A New Emergent Paradigm in Measuring ‘Satisfaction’: Accessing the Fragmented Nature of Visitors’ Reality Via the Desired-Benefit (Dis)Confirmation Approach

Purpose – This study explores conceptual frameworks for understanding consumer satisfaction in the substantive domain of a public museum. Design/Methodology – An inductive approach and a qualitative methodology was employed through theory and data triangulations. 46 semi-structured in-depth interviews with visitors upon exit and a further four with management and staff members aided the comparison of three schools of satisfaction thought feeding into a new theory. Findings – The results were most congruent with the postmodern and experiential school of satisfaction thought. Conceptually, this reinforced the position of a fragmented and non-totalizing consumer reality, as well as subjective experience. Reciprocally, outcome quality (desired benefits) elucidated most insight on the appreciation of individual satisfied states.

Citation:

Anastasia Mourikis, Damian Gallagher, and Adrian Palmer (2011) ,"A New Emergent Paradigm in Measuring ‘Satisfaction’: Accessing the Fragmented Nature of Visitors’ Reality Via the Desired-Benefit (Dis)Confirmation Approach", in E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 9, eds. Alan Bradshaw, Chris Hackley, and Pauline Maclaran, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 249-254.