Title Page
Contents
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 15
ABSTRACT 17
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 23
1.1. Introduction 23
1.2. Background of this study 23
1.3. Problem statement and research gap 27
1.4. Research objectives 33
1.5. Research questions 34
1.6. Significance of this study 36
1.7. Operational definitions of key terms 39
1.7.1. Exhibition and exhibition activities 39
1.7.2. Organizers 40
1.7.3. Exhibitors and visitors 40
1.7.4. Third-party service providers 41
1.7.5. Exhibition venues or convention centers 41
1.7.6. Service quality 42
1.7.7. Service quality dimensions 42
1.7.8. Customer satisfaction 43
1.7.9. Customer loyalty 43
1.8. Organization of chapters 44
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 45
2.1. Introduction 45
2.2. Research related to service 45
2.2.1. Definition of service 45
2.2.2. Characteristics of services in the exhibition industry 48
2.3. Related research on perceived service quality 53
2.4. Service quality dimensions 57
2.4.1. Tangibles: representing the service physically 58
2.4.2. Reliability: delivering on promises 58
2.4.3. Responsiveness: being willing to help 59
2.4.4. Assurance: inspiring trust and confidence 60
2.4.5. Empathy: treating customers as individuals 60
2.5. Measurement of service quality 61
2.5.1. The Grönroos model 62
2.5.2. PZB service quality model and its application 63
2.6. Research related to satisfaction 72
2.6.1. The definition of satisfaction 72
2.6.2. Significance of studying exhibitor satisfaction 76
2.6.3. Exhibitors' satisfaction 77
2.6.4. Measurement model of satisfaction 81
2.7. Customer loyalty 83
2.7.1. Significance of customer loyalty 83
2.7.2. Customer loyalty dimensions 86
2.8. Relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty 91
2.9. Maslow's hierarchy of needs 93
2.10. Herzberg's two-factor theory/hygiene-motivation theory 96
2.11. Theoretical framework 97
2.12. Research hypotheses 98
2.12.1. Exhibition' service quality dimensions and exhibitor' satisfaction 99
2.12.2. Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty 100
2.12.3. Exhibitor satisfaction has a mediating role in the relationship between the service quality dimension of the exhibition and exhibitor loyalty 101
2.13. Conclusion 102
CHAPTER 3. EXHIBITION INDUSTRY IN CHINA 103
3.1. Introduction 103
3.2. Background 103
3.3. Exhibition industry in China 106
3.3.1. Basic development of the exhibition industry in China 106
3.3.2. Development status of China's exhibition venues 115
3.4. Basic situation of Shandong province 119
3.5. Exhibition industry in Shandong 120
3.6. Case study exhibition 125
3.7. Conclusion 128
CHAPTER 4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 129
4.1. Introduction 129
4.2. Research method 129
4.2.1. Social science research methods 129
4.2.2. Research Design 132
4.3. Population and sampling framework 134
4.4. Issues of precision and confidence in determining sample size 136
4.4.1. Precision 136
4.4.2. Confidence 137
4.5. Data collection process of this study 138
4.5.1. Research instruments 140
4.5.2. Pilot study of the survey instruments 142
4.5.3. Validity and reliability of the study survey instrument 143
4.6. Data analysis method for this study 144
4.6.1. Descriptive analysis 144
4.6.2. Factor analysis 145
4.6.3. Correlation 146
4.6.4. Multiple regression analysis 147
4.6.5. Structural equation modeling (SEM) 147
4.6.6. Testing the mediating role of customer satisfaction 149
4.7. Pilot test of the research model 151
4.7.1. Rationale for dimensional design of perceived service quality measurement dimensions 151
4.7.2. Participants of the exhibition and the main services 152
