arndt, 1967). Anderson (1998) noted that that few studies focused on the sender of WOM communications. Two central pieces of literature developed by File et al., (1994) and Harrison-Walker (2001) provided a conceptual frame work to understand WOM communication from the perspective of the sender. This view has been identified as output WOM (File et al., 1994). Output WOM is the means by which buyers or services exchange information about those services, thus diffusing information about the product through the market (File et al., 1994). A study by File et al. (1994) was employed to highlight the relevance of output WOM and its associations between input WOM, satisfaction, customer satisfaction and other customer characteristics. The study was conducted through extended interviews with CEOs via a structured Survey. The analysis was undertaken to determine Output WOM as post-purchase behaviour after the CEOs experience a service of three professional organisations. A measure of Output WOM was developed and defined as “clients’ future intention of engaging in WOM were gauged through an item concerning the likelihood of telling other business associates what you thought of the (service provider).” File et al. (1994) identified that there are positive associations between Input WOM and Output WOM with two of the firms expect the account organisations. Consultant firms were likely to engage in 20

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

output WOM as a function of Input WOM. The implication of this study suggests that the effects of input WOM and Output WOM vary across industries. Further professional service firms should develop tailored marketing programmes to mediate the WOM behaviour unique to the industry. It was also suggested that further mediating factors of WOM should be addressed and analyse further within the context of other sectors (Harrison-Walker, 2001).

Harrison-Walker (2001) identified three main issues with the decades of literature related to WOM communication. These include the validity of the systemic process for current WOM measure, little attention to the sender's perspective on WOM communication and research adopted studies that focused on the favourableness of WOM communication (HarrisonWalker, 2001: p.61). The purpose of Harrison-Walker's (2001) study was to develop a systemic measure of WOM communication from the senders' perspective and to identify its psychometric properties. This is indeed an example of output word of mouth.

The scaled items WOM Praise (WOMP) and WOM Activity (WOMA) were developed as a general scale to assess WOM in the services industry. The scales were designed on the recommendations of Churchill (1979) for the development of marketing measures. HarrisonWalker (2001) identified that WOM behaviour is antecedent to service quality. In the findings, it concludes WOMA and WOMP positively affect the quality of service offered based on a Veterinary industry (Harrison-Walker, 2001). However, service quality only had a positive impact on WOMP and a negative relationship on WOMA when compared to the salon industry. It is evident here, service quality influence WOM differently for both sectors.

It was concluded that the veterinary service has high credence qualities whereas the hair salon has great experience conditions (Harrison-Walker, 2001). The comparable difference is when a service has great experience conditions it is easier for consumers to evaluate the service 21

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

quality while simultaneously consuming it. Services with high credence qualities make it difficult for users to assess the service quality, during or upon completion of the service (Harrison-Walker, 2001, p.90; Lovelock, 1991, p.40).

Service Delivery for Churches No doubt Pentecostal churches play a dynamic role within the societal and communal ethos of the UK and people's belief system (Anderson, 2013). Previously it was mentioned that some Pentecostal churches in the UK have increased. However, church membership has declined in the UK by 6% since 2005 until 2013 (Brierley, 2015). Anderson (2014) demonstrated that Pentecostal churches are very keen on spirituality, doctrines and making interested associations to a supreme deity (Anderson, 2013).

The church, in business terms, would be deemed as a service organisation. If one were to put it into context; Sunday School a place for all ages to come and learn about Biblical theology has been a part of church systems for decades. Although free, it is a service. How about individuals keen on marriage and in need of an ordained and licensed minister for counselling and support on the wedding day. This again is a service. And finally, if not the most common of all, weekly Sunday morning gathering; some call "Divine Worship" or "Sunday Worship Service." This is a weekly gathering where a series of events take place including singing, prayer, scripture reading, and offering charitable financial gifts through the offering. Based on this context, it is important that service delivery accurately meet the needs of church members, followers and visitors.

Beyond this, what is the real purpose of a church, what is its duty to community and members and how can they integrate marketing principles to achieve this? Shawchuck et al.

(1992) identified one critical issue that may help give and respond to this question. It was suggested there is an underlying tension churches face to satisfy customers while teaching a 22

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

non- adjustable theology (Shawchuck et al.,1992). The solution then is to use marketing tools to persuade and inform the target audience about the “worth of a religious experience” without diminishing the theological message (Shawchuck et al., 1992).

Shawchuk et al. (1992, p.53) defined religious organisations as "social institutions formally set up to provide spiritual and moral nourishment and guidance to citizens." However, religious group varies in different belief systems. The definition offer by Shawchuk et al. (1992) is inclusive of Churches within the Christian faith and Synagogues within the Jewish faith. The research will focus on Pentecostal Churches only. The definition offered by Anderson (2014: p.6) suggest Pentecostalism to be “all churches and movements globally that emphasize the working of the gifts of the Spirit, both phenomenological theological grounds although not without qualification.”

Marketing Pentecostalism Using terminology such as brand equity, word of mouth communication or service quality all have business connotations and mutually used by business for decades in building a positive image to reach their customers however such connotations are not mutually exclusive with churches. This may be an issue for the modern church. Shawchuk et al. (1992, p.) suggest responsive religious organisations are keen on the perceptions the public develops about the services they offer. Such an image is functional as a result of meeting the needs of members and users (followers) of their services while mutually communicating this to the wider public.

Further, "brand positioning and image development are both vital topics for any religious organisation that wish to offer an efficient service the public (Abreu, 2006)."

"Marketing is a disciplined approach to keeping a congregation's ministry on target with the need of its inside and outside publics" (Shawchuck et al., 1992). Who then is the actual target 23

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

audience of a church. Biblically, there was a command given by Jesus in the book of Mark chapter 6 verses 15 which states “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” This famous verse is termed as the great commission and helps to guide the mission churches. Based on this scripture verse it would be evident that a church should not discriminate about who to target. Identify the actual target markets will ensure churches are fulfilling their purpose, objective and mission. Which will also lead to fulfilling a comprehensive service delivery.

Research Questions This paper will argue on the academic merits of service quality perceptions, output WOM communication and brand image, to answer the research question ‘How does service quality influence word of mouth and brand perception in Pentecostal churches?’

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RQ1-Does the service quality of a church influence the perception consumer have a church?

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RQ2- Do service quality perceptions lead to output word of mouth communication?

•

RQ3-Will brand image impact the way people share information about the church?

•

RQ4-Can a model be developed to show service quality perceptions, leading to brand image development and brand image to result in output WOM communication?

To further refine this study, the research will primarily focus on Pentecostal churches with in the UK as identified by a Brierley (2015) (The UK Church Statistics 2010-2020) (see Table 1.0). This research will also consider the development of new and revised scaled items. The development of the new scales will be based on the recommendations of (Churchill, 1979).

24

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Research Methodology Marketing literature demonstrates service quality, word of mouth communication and brand perception can be applied and conceptualised through various means and methods. To address such themes discussed in the literature review and adequately answer the research question a mixed methodology has been implemented. The combined methodological approach consisted of an exploratory focus group and a structured survey.

Exploratory Focus Group A research framework was first developed to understand the area of investigation to improve.

A formal submission of a research proposal and ethical Clarence was sent and approved by the Ethical Board of the Goldsmiths University of London before any field data was collected.

Data Collection The mini focus groups (four participants per group) allowed for meaningful discussions and gave sufficient time to all participants to share their views and perspectives. Although the mini focus groups were limited in total experiences (Krueger and Casey, 2015) the dynamic discussions and responses were necessary for the exploratory study; it ensured the questions used to develop the survey for the quantitative study were customised to the service that is being researched as prescribed by (Carman, 1990). The sample was pre-selected and screened from a criterion to ensure homogeneity (Belk, 2006 and Krueger and Casey, 2015). The aim altered the exploratory focus groups were to ensure the measures used in the qualitative study were customised to suit Pentecostal churches.

