Model of satisfaction involving affect and personality traits

Abstract

The aim of this study is to model the personality traits, affect and satisfaction in the context of banking services. Specifically, it is proposed that extraversion/neuroticism impacts positive/negative affect respectively, which in turn influence satisfaction. Additionally, the direct and indirect impact of extraversion/neuroticism on satisfaction is analyzed. A survey with 269 Macedonian current users of banking services was carried out, using questionnaires as a method of data collection. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were applied in testing the proposed model. The findings indicate that neuroticism as a personality trait impacts negative affect, while extraversion impacts positive affect. Further, the influence of positive affect on satisfaction is in positive direction, whereas the influence of negative affect on satisfaction is in negative direction. Neuroticism has no direct impact on satisfaction, but it indirectly negatively influences satisfaction when mediated by negative affect. On the other hand, extraversion has direct negative effect on satisfaction and indirect positive effect when mediated by positive affect, which suggests competitive mediation. The present paper contributes to the existing literature by linking personality traits, affect and customer satisfaction in one model providing evidence-based insights on the structural relations between personality traits, affect and customer satisfaction. Moreover, this is the first study to explore the relationships between personality traits, affect and customer satisfaction of retail banking customer in a developing country in the Balkans.