Vol 22 | Issue 2 | 47-70 | June 2026
Jade Field*
Department of Marketing Management,
College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg
jturner@uj.ac.za
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1851-3759
Isolde Lubbe(Ward)
Department of Marketing Management,
College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg
IsoldeL@uj.ac.za
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7399-2886
Ilse Struweg
Department of Marketing Management,
College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg
istruweg@uj.ac.za
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1448-5286
*Corresponding author
Abstract
Digital transformation has intensified uncertainty in high-involvement service journeys, particularly in new-vehicle dealership interactions where consumers must reconcile fragmented digital and in-person information. This study examines how perceived value translates into customer commitment by testing a sequential mechanism in which satisfaction and trust operate as mediators. Survey data from 463 South African consumers who engaged with a new-vehicle dealership in the preceding 12 months were analysed using PLS-SEM with bootstrapping. The results show that perceived value positively influences satisfaction and trust but does not directly predict commitment. Satisfaction significantly enhances trust, yet does not directly lead to commitment, indicating that confirmation of expectations alone is insufficient to secure enduring relational intent. Trust exerts a strong direct effect on commitment and fully mediates the effects of perceived value and satisfaction. A significant serial indirect pathway confirms that commitment emerges through an ordered process from perceived value to satisfaction to trust. These findings demonstrate that in digitally hybrid, high-risk purchase contexts, commitment is achieved through sequential sensemaking rather than direct value-to-loyalty conversion. For automotive dealerships, prioritising trust-building practices across sales, finance, and after-sales touchpoints is essential to convert value perceptions into durable customer commitment.
Keywords: Perceived value, satisfaction, trust, customer commitment, automotive dealerships, South Africa
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