4.7.3. Establishing perceived exhibition service quality measurement index system based on SERVQUALmodel 154
4.7.4. Pilot test 179
4.8. Conclusion 191
CHAPTER 5. DATAANALYSISAND FINDINGS 194
5.1. Introduction 194
5.2. Data editing and coding 194
5.3. Data screening 195
5.4. Respondent's profile 197
5.5. Descriptive statistical analysis of variables 201
5.6. Reliability analysis 204
5.7. Exploratory factor analysis 205
5.7.1. Factor analysis of exhibitors' perceived service quality 206
5.7.2. Satisfaction factor analysis 211
5.7.3. Factor analysis of loyalty 212
5.8. Correlation analysis 213
5.9. Structural equation modeling analysis 214
5.9.1. Original model 215
5.9.2. Testing and correction of the research model[원문불량;p.197] 217
5.10. Path analysis 223
5.11. Mediating effect test 226
5.11.1. Test of the mediating role of satisfaction between tangibility and loyalty 227
5.11.2. Test of the mediating role of satisfaction between reliability and loyalty 229
5.11.3. Test of the mediating role of satisfaction between responsiveness and loyalty 230
5.11.4. Test of the mediating role of satisfaction between assurance and loyalty 231
5.11.5. Test of the mediating role of satisfaction between empathy and loyalty 233
5.11.6. Test of the mediating role of satisfaction between professionalism and loyalty 234
5.12. Hypothesis test results of mediating effect 235
CHAPTER 6. IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 237
6.1. Introduction 237
6.2. Recapitulation 237
6.3. Implications of this study 238
6.3.1. Theoretical implications 238
6.3.2. Significance of practical application 240
6.4. Limitations of this study and the direction of future research 244
REFERENCES 246
APPENDICES 16
Appendix A. 309
Appendix B. (Chinese) 310
Appendix B. (English) 313
Appendix C. (Chinese) 317
Appendix C. (English) 320
Appendix D. 324
Table 2.1. Existing Service Quality Models 62
Table 2.2. Conceptual Definitions in Consumer Satisfaction Literature 72
Table 2.3. Herzberg's Hygiene-Motivation Theory 96
Table 3.1. Statistics on Changes in the Number of Exhibition Cities, the Number of Exhibitions and the Total ExhibitionArea in 2015-2021 111
Table 3.2. the Number of Exhibitions Exceeds 50, Provinces,Autonomous Regions and Municipalities Directly under the Central Government, in 2021 112
Table 3.3. Statistics of Economic and Trade Fairs Held Domestically in China in 2021 (Over 5 million Square Meters) 113
Table 3.4. Regions Where Convention and Exhibition Centers with an Indoor RentableArea over 500,000 Square Meters 116
Table 3.5. Regions Where Single Convention and Exhibition Center with an Indoor Rentable Area over 200,000 Square Meters 117
Table 3.6. Top 10 Convention and Exhibition Centers for Utilization in 2020 118
Table 3.7. UFI Certified Member Units 121
Table 3.8. the 28 UFI Certified Exhibition ProjectsAre Listed Below, mainly for the Manufacturing Industry 122
Table 3.9. the Main Exhibition Center in Shandong Province 124
Table 4.1. Items Related to Tangibility 161
Table 4.2. Items Related to Reliability 163
Table 4.3. Items Related to Responsiveness 164
Table 4.4. Items Related toAssurance 166
Table 4.5. Items Related to Empathy 167
Table 4.6. Remaining Items 168
Table 4.7. Summary of Initial Perceived Quality of Service Items 169
Table 4.8. List of Interview Experts 172
Table 4.9. Summary of Expert Comments 173
Table 4.10. Original Service Items Dimensions 176
Table 4.11. the KMO and Bartlett's Test of the Original Scale 180
Table 4.12. the Total Variance Explained of the Original Scale 181
Table 4.13. the Rotated Component Matrix of the Original Scale 183
Table 4.14. the KMO and Bartlett's Test of the Modified Scale 184
Table 4.15. the Total Variance Explained of the Modified Scale 185