A review of the literature helped form the questions for the focus group. There were three main labels for the focus group script; service quality- encompassing the service quality dimensions, word of mouth activity/intention and brand image and perception. These themes later formed the scales for the quantitative study (see appendices). Service quality questions were new and customised based on the criteria given by (Belk, 2006), Word of 25

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Mouth communication question was based on (Harrison-Walker, 2001) and Brand Image questions were based on (Kim and Kim, 2005). All questions used for service quality were newly developed, the WOM communication questions were altered with the inclusion of new question and where the brand image question had little alterations and additions.

Sample Selection The participants were all members, followers (an individual who regularly attend a church but not a member) or visited a Pentecostal church they were from both genders and was over the age of 18. It is important to note that these focus groups were exploratory, and it was highly critical to ensure the sample was individuals who met the criteria. Hence, they were all preselected. There was a total of two focus groups which included four persons per group.

Belk, (2006) and Krueger and Casey (2015), suggest a minimum of 8 persons are suitable for focus groups.

Procedure The focus groups were mediated by the research of the dissertation and electronically recorded to ensure accurate recounts of the events which took place. Each focus group lasted on average 90 minutes. Respondents were given sufficient time to discuss each other's feedback. Probing and follow-up questions also ensured optimal responses. The data was then transcribed and interpreted (see appendices). The data was then analysed to identify any key and recurring themes (see results section).

Structured Survey Sample Selection and data Collection Based on previous literature a Survey was developed. The service quality questions were based on the service quality dimensions. Each dimension was treated as a measure which

26

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

leads to the development of 37 items and ten measure. The scale will later become Service quality perceptions.

The brand Image scale was based on Kim and Kim (2004) and slightly altered to fit the purpose of this research. The scale was labelled as BRIM. The WOM items were based on questions included a combination of new and altered questions. The definitions offered by (Wilson, 2001) was used to develop and alter the questions. All WOM activity items were new whereas the WOM Praise question was partly new and altered.

The items were measured on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to agree strongly, and the items were not labelled based on the recommendation of (Kim and Kim, 2005). The questions in the scaled items were amended as required to address the context of the study.

The Survey also had demographic questions which included personal but non-sensitive information such as age, sex, education background.

The survey was distributed electronically through an anonymous link. A key question at the begin of the survey was used to filter anyone who would not be suitable for the survey. The question was, "Which of the following statements best applies to you." Respondents had the following options to select from: I am a member of a Pentecostal church in the UK, I am a follower of a Pentecostal church in the UK, I have visited a Pentecostal Church in the UK, and None of these responses applies to me. If the final option were selected, the survey would terminate disbarring the individual from attempting again. Based on the filter question, the sample was any individual who has a membership with, currently, follow or have visited a Pentecostal church in the UK. The survey ran for two weeks then closed. In total, there were n=105 completed surveys, n=89 which met this criterion. Age ranged from 14 to 63. N=71 were a member of a 27

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Pentecostal church, while N=8 visited a Pentecostal Church and N=10were followers of a Pentecostal church. 42 individuals were married, six divorced and the remaining sample were single.

Measurements The Survey is a composite of three different scales. The service quality dimensions introduced

by Parasuraman et al. (1985), the brand image scale proposed by Kim and Kim (2005) and the word-of-mouth activity (WOMA) and word-of-mouth praise (WOMP) scales are based on (Harrison-Walker, 2001). Although the SERVQUAL scale (derived from service quality dimension) has been refined and developed over the years (Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Brown et al., 1993; Carman, 1990), it is important for this exploratory study to use the original dimensions to determine its applicability.

The service quality dimension item were

statements.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Findings Exploratory Focus Groups Based on the findings from both focus groups suggest Pentecostal Church offer a broad range of services (see table below) and a general target audience. This suggests service delivery is a significant part of Pentecostal Churches. Given service is cater to specific market segments and target audiences, a service delivery should be developed by churches.

Further, the findings confirmed there is lack of reliability individuals have in the service delivery of specific services. These inconsistencies included building aesthetics, service workers or elements the design of the service delivery. Regarding Service workers there were perceptions that service workers lack appropriate training, other believed service workers who share multiple responsibilities in a church could deplete the quality offered.

A significant predictor of service quality standard also seems to stem from the leaders who have seen ad key influencers of service delivery standards. Having a personal understanding of their pastor influence, the standards service workers deliver.

Regarding output word-of-mouth communication, it was determined that there is a different mechanism which triggers output WOM. For some, they would only share information about their church with close friends and family members whiles others only shared with friends and other only with family. At this point, it must be noted that output WOM will differ and vary on the individual and the message being shared. Further, the findings suggest people hold an underlying negative brand image of Pentecostal churches in general and changes based on the denomination (brand). Their brand image, however, is not a hindrance to inviting individuals to their church.

29

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Quantitative Study The data was cleaned and screened before the analysis that will be discussed based on the recommendation of (Field, 2009). There were n=15 in completed Surveys which were excluded from this analysis. The next step was to check for normality within the data set to determine the defaults used for the exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The first test looked at the normality of the distribution of the data, and the second test was a Pearson's Correlation test to determine which measure is uncorrelated compared to those who are significantly correlated. This step is necessary to ensure there is no outlier and ensure the data is a good fit for further analysis.

Normality A simple frequency test for skewness and kurtosis was completed individually on each scale.

Field (2009) suggests, a data set is deemed normal if the skewness and kurtosis are zero; hence the further the figures are from zero the less likelihood of the data set is normally distributed.

All of the brand image (BRIM) items and WOM Activity items were negatively skewed this indicate non-normality within the data. Only 3 out of the five articles in the WOM Praise was negatively skewed the other were positively skewed. This would suggest a variation of normality within the data set. Within the service quality dimensions’ items, all of the items were negatively skewed with exception of COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, REL4, RESP2, RESP3 and SEC1 which were all relatively met the normality standard of 0. Although there were a few measures which were severely (negative and positively,) skewed most of the measure were near 0. This suggests the data was normally distributed.

Further, a Shapiro-Wilk Tests was completed on these scales to determine if they were significant (p>.05) (Field, 2009). Based on the standard measure of p value of greater than .05 it can be confirmed that the distribution is non-significant to a normal distribution.

30

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Based on the recommendations of Fabrigar et al., (1999). If the data is relatively distributed normally maximum likelihood analysis method of factor analysis should be used. However, if there is no indication of multivariate normality that a principal factor method is recommended (Fabrigar et al., 1999). However, there are varying opinions which would suggest PCA is not an actual FA analysis methodology and is best used is the factors are noncorrelating whereas MLA is most commonly used and easiest to interpreted (Costello and Osborne, 2005).

Exploratory factor analysis To determine which factors to extract and used for further research, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was completed on the brand image items (BRIM), service quality dimensions and word of mouth praise/activity (WOMP/WOMA).

Service Quality Perception A maximum likelihood factor analysis with direct oblim rotations was completed on 37 items on the service quality dimensions; which included TAN, RESP, COMP, COURT, SEC, UND and ACC. As suggested by Costello and Osborne (2005) three main results were reviewed; the correlation matrix and correlation coefficients, factor loadings in the pattern model and communality coefficients. The communalities were measure against a standard measure of greater than .40; the factor loadings were measure against a standard measure of greater than .32 and the correlation coefficients were measured against a standard measure of greater than .05 given one is deemed as perfect correlations (Field, 2009).

After the initial FA, the there were very low communalities among the measures. A review of the pattern matrix determined non-significant factor loadings within serval dimensions. A further analysis of the correlation matrix determined there were negatively correlating items.

31

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

All negative correlating coefficient were dropped as well as all correlating coefficients which were less than .4.

