Consumer satisfaction in performing arts: an empirical investigation into Romanian theatres

PurposeThe aim of the study is to explore the chain of relationships between service attributes, consumers' perceived benefits, fulfilment of personal goals, satisfaction judgements and future intentions.Design/methodology/approachThis research proposes and implements a model of consumer satisfaction in the performing arts. The model is based on means-end chain theory and incorporates consumer involvement as a moderator. The paper is a quantitative study using a questionnaire administered in Romanian theatres, the country chosen because of its post-communist profile.FindingsA partial least squares structural equation modelling analysis revealed that both core and peripheral attributes' evaluations were positively related to perceived benefits, which in turn were positively related to goal fulfilment. Acting as a mediator, goal fulfilment predicts satisfaction, which positively influences a series of intentions regarding supportive behaviours such as recommendation, donation, subscribing and repurchasing. Consumer involvement partially moderates the relationships within the proposed model.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of this research offer opportunities for future studies. First, as this study was conducted in Romania, the obtained results are not easily generalisable to other geographical or cultural contexts. Second, future studies could extend the proposed model to include other constructs that may be connected to satisfaction in performing arts. They could also apply the model (or an extended alternative) to adjacent fields such as opera, or live jazz, in order to explore whether the patterns of results which emerged here hold in other situations.Practical implicationsFrom a practical perspective, the research has implications for performing arts managers by offering actions to improve cultural consumption. First, the results support the idea that satisfaction is a key construct to investigate, even in the field of performing arts, as it can predict future positive intentions. Thus, arts managers should strive to maximise consumer satisfaction. From a marketing perspective, consumer satisfaction could be increased by improving core and peripheral service attributes, but especially the latter. The research provides means for audience segmentation in terms of consumer goals, benefits, and involvement. Arts managers should devote special attention to increasing consumer involvement in services provided.Social implicationsThe research provides a different view on the performing arts evaluation considering the theatregoers' perceptions. This type of evaluation is useful to understand the specificities of the audiences and to respond to their needs accordingly, contributing from a social point of view to audience development and making arts accessible to a wide range of people in a variety of ways: physically, geographically, socially and psychologically.Originality/valueThis research explores a new model of customer satisfaction in performing arts in a post-communist country, such as Romania, and the findings have implications at both theoretical and practical level. From a theoretical perspective, it contributes to a better understanding of the cognitive and emotional processes underlying the formation of satisfaction judgements in performing arts. The obtained findings are particularly useful for expanding current knowledge of how consumers think and behave with respect to performing arts. From a practical perspective, the findings have implications for arts managers deciding how to develop marketing strategies aimed at increasing satisfaction, and the consequential supportive behaviours towards performing arts.