| Abstract: | This study examines the process through which social integration contributes to service satisfaction in a nonprofit service setting. The model proposed in this study provides a context for understanding how traditional dimensions of service quality operate through social mechanisms to influence satisfaction. The model, which is based on social cognitive theory, suggests that: (1) perceptions of social support and the voice one has in an organization are important elements in determining service satisfaction; (2) the service recipient's perceptions of one's ability to function in the service organization setting (i.e., self-efficacy) is a critical element in a causal chain leading to service satisfaction; and (3) both social support and voice are determined by ''traditional'' service quality elements. Evidence in support of this model is provided through a telephone survey of church members. |