The correlation matrix was used to determine which factors to delete after each FA. First negative correlation coefficients were identified and deleted after the initial FA. Preceding FA used a standard measure of >.5 to analyse the correlation coefficients and determine which items to remove after each FA. Initially, ten factors were extracted, but there were low communalities among the factors and this also reflected in the correlation matrix. Upon completing the fourth FA, there was six (6) factor extracted.

TABLE 1 Service Quality Perception Correlation Matrix TAN_3 Correlation

TAN_3 REL_1 RESP_1 COURT_3 UND_2 COMP_1 Sig. (1-tailed) TAN_3 REL_1 RESP_1 COURT_3 UND_2 COMP_1 a. Determinant = .135

1.000 .289 .340 .215 .482 .265 .003 .001 .022 .000 .006

REL_1

RESP_1

.289 1.000 .635 .531 .603 .422 .003 .000 .000 .000 .000

.340 .635 1.000 .316 .307 .381 .001 .000 .001 .002 .000

COURT_3

UND_2

COM P1

.215 .531 .316 1.000 .455 .312 .022 .000 .001

.482 .603 .307 .455 1.000 .420 .000 .000 .002 .000

.265 .422 .381 .312 .420 1.000 .006 .000 .000 .001 .000

.000 .001

.000

Brand Image (BRIM) Scale A maximum likelihood factor analysis, with direct oblim rotations and an Eigen value of greater than one, was completed on 12 items; two factors were extracted. Using a standardised measure of >.50, on the first factor, there was low factor loading on BRIM2, BRIM3, BRIM10, BRIM11 and BRIM 12. In the second factor, there were negative loadings BRIM1, BRIM3 and BRIM8, very low loadings on all another measure except BRIM11 and BRIM12 which had factor loadings greater than .5. An analysis of the

32

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

correlation matrix determined very weak correlations coefficients on BRIM3, BRIM2, BRIM7, BRIM10, BRIM11 and BRIM 12 between most other measures. The correlation coefficients were measured against a standard measure of greater than .05 given one is deemed as a perfect correlation (Field, 2009). A second-factor analysis was repeated excluding poorly correlated measures. Only one factor was extracted with an Eigenvalue of >1. An analysis of the correlation matrix determined measure positively correlated with each other using a standard measure of >5. The determinant level was .021 using a standard measure of >.004.

Correlation

BRIM_1 BRIM_4 BRIM_5 BRIM_6 BRIM_8 BRIM_9 Sig. (1BRIM_1 tailed) BRIM_4 BRIM_5 BRIM_6 BRIM_8 BRIM_9 a. Determinant = .021

TABLE 2 Brand Image Correlation Matrix BRIM_1 BRIM_4 BRIM_5 BRIM_6 1.000 .545 .570 .521 .545 1.000 .743 .683 .570 .743 1.000 .793 .521 .683 .793 1.000 .533 .541 .540 .524 .519 .685 .628 .631 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000

BRIM_8 .533 .541 .540 .524 1.000 .708 .000 .000 .000 .000

BRIM_9 .519 .685 .628 .631 .708 1.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000

.000

The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy (KMO) was .886 with a standard measure of >6 is required, and .8 or .9 is good (Field, 2009). The results were significant at .000 Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity also proved significant (χ 2 (15) = 327.730 p=.000.

All the factors accounted for more than 60% of the variance explained.

33

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study TABLE 3 Total Variance Explained Factor

Initial Eigenvalues Total

1 2 3 4 5 6 Extraction Method: Maximum Likelihood.

% of Variance 4.068 .629 .532 .334 .250 .188

67.793 10.487 8.860 5.564 4.168 3.128

Cumulative % 67.793 78.280 87.140 92.704 96.872 100.000

Output WOM After a review of the correlation coefficients for WOMP and WOMA individually, it was determined there were too many negative correlation coefficients. As an experiment, a correlation was completed on both scales to determine if there would be any underlying correlations between the measures. The correlation coefficients were measured against a standard measure of greater than .05 given one is deemed as perfect correlations (Field, 2009). The result showed significant correlations between WOMP1 WOMP2, WOM5 and WOA2, WOMA3, WOMA5. Ideally, both scales represent output WOM. For further analysis, these items would be relabelled and analysed as a scale of OUTWOM. A test of normality determined the items were all negatively skewed suggesting non-normality. A ZScore was created on all OWOM measure to determine if this was attributed to any univariate outliers against a standard measure of greater than 3.29 (Field, 2009). The result indicated there were no univariate outliers. A maximum likelihood analysis was conducted on six items with direct oblim rotation extracting Eigen values greater than 1.

34

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Correlation

OWOM_1 OWOM_2 OWOM_3 OWOM_4 OWOM_5 OWOM_6 Sig. (1OWOM_1 tailed) OWOM_2 OWOM_3 OWOM_4 OWOM_5 OWOM_6 a. Determinant = .011

TABLE 4 Output WOM Correlation Matrix OWOM_1 OWOM_2 OWOM_3 OWOM_4 1.000 .885 .688 .530 .885 1.000 .680 .562 .688 .680 1.000 .582 .530 .562 .582 1.000 .552 .576 .554 .811 .523 .477 .605 .586 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000

OWOM_5 .552 .576 .554 .811 1.000 .558 .000 .000 .000 .000

OWOM_6 .523 .477 .605 .586 .558 1.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000

.000

The correlations were significant with a p.0001 and determinant of .011 against a standard measure of .004. There were positive correlating coefficients between measures and multi collinearity between OWOM2 and OWOM5.

The KMO was .816, which was good, and suggest the measures are significant and suitable for further analysis. Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity also proved significant (χ 2 (15) = 382.138 p=.000.

The communalities extractions demonstrated significant relationships between OWOM1 and OWOM2 with an average significant association between OWOM4 and OWOM5.

OWOM5 provided non-significant. The significance in the communalities was measured against a standard of greater than .4; where .8 is excellent and between .4 and .7 is average (Field, 2009).

35

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Figure 1- Scree lot of extracted figures for SERPER Items

36

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Factor Extraction At this stage determining an appropriate extraction method was needed. Based on the recommendation of Field (2009) there are two methods of removal that may be possible; the Kaiser’s method of extraction and the scree plot method of extraction. Field (2009) suggests, if all values in the commonalities table column labelled extraction is greater than .7 and there are less than 30 variables then use the default extractions determined by SPSS (Kaiser’s method of retaining factors greater than one). As an alternative, a scree plot can be utilized if your data do not meet these criteria. The scree plot analysis suggests, a determinant factor limit based on the amount of factor above the bend of the point of inflexion of the curve (Field, 2009; Cattel, 1966). The point of the inflexion is where the point of the line changes dramatically (Field, 2009:p 640). Based on these recommendations, the scree plot analysis was determined as suitable for BRIM and WOMI and WOMA scale whereas the Kaiser’s criterion was used for the service quality dimensions.

BRIM Scale and OWOM Based on the results from the scree plot, the point of inflexion was on point two for both scales (see below), which suggests one measure should be extracted for further analysis.

However, Costello and Osborne (2005) suggest a one item scale will equate to a poor analysis.

So, on that basis and the ability to used either method of extraction, three factors were extracted based the highest communality. A composite scale of BRM included items: 4, 5 and 6. Because of the multicollinearity between OWOM 1 and 2, OWOM2 was dropped, and a composite scale for OWOM included items: 1, 3 and 5.

Old Variable WOMP1 WOMP2 WOMP5 WOMA2 WOMA5 WOMA6

TABLE 5 New Variable OWOM1 OWOM2 OWOM3 OWOM4 OWOM5 OWOM6

37

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study TABLE 6 Communalities of BRIM and OWOM Initial BRIM_1 .413 BRIM_4 .643 BRIM_5 .717 BRIM_6 .665 BRIM_8 .542 BRIM_9 .647 OWOM_1 .803 OWOM_2 .804 OWOM_3 .590 OWOM_4 .696 OWOM_5 .684 OWOM_6 .471 Extraction Method: Maximum Likelihood.

