Table 6

Future research directions within themes

ThemeFuture research directions
Improve comparability among PPM studiesUse dissatisfaction, alternative attractiveness, and switching costs as baseline independent variables to predict switching intention (and switching behavior)
Use the most cited, valid measurement scales provided in this study (see Table 3)
When measuring other independent variables, provide the exact measurement scales that were used
In addition, reporting should include a correlation matrix, a complete description of the sample, the sources and the reliability coefficients of the measurement scales
Expansion of PPM variablesExplore additional independent variables to determine their ability to explain more variance
The inclusion of affective variables (e.g. anxiety, regret, affective commitment) could be particularly interesting, as dissatisfaction, alternative attractiveness, and switching costs are cognitive variables
Moreover, the inclusion of context-specific variables (e.g. digital literacy in digital switching contexts) could be interesting and help to explain additional variance
When exploring additional independent variables, be sure to provide a sound theoretical argumentation of whether the variables are push, pull, or mooring variables
Explore moderatorsTable 4 offers meta-analytical insights into the effects of study level moderators, providing explanations for differences in effect sizes. To further advance theory development, primary studies should investigate the effects of individual level moderators
Examine the role of mooring factors in moderating the relationships between push and pull factors and switching
More studies on actual switching behaviorConduct studies on actual switching behavior, as there is currently a lack of such studies, to improve practical relevance
In doing so, investigate variables that influence the intention-behavior gap (e.g. habit) to better understand why switching intention does not always result in actual switching behavior
When available, use objective data sources (e.g. transaction records, customer logs) to validate self-reported measures of switching behavior
More studies in underexplored or new research contextsConduct more studies in underexplored or new consumer service switching research contexts (see Chapter 5.1) to enrich the PPM literature
Explore B2B switching contexts, where push, pull, and mooring factors, as well as their influence on switching, may differ significantly from those in consumer service switching

Source(s): Author’s own work

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