Global Journal of Management and Business Research, E: Marketing, Volume 23 Issue 1

communication (Dimyati, 2015). Firms must understand EXP and provide desired services to receive CS and CL to survive in today’s competitive environment. Thus, high expectations are always tricky to fulfill and cause dissatisfaction. Considering it from an organizational context may reduce CL toward fitness clubs (Varey, 1995). These findings are consistent with prior literature by Frimpong (2017). Fifthly, as hypothesized, the information in Hypothesis H10 shows that CS has a significant association with CL. This means that satisfaction is a critical precursor of CL (Osayawe Ehigie & Taylor, 2009). Organizations can only survive in the market if their customers are loyal. Satisfied customers are more likely to renew or continue their membership and recommend it to others (Holman, 2018). In fitness clubs, consumers can evaluate the service quality of fitness clubs before committing to membership. The greater the level of CS, the greater the degree of CL to a fitness club. This means that customers will remain loyal to their current fitness club despite the entry of new competitors offering new services. They will buy a membership card once again. Building CL is a source of competitive advantage and an essential intangible asset for any business (Gures et al., 2014). b) Theoretical Implications Our research results have both theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, the results indicate that CS is essential in comprehending consumer loyalty (Alexandris & Palialia, 1999; Murray & Howat, 2002). Previous research has demonstrated a significant relationship between PSQ and CS, CL (García- Fernández et al., 2018a), and the current study demonstrates that service quality is the most influential factor in CL. However, incorporating consumer expectations into our model demonstrates the need for academicians to expand their analysis of this construct in fitness-club industry sectors. In addition, the research contributed to marketing communication theory in three distinct ways. First, the study discovered a significant positive correlation between FMC, EXP, and PSQ. Second, the study holistically examined the influence of FMC, EXP, and PSQ on CL toward a fitness club, concentrating on mainland Chinese fitness club members. Finally, the study demonstrates the role of EXP, PSQ, and CS as mediators in the relationship between FMC and CL. c) Practical Implications The present study reveals that, in order to thrive and endure in a competitive market, management must constantly be aware of the need to evaluate its FMC strategy. This is especially true for fitness-club managers. According to the study, communication impacts EXPs in such a way that demand grows, and communication is seen more favorably. In this regard, effectively managing consumer expectations is a significant managerial challenge (Habel et al., 2016). According to information theory (Sujan et al., 1986), management should elevate their expectations if consumers' ability and motivation to use the service are inadequate. In contrast, if customers are willing and motivated to review the service, managers should avoid creating unrealistic expectations, which might afflict CS. Secondly, the research outcomes indicate that communication improves PSQ, enhancing service quality from the client’s perspective. Therefore, marketers do not need to worry about providing “information overload” to their clients, as the current study found that communications via accessible channels, such as advertising, social media marketing, or blogging, enhance PSQ. Finally, the study findings demonstrate that PSQ and CS mediate the relationship between FMC and CL. The study's findings indicate that existing members, regardless of their apparent personal traits, do not perceive the current state of fitness clubs as productive. The study recommends that managers construct their service operations as fluid and streamlined as feasible by providing discounted prices and free gym courses to acquire hands-on experience with all instruments. VII. L imitations and F uture R esearch During the course of our investigation, we uncovered a number of limitations that will govern future investigations. In this study, we examined fitness clubs belonging to well-known franchised fitness club chains that have been functioning in mainland China for an extended period of time. The study's findings were based on information provided in a questionnaire completed by fitness club members in Dalian, China. As a result, the findings and conclusions may not be globally applicable and may be limited to Chinese franchised fitness club chains. In future research, more public and private fitness centers should be included. Other variables, such as perceived value and brand image, should also be included in the analysis. Our research concentrated significantly on marketing communication at the firm level. In future studies, it might be fascinating to classify the effectiveness of each variable under consideration. Our research focused heavily on firm-level marketing communication. In future investigations, it could interact to categorize the efficiency of each variable under consideration (Xu et al., 2021). Moreover, customer expectations have been assessed globally to assess their impact on global satisfaction and their link with CL. It would be interesting to disaggregate customer expectations into predictive and normative expectations and then test the effects and relationships they establish with global PSQ, CS, and CL by attributes. The phrase “predictive expectation” relates to consumer views about the Customer Loyalty in the Fitness Club Industry: The Role of Club Communication, Customer Expectation and Perceived Service Quality 55 Global Journal of Management and Business Research Volume XXIII Issue I Version I Year 2023 ( )E © 2023 Global Journals