• Extracted items in bold.

•

Extraction .431 .700 .764 .706 .468 .617 .843 .846 .591 .441 .453 .367

Service Quality Perception Based on the final FA completed on the 33 service quality dimension measures six (6) factors were extracted. The Kaiser’s criterion of extraction was used. An analysis of the commonalities was used to determine the measures with the cleanest factor loading against a standard measure of .30 and above (Costello & Osborne, 2005). These included TAN3, COMP1, RESP1, COURT3, UND2 and REL1. The determinant level was .135, KMO was .707, and the analysis was significant at .000. The KMO although not significant, suggests the factors are suitable for further analysis based on Field (2009). Further, there was low communality about the factors which may have caused the low KMO. A final measure of SERVPER was developed as a composite score of the extracted measures.

Scale Viability and Reliability To test for univariate outliers, Z Score was created on last measures extracted against a standard measure of greater than 3.29 (Field, 2009). All Z Scores met this criterion. To further test for reliability, a reliability test was completed on the three measures. Cronbach coefficient a for these items were significantly reliable at .875 using a standardised measure of >.06 (Malhorta, 2009).

38

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

TABLE 7 Alpha Score for final scores Cronbach's Alpha Cronbach's Alpha Based on Standardized Items .875 .881

N of Items 3

TABLE 8 Goodness-of-fit Test df

Sig.

SERVPER BRIM

ChiSquare 28.001 27.392

9 9

.001 .001

OWOM

81.913

9

.000

Hypothesis Testing RQ1-Does the service quality of a church influence the perception consumer have a church?

H1- A scale of service quality perception can be used to determine perceptions of church brands (brand image).

A stepwise linear regression was completed on SERVPER as the dependent variable and BRIM as the independent variable. The r2 illustrates 50% of the variance in service quality perception can be explained by brand image.

R2 = .50, F(14.807) = 87.771, p< .001.

BRIM as a predictor is significant at p=.000 with a beta value of b=.709 against a standard measure of b>.5 suggests, brand image is a strong predictor of service quality perception.

Model

Unstandardized Coefficients B

Std. Error

(Constant) 15.142 1.466 BRIM .836 .089 a. Dependent Variable: SERVPER

TABLE 9 Coefficients Standardized Coefficients Beta .709

t

10.326 9.369

Sig.

.000 .000

The ANOVA showed an F value of 87.7771, which is significant at p .000. This result tells us that there is less than a 0.1% chance that an F -ratio can occur if the null hypothesis is

39

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

accepted. To concluded, the regression model shows brand image is a significant predictor of service quality TBALE 10 ANOVA between SERVPER and BRIM Model

Sum of Squares

1

Regression Residual Total a. Dependent Variable: SERVPER b. Predictors: (Constant), BRIM

df

1299.653 1288.235 2587.888

1 87 88

Mean Square

F

Sig.

1299.653 14.807

87.771

.000b

RQ2- Do service quality perceptions lead to output word of mouth communication?

H2- Service Quality Perceptions will not correlate significantly with output WOM A two-tailed Pearson correlation was completed on OWOM and SERVPER. OWOM significantly correlated with SERVPER. r(87) = .634 p < .000.

H2a- Output WOM will not be significant predictor of service quality perceptions A stepwise linear regression was completed on SERVPER as the dependent variable and OWOM as the independent variable. The r2 illustrates 40% of the variance in service quality perception can be explained by output WOM. Given 60% of the difference of service quality perception cannot be explained by output WOM, the model is not relevant.

R2 = .40, F(7.779) = 58.397, p< .001.

The OWOM as a predictor is significant at p=.000 with a beta value of b=.643 against a standard measure of b>.5 suggests, brand image is a strong predictor of service quality perception.

40

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Model

Unstandardized Coefficients B

Std. Error

TBALE 11 Coefficients Standardized Coefficients Beta

(Constant) 16.893 1.563 OWOM .734 .096 a. Dependent Variable: SERVPER

.634

t

10.809 7.642

Sig.

.000 .000

The ANOVA showed an F value of 58.397, which is significant at p .000. This result tells us that there is less than a 0.1% chance that an F -ratio can occur if the null hypothesis is accepted. To conclude, the regression model shows output WOM as a predictor service quality perception is likely very low and not a good predictor of service quality perception.

TBALE 12 ANOVA between SERVPER and OWOM Sum of Squares Regression 1039.397 Residual 1548.490 Total 2587.888

Model 1

df 1 87 88

Mean Square 1039.397 17.799

F

Sig.

58.397

.000b

a. Dependent Variable: SERVPER b. Predictors: (Constant), OWOM

RQ3-Will brand image impact the way people share information about the church?

H3a- Brand Image and output WOM will correlate significantly A two-tailed Pearson correlation was completed on OWOM and BRIM. OWOM significantly correlated with BRIM. r(87) = .791 p < .000.

H3b- Output WOM will be a significant predictor of brand image.

A stepwise linear regression was completed on BRIM as the dependent variable and OWOM as the independent variable. The r2 illustrates 62% of the variance in brand image can be explained by output WOM. Given 38% of the difference of brand image cannot be explained by output WOM, the model is substantial.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

R2 = .62, F(7.993) = 145.38, p< .000.

The ANOVA showed an F value of 145.384, which is significant at p .000. This result tells us that there is less than a 0.1% chance that an F -ratio can occur if the null hypothesis is accepted. The significant size of the beta b=.791 suggests output WOM is a significant predictor of brand image.

TABLE 13 ANOVA of BRIM and OWOM Sum of Squares df Mean Square 1162.091 1 1162.091 695.415 87 7.993 1857.506 88

Model 1

Regression Residual Total a. Dependent Variable: BRIM b. Predictors: (Constant), OWOM

F 145.384

Sig. .000b

OWOM as a predictor is significant at p=.000 with a beta value of b=.791 against a standard measure of b>.5 suggests, brand image is a strong predictor of service quality perception.

Model

Unstandardized Coefficients B

(Constant) 3.675 OWOM .776 a. Dependent Variable: BRIM

Std. Error 1.047 .064

TBALE 14 Coefficients Standardized Coefficients Beta .791

t

3.509 12.058

Sig.

.001 .000

RQ4-Can a model be developed to show service quality perceptions, lead to brand image development and brand image leads to output WOM communication.

H4-Service Quality Perceptions can predict brand image, and brand image can significantly predict output WOM. A two tailed, Pearson Correlation was conducted on SERVPER, BRIM and OWOM. Against a standard measure on r>.5. The results demonstrated that service quality perception significant correlates with brand image with a r=.709 and significant at p=.001 and brand

42

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

image significantly correlates with output word of mouth with r=.791 and a significance of p=.000. The null hypotheses can then be rejected that which suggests getting a correlation coefficient level of this size in a sample size of n=89 if the null hypothesis is correct and very likely.

