Negi, Rakshit (PhD)Adamu, Melkamu2018-10-182023-11-102018-10-182023-11-102010-01http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/12832The main objective of this research is to examine the impact of relationship marketing underpinnings namely trust, commitment, communication, conflict handling, reliability and concem on patient-hospital relationship quality and overall patient satisfaction. Additionally, an attempt was made to examine the role of firm-customer relationship quality and overall satisfaction in determining patient loyalty. A structured questionnaire addressing the issues of relationship marketing, customer satisfaction, and loyally was developed while adopting some of the statements from previous researches, and modified to best fit with heallhcare sector. A sample of 300 respondents (patients) was drawn by using systematic random sampling technique. Factor analysis, correlation and multiple regression analyses together with descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. A model showing the effects of relationship marketing constructs on both firm-customer relationship quality and overall patient satisfaction was developed. Furthermore, influence of relationship quality and overall satisfaction was observed, empirically, in estimating patient loyalty at St. Gabriel General Hospital. The findings of the study indicate that conflict handling and commitment have significant positive effects on both relationship quality and overall satisfaction. Communication was found to be significantly contributing to relationship quality and trust to overall patient satisfaction. Also, firm customer relationship quality and overall patient satisfaction were reported to influence, significantly, patient loyally. The findings of the study are helpful to the hospital in developing effective strategies for enhancing patient's loyalty based on the hospital-patient relationship quality and satisfaction delivered.enMarketing, Customer SatisfactionThesis