Journal of Guangxi Teachers Education University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition) ›› 2021, Vol. 57 ›› Issue (5): 45-61.doi: 10.16088/j.issn.1001-6597.2021.05.004

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“Expectancy Disconfirmation” in Public Service Satisfaction: A Survey Experiment

WANG Si-qi, WANG Yong-jie   

  1. School of Public Administration, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
  • Received:2021-06-02 Online:2021-09-25 Published:2021-10-29

Abstract: According to the Expectancy Disconfirmation Model (EDM), citizens' satisfaction with public service is determined not only by the quality of service, but also by the implicit comparison with what is expected before receiving the service, i.e. “disconfirmation”. To test the causal relationship between expectations, performances, and satisfaction, this study, by employing a survey experiment to randomly assign respondents (n = 230) to 4 groups, conducts a field survey of public transport services with respectively high or low expected interventions followed by high or low performance interventions, and finally measures satisfaction. The findings are consistent with the model's hypothesis that the citizens' expectations are important predictors of their satisfaction with public services, proved by both the direct and indirect effects. Therefore, the improvement of public service satisfaction, in addition to improving the quality of service, can be achieved by influencing public expectations.

Key words: Expectancy Disconfirmation Model, public service satisfaction, government performance, management of expectations, survey experiment, causal inference

CLC Number: 

  • D035-0
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