SERVPER

BRIM

TABLE 15 Correlation Matrix SERVPER Pearson Correlation 1 Sig. (2-tailed) N 89 Pearson Correlation .709**

Sig. (2-tailed) N OWOM Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

.000 89 .634** .000 89

BRIM .709** .000 89 1

OWOM .634** .000 89 .791** .000 89 1

89 .791** .000 89

89

TBALE 16 Statistical Frequencies N

Valid Missing

Mean

OWOM 89 0 15.5843

BRIM

SERVPER

89 0 15.7753

89 0 28.3371

Median

17.0000

16.0000

29.0000

Mode Std. Deviation

21.00 4.68025

21.00 4.59435

31.00a 5.42290

21.905

21.108

29.408

25

-.771 .255 -.247 .506 18.00 3.00 21.00 12.0000

-.645 .255 -.431 .506 18.00 3.00 21.00 12.5000

-.417 .255 -.825 .506 21.00 16.00 37.00 25.0000

50 75

17.0000 20.0000

16.0000 20.0000

29.0000 33.0000

Variance Skewness Std. Error of Skewness Kurtosis Std. Error of Kurtosis Range Minimum Maximum Percentiles

a. Multiple modes exist. The smallest value is shown

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Discussion & Analysis In this chapter, a model will be developed which shows a linear model predicated on the attitude predictor variables. The research question aims to understand how service quality influence brand image and how brand image leads to output OWM with a view on Pentecostal churches. In the hypotheses section, it was determined that brand image has significant correlating coefficient between both service quality perception and output word of mouth communication. Preceding questions akin to this included: 端 RQ1-Does the service quality of a church influence the perception consumer have a church? 端 RQ2- Do service quality perceptions lead to output word of mouth communication? 端 RQ3-Will brand image impact the way people share information about the church? 端 RQ4-Can a model be developed to show service quality perceptions, lead to brand image development and brand image leads to output WOM communication.

RQ1-Does the service quality of a church influence the perception consumer have a church?

With a M= 15.77 in a range of 3-21, it can be suggested participant had a positive brand image of their most recent service experience at a church. Further, the b coefficient suggests, brand image is a significant predictor of service quality. The correlation coefficients for both service quality perception and the brand image shows both variable pairs well together.

Hence, it can be suggested that service quality can influence the perceptions consumers to develop.

This tie will with the previous studies of Kim and Kim (2005) and Chao et al. (2015). This finding is significant because, beyond the religious elements associated with churches, there must now be considerations for improving service delivery. Further, based on this result where there is poor service delivery, there will be negative brand perception developed.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

According to Kim and Kim (2015), a negative brand image can lead to another negative element of the brand equity spectrum including brand awareness and brand loyalty.

RQ2- Do service quality perceptions lead to output word of mouth communication?

The b coefficient, illustrate output WOM as a significant predictor of service quality perceptions. This suggests the opinions people developed from the service offer of a church will lead to them sharing that experience with others. Berry and Parasuraman (1991) suggested that WOM is essential for service businesses. Churches are service business within the community, a few of the many service offering was stated earlier in the literature review.

Base on Harrison-Walker (2001) assumptions, this prediction is expected. In his study, Harrison-Walker (2001) suggested service with high experience qualities makes it easy for individuals to evaluate the service outcome. Also, it must be noted that only n=8 of the sample visited a Pentecostal church while n=71 were members and n=10 were followers.

Harrison-Walker (2001) also suggested that services with high credence qualities make it difficult for them to evaluate the service outcome. From this, it can also be assumed that the church has high credence qualities as well, given the diversity of doctrines and beliefs within various denominations. However, such credence qualities are no longer difficult for these individuals to interpret based on the assumption that members and followers are frequent church service users.

RQ3-Will brand image impact the way people share information about the church?

The correlation coefficient between BRIM and OWOM have shown they both significant correlate. The b coefficient of output WOM further suggests it is a significant predictor of brand image. Further, given the significance in mean for BRIM (M=15.77) and OWOM

45

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

(M=15.58), it can be assumed positive brand image will predict positive output word of mouth.

RQ4-Can a model be developed to show service quality perceptions, lead to brand image development and brand image leads to output WOM communication.

Based on the previous discussion, it can be suggested that a predictive model can be developed. However, this model is only exploratory and further analysis would be needed to assess the scale compositions. Other issues are considered in the limitations section. It can be suggested that given the small sample size of the research, this model may be significant for churches and small denominations to understand the how their members, followers or visitor perceive the service quality offer, brand image and he frequency of output WOM on the brand and service delivery.

Service Quality Percpetion •Service quality percpetions is independent of brand image and output word of mouth.

Output

Brand

WOM

Image

•Output Word-of-Mount communication can be predicted by Brand image.

•Brand image can be predicted by service quality perceptions

Figure 2- Model of Predictability

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Limitations There were a few fundamental flaws that were observed throughout the development of this research dissertation. Firstly, the small sample size in both the qualitative and quantitative studies. Although the sample size for the focus group was sufficient, it only met the minimal amount need. A larger sample would have allowed for a wider variety of information which could have enhanced the Survey, normalise the distribution of data, higher factor loadings.

Comrey and Lee (1992) suggested 200 responses are inadequate and 300 responses are fair. A sample size of n=89 would not significantly represent a suitable portion of the sample population. Larger sample size would have supported much more significant results.

Another limitation of this study relates to its broad context of Pentecostal churches. Earlier it was highlighted that Pentecostal Churches vary in opinion about theology, doctrine and mission. Based on this one can assume that the research framework may yield better results if it is replicated to a particular Pentecostal denomination or church congregation.

Further research should consider larger sample sizes, and the variances in achievement across other religious groups with Christianity, i.e. Methodists, Baptist and Church of England. A further element of satisfaction and brand loyalty should be considered. There should also be considerations separate study for visitor only.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Conclusion This research sought to fully understand the antecedents of service quality; brand image and word of mouth communication. Further to develop a model of predictability between service quality perception and brand image, and brand image and output word of mouth communications. The mixed methodology exploratory design contextualised the research to Pentecostal churches within the UK.

From the study, it can be concluded that there is underlying predictability of service quality perception, brand image and word of mouth communication. The ANOVAs determined that a model of predictability between the perceptions of service quality, brand image and output word of mouth communication is important. Which is not at all surprising considering literature has demonstrated such importance for decades.

Current literature does not provide a significant model of predictability between these themes as such, this exploratory study should be considered for future analysis considering the limitations of the study to determine of there would and similarities with the results in this study.

Service delivery is an important element for service businesses, and based on this study it is also significant for churches. Beyond the spiritual fulfilment of church, there should also be consideration about the way church mange the service they offer. It is also important that recurring studies should be developed by churches to understand how are people perceiving their service delivery and gain insights from users on way to enhance their service delivery.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

The research also showed the significance brand image has on both service quality perceptions and output word of mouth communications. This is especially important observations, given the outcome of negative brand image can have negative effect on the brand equity thus reducing its credibility and importance.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Appendix 1- Focus Group Script MSc Dissertation Focus Group Instructions This is a focus group to build a dialogue between individuals within this room to discuss you experiences and opinions on the service quality of churches. At any point during this session, you have the right to stop and leave. All information will be objectively taken and kept within the strictest of confidence. All ethical constraints have taken into consideration and approved by the Ethical Board Goldsmiths University of London.

This session should last for approximately an hour and a half (or less). Please feel comfortable to share your opinions as best as possible and to the best of your knowledge. Lastly please note, this research is not affiliated with any of the churches that will be discussed.

Explain Health and Safety & direction of the rest rooms.

Explanation This focus group will help to understand three main variables: service quality of churches, user perceptions of a church brand and the implications of WOM communication based on the individualsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perception. There will be three rounds of questions which include openended and close-ended question as well and probing question.

The first section will look at you experience of service quality, The second will look at how you communicate your view on church service quality and vice versa The final the last section will consider you understanding and perception of church brands.

I will define each term and concept at the beginning of each section.

Service Quality 55

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

1. How would you define service quality relative to the church? a. Can anyone expand on this? b. Can anyone give any examples?

2. What do you think are some of the services the churches offer? a. Do you think these services are relevant? â&#x20AC;˘

How reliable are the services you mentioned?

â&#x20AC;˘

Are service workers willing to assist when ready?

1. Can you expand on this?

b. What other services could churches possible offer?

3. What are the most important elements of service quality for any church? a. Can you expand on this?

4. How do you feel about the service quality at your local church? a. Can you expand on this? b. Can you give any examples on this?

