Predictors of Corporate Reputation through Service Quality: A Study of Air Asia Customers Perspectives

Abstract

Hospitality and tourism industries have become one of the pivotal industry that contribute to the growth of the nation's economy. However, less studies actually pay attention to the aviation industry where this industry has faced a lot of challenges and crisis in the past decade. Hence, this study aims to examine the predicting factors of service quality on corporate reputation of AirAsia in Malaysia. The study utilized SERVQUAL model to guide the study. A quantitative (survey) research design was employed wherein a total of 200 completed questionnaires was obtained from the Malaysian’s customers of AirAsia, through purposive sampling. Based on the correlation analysis, tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance has a positive and moderate relationship with corporate reputation, while empathy has a positive and high relationship with corporate reputation. In addition, multiple regression analysis showed that responsiveness, assurance, and empathy were the contributing factors to corporate reputation. However, tangibles and reliability were not the predictors of corporate reputation. Conclusion, implications, and suggestion for future study were also discussed.

Keywords

• airline industry, AirAsia, service quality, SERVQUAL, corporate reputation