Table 4.16. the Rotated Component Matrix of the Modified Scale 188
Table 4.17. Six Dimensions of Perceived Service Quality 190
Table 5.1. Personal Profile Of Respondents(N=321) 198
Table 5.2. Nature of the Unit of Respondents(N=321) 199
Table 5.3. the Way to Know this Exhibition(N=321) 200
Table 5.4. Purpose toAttend the Exhibition(N=321) 201
Table 5.5. Descriptive Statistics of the Respondents(N=321) 202
Table 5.6. ReliabilityAnalysis 204
Table 5.7. KMO and Bartlett's Test 206
Table 5.8. Total Variance Explained 208
Table 5.9. Rotated Component Matrix 210
Table 5.10. KMO and Bartlett's Test of Satisfaction 211
Table 5.11. Component Matrix of Satisfaction 211
Table 5.12. KMO and Bartlett's Test of Loyalty 212
Table 5.13. Component Matrix of Loyalty 212
Table 5.14. CorrelationAnalysis 213
Table 5.15. Overall Model Fit Metrics Need Refer to Overall model fit metrics 218
Table 5.16. Overall Model Fit Metrics of this Research 218
Table 5.17. Reliability and Convergent Validity of the Model 219
Table 5.18. Discriminant Validity Tests of the Study Model 221
Table 5.19. Results of the PathAnalysis 225
Table 5.20. RegressionAnalysis of the Satisfaction Mediating Role Model (standardized) 228
Table 5.21. Decomposition Table of Total Effect, Direct Effect and Mediating Effect 228
Table 5.22. RegressionAnalysis of the Satisfaction Mediating Role Model (standardized) 229
Table 5.23. Decomposition Table of Total Effect, Direct Effect and Mediating Effect 229
Table 5.24. RegressionAnalysis of the Satisfaction Mediating Role Model (standardized) 230
Table 5.25. Decomposition Table of Total Effect, Direct Effect and Mediating Effect 231
Table 5.26. RegressionAnalysis of the Satisfaction Mediating Role Model (standardized) 232
Table 5.27. Decomposition Table of Total Effect, Direct Effect and Mediating Effect 232
Table 5.28. RegressionAnalysis of the Satisfaction Mediating Role Model (standardized) 233
Table 5.29. Decomposition Table of Total Effect, Direct Effect and Mediating Effect 233
Table 5.30. RegressionAnalysis of the Satisfaction Mediating Role Model (standardized) 234
Table 5.31. Decomposition Table of Total Effect, Direct Effect and Mediating Effect 235
Table 5.32. Hypothesis Test Results of Mediating Effect 236
Figure 2.1. Grönroos'Service Quality Model 63
Figure 2.2. PZB Service Gap Model 64
Figure 2.3. Nature and Determinants of Customer Expectations of Service 68
Figure 2.4. Cognitive Model of theAntecedents and Consequences of Satisfaction Decisions 81
Figure 2.5. ACSI Model 82
Figure 2.6. Proposed Theoretical Framework (Exhibitor Perceptions of Exhibition Perceived Service Quality, Exhibitor Satisfaction and Exhibitor Loyalty) 98
Figure 3.1. Basic Information of China's Exhibition Industry 2015-2021 111
Figure 4.1. Steps of Mediating Effect Test 150
Figure 4.2. Main Participants and Services of ExhibitionActivities 153
Figure 4.3. Screen Plot Map of the Original Scale 183
Figure 4.4. the Screen Plot Map of the Modified Scale 187
Figure 5.1. Hypothetical Structural Equation Model 216
Figure 5.2. PathAnalysis of Structural Equation Model 223
Figure 5.3. Mediating Effect Model 227
Figure 5.4. the Path among Tangibility, Satisfaction, and Loyalty. 227
Figure 5.5. the Path among Reliability, Satisfaction, and Loyalty. 229
Figure 5.6. the Path among Responsiveness, Satisfaction, and Loyalty. 230
Figure 5.7. the Path amongAssurance, Satisfaction, and Loyalty. 231
Figure 5.8. the Path among Empathy, Satisfaction, and Loyalty. 233
Figure 5.9. the Path among Professionalism, Satisfaction, and Loyalty. 234
Plate 3.1. Map of China 105
Plate 3.2. Map of Shandong Province 120
Plate 3.3. On-site Pictures of China GRTAE 126