5. Do you think it is fair to say your local church view service quality as an important element for the church? a. What is the reason for your response?

6. Do you think there is inconsistency in the quality of service/s your local church offer? a. How do you feel about this? b. Can you give an example? c. Can someone pick on this?

7. What would you consider elements of physical appearance of a church to be? a. Can someone build on this?

8. Does the physical appearance of your local church meet your expectation? a. Can you expand on this?

Word of Mouth Communication (WOM) 1. What comes to mind when you think about word of mouth? a. Can anyone expand on this? b. Can anyone give any example?

2. Have you ever shared a bad service experience you had at a church with a friend or family member?

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

a. Can you give an example of this? b. What made the service experience bad?

3. Has anyone ever shared a positive church experience with you? a. Can you share an example which is service related? b. How did it make you feel? c. Did it change you view of that church?

4. How would you feel if someone if express a negative service experience they had at a church with you? a. Why do you think you will feel this way? b. Can you share an example which is service related? c. Did it change you view of that church?

5. Have you ever spoken to a leader in your church about any feedback received on the service/s offered? a. Can you give an example?

6. Do you think Pentecostal churches are doing enough to value feedback given about the service/s offered? a. Can you expand on this? b. How do other feel about that point? â&#x20AC;˘

Can you expand on that?

Brand Perception 1. What comes to mind when you think about brand perception? a. Can anyone expand on this? b. Can anyone give any example?

2. Have you ever visited, followed or was a member of a Pentecostal church? a. Can you give a list of said churches? b. Can you share an example of your experience any service that offered? i.

Can you expand on this further?

c. What was your perception of the service offered? i.

Can you expand on this further?

3. From the list, have anyone ever shared their experience they had with you? a. Can you share an example?

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

b. Did this change how you viewed this church? i.

Can you expand on this?

4. How did you become a member or follower of your local church? a. Can you expand on this?

5. The current church you associate with, would you invite friends, family members or other individuals to visit? a. Would your recommendations be influences by the current services that the church offer? i.

Can you expand on this?

6. How do you think other people perceive your church based on the quality of services offered? a. How would you respond to these perceptions? b. Please expand on this?

Appendix 2- Transcript Focus Group 1 Service Quality How would you define service quality relative to the church?

In terms of the church, there are two perspectives: service offered to the community and what is termed as Church services (gathering for worship).

One participant suggested a definition for service quality as is the church meeting the needs and expectations of the individual or community.

•

Feeds into one’s expectations if the perception of one’s expectations is met that it can be seen as quality outcome.

•

If the expectations of the individual who visits the church is not being met that it can be viewed as poor quality.

What do you think are some of the services the churches offer? o Prayer meeting o Mid Week service o Feeding the homeless o Finance Classes

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

o Single Ministries (support for single individuals in the church) o Marital Support o Counselling o Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministry (support for children in the church) o Elderly Ministry (support for elderly individuals in the church) o Support for Widows o Discipleship & Post Discipleship (Learn about the church) o Bible Study Do you think these services are relevant?

Example- Member A suggested that the service quality of churches are poor because the church does not create an environment for persons to give their opinion or feedback. She believes the church can be hostile toward people who have opinion on the quality of service the church is offering.

Member B concurred with her and suggested that it is Pentecostal theology (which suggests the church should have nothing to do with confusion); when there are many voice critiquing it can be viewed as confusion and it is the work of the devil. This in his view has become church culture to accept the church as it is a muffle their perspective and opinions. He then went on the suggest that with the movement of the millennial generation this view is slowly make a shift in the church. In his view the millennial generation are very critical and like to see things done a certain way and if it does fit with in the their perspective they will move on elsewhere or lose interest.

Further, he suggested the solution would be to go back to a have a cuticle view of Christian Theology and secondly build the bridge between the older generation and the younger generation.

Are the services reliable?

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

The group all agreed that most of the service offered are inconsistent and are not entirely reliable. One member suggested that in terms of schedule consistency the services are reliable however, I do not always meet their expectations which makes it unreliable.

Reliability was also referred to as setting a standard as a benchmark to rate the quality of service offered.

Example: One member went to a church called Elim in Nottingham, UK. She recalled that their church service lasted for an hour. They were able to complete all the elements of the service within that hour compared to her church which is a part of NTCG which has a similar set up but lasts two hours. (In this case an important quality for service is timing and it did not meet her expectations).

Are service workers willing to assist when ready?

The group all agreed the consistency of worker would vary based on the church they attend.

Example 1: one member based on his experience/observation suggest that ushers are the first point of contact for any individual in a church. From his experience he some ushers had a demeanour of aggression, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t approach people in a professional manner, Example 2: A not member referred to experience where the facilitator for prayer meeting is late and ill prepared and there is no one prepared to take over. She also suggested that it can be lack of team effort.

Example 3: On member suggested that service quality is defiantly a subjective point of view. She accepts the fact that the church is individualistic in the sense that each church would see persons with differently needs or persons from different demographical backgrounds. Also, she believes that the quality of service will vary because you have to be inclusive all the needs of all. (This can be because the church

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

is seen as a community and should not leave no one behind, however this can been seen as a gap in most churches, where there are other needs which are not spiritual i.e. educational, language skills, ICT skills which are not being met but can be implemented as a service.)

Other services the church can offer: •

Expand on current and relevant topics within the current services

•

Have a system in place where there are services to meet the needs of all generations

•

Have a system in place for feedback about all service the church offer.

What are the most important elements of service quality for any church?

• Consistency •

Time keeping

•

Order

•

Standard

How do you feel about the service quality at your local church?

The participant decided to rate it based on a Likert scale of 1-10. Member A gave a 6 out of 10. In comparison to other churches the entire group Agreed that their church is the better that other church they attended or visited.

Member B referred back to comment made by individuals outside of their church; his church is a flag ship church. He also went on to say that it is progressive, meting the need of millennials and the Moses generation (find a reference).

Based on other churches visited they see a striking difference between their church; some suggested they are cold, some suggested they are dry. He believes his churches I progress to the perspective of who God is, it’s approach is charismatic compared to other church he

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

perceive is less progressive because they are stuck in an ideology of â&#x20AC;&#x153;who God wasâ&#x20AC;? and how earlier generation experienced God.

Member D: She believe the culture of her church is valued. Her observations is that people are allowed to be themselves while embracing the love of God. She also suggested that the leadership of her church is important; she sees her churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership is strict but loving and very open and personable.

Member B: Agreed with member D in that the leadership at their church is approachable and open. Based on his experiences at other churches he could have identified who the leader/s were based on the seating, dress code or the amount of people that accompanied them. He suggested that developed perceptions within him which made it difficult to relate with them or speak with them which them creates a wall/barrier to communicate.

The group all agreed that leaders should be relatable and down to earth and it is an important part of service quality.

Do you think it is fair to say your local church view service quality as an important element for the church?

The group all agreed that their church views service quality as an important element for their church. They also referred to their leader, in the view has set a standard for the church which is communicated clearly within the church.

Member B: Suggested that the standard for service quality for a church can either be delegated or come for the leader of the church. Within his local church he believes it is done

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

by his leader. He also believes that because individuals can access to his leader and meet one on one they get to know him and this standard is that communicated through that channel.

Member D: she believes that as it important for the leader to set the standard they should ensure they are meeting the expectations of the members and that they should take the considerations of the members as well. She agreed with Member B in that there needs to be a relational element one to here persons individualistic views and two to communicate the standards to them.

Do you think there is inconsistency in the quality of service/s your local church offer?

The groups all agreed that there is inconsistencies with the services that is offered at their church.

Member A made an analogy between the worker at church who can be seen at fault for the inconsistency versus the work ethic of individuals at their place of employment where they have the main the standard of service they are offering.

Member B continued by first acknowledging workers with the church most time volunteering their time and not being paid and secondly because it not seen as a place of employment they cannot be fired which reflects on their behaviour. He believe the way to change this is to ensure volunteers are challenged by each other to raise the standard continuously which would maintain or improve the consistency.

What would you consider elements of physical appearance of a church to be?

Elements of physical appearance: â&#x20AC;˘

Cleanliness

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

•

Signage- with times of general gatherings

•

Modern Aesthetics –Chairs, bright lighting,

•

Moderns visuals and sound

•

Interactive elements through technology

•

Multi media

•

The reception area

•

The rest rooms

•

Windows

•

Heating and Air-conditioning

Does the physical appearance of your local church meet your expectation?

They all agreed the physical appearance of their church does not meet that expectations.

WOM Communication What comes to mind when you think about word of mouth?

•

Messages being passed on. Conservation with individuals.

Have you ever shared a bad experience with a friend or family member?

•

As a group some agreed that they have shared bad experiences with friends and family. They also agree that they are very selective as to who they share their opinion with

Member D said she is selective because she believes that her experiences is individualistic and she wouldn’t want to impose her opinion on others. In relation to her own church, she does not want to spread negative views about her church to others.

Member B likened his church to the family. He believes in being very protective of his family and negative WOM would not assist in sheading a positive outlook on his ‘Family.’

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

He is in support of allowing people to come and experiencing it for themselves. He also believes that NWOM would bread gossip within out circles which would expose the ‘family’ (church) which leaves a negative image on the church.

Example- Member B at one of his previous church had an issue with a few members over a discrepancy; The month of January was allocated for prayer and fasting and he found out a few of the members went outside the purpose of the month an used the time to lose weight. He brought it to the attention of the pastor (leader) which he ignored and suggested that they would deal with it during the next month of prayer and fasting the following year.

Has anyone ever shared a positive church experience with you?

•

They all agreed that yes, they have received what PWOM from people. However, the group was pretty hesitant to share any.

Example Member D who missed a Sunday morning gathering got PWOM from a family member about what the speaker spoke on. She felt happy about the content of the message.

How would you feel if someone if express a negative service experience they had at a church with you?

If they received NWOM about a church experience as a group they all had disappointing responses; some shocked, upset and some not surprised.

Member B: On a positive outlook he said he would be shocked but not upset, if the NWOM is constructive. He suggested that in response as an individual one should sympathise with the person and also try to use the feedback to improve the services.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Member C belief is that the church is hospital and with responsibility to meet the needs of a diverse set of individuals and on the occasion of the person’s visit their need where not met.

As a group their perceptions of the church was not altered by the NWOM they received, they said however it confirmed it. Member B went on to suggest the news can be disheartening.

Have you ever spoken to a leader in your church about any feedback received on the service/s offered?

All members agreed that they have reported feedback they get from other to their leader/s.

Do you think Pentecostal churches are doing enough to value feedback given about the service/s offered?

As a group they believe Pentecostal churches are not doing enough to value the feedback they receive. Member B suspect this is an issue within leadership. Further, he believes the feedback leaders receive may be seen a challenging to their authority and position which gain builds a barrier between the leader/s and the congregants.

Brand Perception What comes to mind when you think about brand perception?

• How a brand looks to the service users or consumer/ or the image you want two portray.

Have you ever visited, followed or was a member of a Pentecostal church?

•

Gloucester NTCG

•

Bilston NTCG

•

Nottingham NTCG

•

Brixton NTCG

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Can you share an example of your experience any service that offered?

Example- Member D talked a bad experience she had during her marriage counselling session. Member C suggested that counselling may not have been something the pastor was skilled in. Member B further expanded then gave an example to various Pentecostal movements in the USA which set standards for leaders within the church which included having the skills and educational knowledge to complete the tasks required.

How did you become a member or follower of your local church?

The group all found out about their local church through friends and family member who currently attend or previously visited their local church.

The current church you associate with, would you invite friends, family members or other individuals to visit?

The all agreed that they would invited persons to visit their local church, however it would not be influenced by the current services their church offer.

How do you think other people perceive your church based on the quality of services offered?

They all agree they believe people would perceive the church (Chrisma) like other NTCG Church branches based on the standard view that is currently portrayed about NTCG in general.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

Appendix 3- Transcript Focus Group 2 How would you define service quality relative to the church?

Service quality for the group was more associated with care for the need of victors and members this would include follow up visit, pastoral care.

What do you think are some of the services the churches offer?

•

Homeless lunch

•

Giving to those in need

•

Street Pastoral work

•

Prison Ministry (Visits)

•

Youth Programs

•

Student Programs

•

Food Banks

•

Senior’s Ministry

•

Leadership and mentorship programs

Do you think these services are relevant?

•

The group all agreed that they are. Member E suggested all the services (ministry) is need to support the needs of everyone in the community.

Are the services reliable?

•

The all agreed that the services offered are not entirely reliable. Member E and F spoke out her experiences in being burnt out because they are occupying roles in multiple services they church offer. Further, they confirmed lack of human resources (volunteers) can be seen as a reason for the lack of reliability.

Are service workers willing to assist when ready?

•

The group’s their willingness to help is based on the personal constraint of the service worker. Member F suggested that they are willing to help most times and they are willing to help most times if one was to ask.

How reliable are the services you mentioned?

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•

The group all agreed that the services mentioned is not entirely reliable.

The reasons for this they believed was lack of human resources (Volunteers). Member E holds roles in 3 services her church offers. She agrees she feel that the church should do more to get other members involved in volunteering to assist with the work load.

b. What other services could churches’ possible offer?

•

Cell Groups at home

9. What are the most important elements of service quality for any church?

•

Meets the needs of individuals.

•

Customer Service

•

Being communal

10. How do you feel about the service quality at your local church?

•

Most the group were hesitant o give a response in this instance. Member E and F suggested that there is room for improvements within the service quality of their local church. Member G believes the service quality of her local church need to be re-examined from a foundational level. She also believes some of the challenges will be opposition from members and mirroring the opinions of older and younger generations. Member H illuded to a cultural challenge within her church. Member G spoke her experience at University where the church she attended was very multi-cultural and multi demographical compared to her current local church.

11. Do you think it is fair to say your local church view service quality as an important element for the church?

•

The all agreed yes. Member F suggested that it is an important element her leader. She also suggested that her leader belives the the service quality of the church is used a tool to capture the attention of people.

She believes an important part of the service quality experience is a welcoming environment and believes that it should be driven from the leader.

•

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

12. Do you think there is inconsistency in the quality of service/s your local church offer?

•

The all agreed that there is inconsistency with e services within their local churches. Member H suggested her worship team, Member E and F suggested the Men’s and Women’s team are inconsistent. Member H gave an example of her experience in joining the worship team where member were all stuck in there ways which led to her leaving. She further suggested that that sort of behaviour can deter people from volunteering or becoming part of the church.

13. What would you consider elements of physical appearance of a church to be?

•

Smaller building

•

Heating and Air Conditioning

•

The Pulpit

•

Disabled access

•

Larger multimedia screens

•

The music

14. Does the physical appearance of your local church meet your expectation?

•

The consensus was yes. Member E and F were adamant that physical appearance was not a major element of the service quality rather it is the content that it offered.

Word of Mouth Communication (WOM) 7. What comes to mind when you think about word of mouth?

•

It is passing on of information to others. This was the consensus of the group.

8. Have you ever shared a bad service experience you had at a church with a friend or family member?

•

The all agreed they have shared a bad experience before. Member F had experiences where the content of the church gatherings did not meet her expectations but admitted this could have been skewed by how she felt or what was on her mind at the time.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

9. Has anyone ever shared a positive church experience with you?

•

They all agreed yes. Member F spoke about a youth service her church offer call SHOUT which an event they have occasionally throughout the year. She explained that she got positive feedback from the previous SHOUT event held. This made her feel good because it is in line with the aims of her department.

10. How would you feel if someone if express a negative service experience they had at a church with you?

•

The all agreed the feedback would give them a negative feeling. Member H suggested it would be heart breaking because there are no appropriate channels to pass the feedback on and the likelihood of an change very little. Further, it made her conscious of inviting persons to her church especially if they are no regular church goers.

11. Have you ever spoken to a leader in your church about any feedback received on the service/s offered?

•

The all agreed yes. Member H stated that her attempt to give feedback to her pastor lead to an argument and was not received well. To deal with preceding feedback she ignores it entirely and does not take on the burden to pass it on. As a solution, Sher suggested that members’ meeting is a better platform to share feedback. Member F who is a member of the youth department at her church never received negative responses from her leaders regarding any feedback; in contrast, they were very welcoming to the feedback offered.

12. Do you think Pentecostal churches are doing enough to value feedback given about the service/s offered?

•

The agreed that there are not but are trying.

Brand Perception 1. What comes to mind when you think about brand perception?

•

When you can identify with a person (organisation 0 based on what they do, a sign or symbol.

2. Have you ever visited, followed or was a member of a Pentecostal church?

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

a. Can you give a list of said churches?

•

Lee NTCG

•

Redeemed Church of God

•

New Wine

•

Jesus House

•

KICC

b. Can you share an example of your experience any service that offered?

•

Member F spoke about her experience at NTCG Batersea where she got baptised. He decision to be baptised was during a church gathering and the invitation was extended and she made the decision.

c. What was your perception of the service offered?

•

There was consensus of the group.

3. How did you become a member or follower of your local church?

•

For member E and F they both agreed that there was an invitation first. Member F had a formal talk with the pastor initially about her background and faith. Member E had a different experience mainly because she was a associated with the church for some time before becoming a member.

4. The current church you associate with, would you invite friends, family members or other individuals to visit?

•

The consensus is yes

b. Would your recommendations be influences by the current services that the church offer?

•

The all agreed yes. Member F spoke about inviting family members to event that she believes is more relative to them and that they would like.

5. How do you think other people perceive your church based on the quality of services offered?

•

Charitable, evangelistic focused and family centered.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

b. How would you respond to these perceptions? c. Please expand on this?

Appendix2- Survey Thank you for taking part in the survey! The aim of this survey is to understand how your experiences of services offered by Pentecostal churches you have membership with, follow or have visited inform your perceptions of the church’s brand. Further, how your perceptions inform your word of mouth activities.

Kindly complete the following questions to the best of your knowledge, it should take approximately 30 minutes in total. Each question will require at least one response, please select the response that is most suitable.

The result from this survey will inform the research dissertation of Dekkel Simmons, Post Graduate student of Goldsmiths University of London. All ethical considerations were identified and approved by the ethics committee within the Institute of Management Studies.

You may stop at any point during the survey if you wish.

Demographic Questions 1. Which is your age? a. b. Prefer not to say 2. What is the highest degree or level of school you have completed? If currently enrolled, highest degree received. a. No schooling completed b. Nursery school to 8th grade c. Some high school, no diploma d. High school graduate, diploma or the equivalent (for example: GED) e. Some college credit, no degree f. Trade/technical/vocational training g. Associate degree h. Bachelor’s degree i. Master’s degree j. Professional degree

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

k. Doctorate degree l. Prefer not to say Marital Status: What is your marital status? a. Single, never married b. Married or domestic partnership c. Widowed d. Divorced e. Separated f. Prefer not to say Employment Status: Are you currently? a. Employed for wages b. Self-employed c. Out of work and looking for work d. Out of work but not currently looking for work e. A homemaker f. A student g. Military h. Retired i. Unable to work j. Prefer not to say Which part of the UK do you live?

What is your religious belief? a. Christian b. Buddhist c. Muslim d. Hindu e. Atheist f. Other: g. Prefer not to say Which best applies to you: a. I am member of Pentecostal church in the UK b. I am a follower of a Pentecostal church in the UK c. I have visited a Pentecostal Church in the UK d. None of these responses applies to me i. If A, B or C is answered then move to question 8 ii. If d is answered, end Survey From the list provided select the church/s you are a member, follower or visited. a. Redeemed Christian Church of God b. Elim Pentecostal Churches c. Assembles of God d. New Testament Church of God e. Oneness Churches f. COGIC- Church of God in Christ g. Kings Way international Christian Church h. United Pentecostal Church of Great Britain. i. Church of Pentecost j. Apostolic Church k. Mountain of Fire Ministries l. Deeper Life Bible Church 74

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

m. Church of God of Prophecy n. Holiness Churches o. Other: The preceding series of questions should be answered based on your most recent service experience at a Pentecostal Church. This may include the church you are a currently have membership, follow or visit. They are measured on a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 is strongly disagree or and 7 is strongly agree. Please select one response for each question.

Service Quality Dimenssions Tangible Factors 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

The tools and equipment volunteers use are appropriate.

The physical appearance of the church does not meet my expectation.

The church sign is legible The church seating is comfortable.

The church does not have access to Bibles or hymn books.

There is appropriate signage to locate rooms in the church.

This is appropriate signs to locate the rest rooms.

Reliability factors 1. Service workers are reliable.

2. Services which the church offer do not start on time.

3. Services the church offer do not end on time.

4. Services are frequently cancelled or postponed.

Responsiveness Factor 1. The service workers are eager to assist when needed 2. There are not enough service workers available.

3. Service workers normally have multiple responsibilities Security Factor 1. Security is not an important factor for churches 2. I feel secure at services the church offers 3. The church has an internal security system Courtesy factor 75

How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

1. Service workers are courteous consistently 2. The pastor greets me personally 3. There is an initial greeting by service workers.

4. Service workers do not give a farewell.

Competence 1. Service workers are not well trained to complete their tasks.

2. Service workers should undertake regular training to complete their tasks.

3. Leaders should play a role in the service quality.

Understanding 1. The services are meeting the needs of the community.

2. The services are meeting my needs 3. The church has the capacity to offer more services.

Credibility 1. The church has a poor reputation 2. I do believe the church is honest 3. The church name resonates with individuals in the community Communication 1. It is difficult to understand communications the church sends.

2. Gaining access to information about service the church offer is poor.

3. The church poor advertise the services they offer.

Access/Convince Factor 4.

5.

6.

7.

It is easy to locate.

There is access for wheelchairs.

There is appropriate signage to locate the church.

There appropriate signage inside the church to locate appropriate rooms.

WOM Scale (Harrison-Walker, 2001) WOM Activity I mention the church to strangers frequently I mention the church family frequently I mention the church friends frequently Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve told more people about this church than Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve told about most other church.

I seldom miss an opportunity to tell others about this church.

When I talk to others about this church. I tend to talk about this church in great detail.

WOM Praise 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1. I only have good things to say about this church when speaking to family.

2. I only have good things to say about this church when speaking to friends.

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How does service quality perception influence the brand image and output word of mouth communication of Pentecostal churches in the United Kingdom? - An exploratory study

3. I only have negative things to say about this church when speaking to family.

4. I only have negative things to say about this church when speaking to friends.

5. I am proud to tell others that I use the services at this church.

BIM-Brand Image Scale (Kim & Kim, 2005) 1. Services are prompt 2. It is conveniently located 3. It has a differentiated image from other church brands 4. Employees are very kind 5. It has a very clean image 6. It has cheerful and enchanting atmosphere 7. There are many events 8. The services are unique compared to other churches 9. The church is relatable.

10. I feel comfortable to visit alone 11. It has a long history 12. Its brand is familiar to me

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