The Effects of Customer Engagement on Relationship Commitment and Loyalty: Focusing on Hair Salon Services

This study empirically examined the effects of customer engagement on relationship commitment and loyalty among customers using hair salon services. Customer engagement was conceptualized as a multidimensional construct comprising four subcomponents: conscious participation, enthusiasm, social interaction, and decision-making involvement. A structural equation model (SEM) was employed to analyze how each of these factors influenced relationship commitment and customer loyalty. The results indicated that all subdimensions of engagement had a significant positive effect on relationship commitment, with decision-making involvement demonstrating the strongest influence. In contrast, only enthusiasm, decision-making involvement, and relationship commitment showed significant effects on customer loyalty, whereas conscious participation and social interaction did not. These findings suggest that customer autonomy and emotional immersion play a crucial rolein fostering long-term loyalty. The results are consistent with previous studies in relationship marketing and customer experience, highlighting the importance of providing customer- centered, autonomous experiences and building emotional bonds in the beauty service context. By empirically validating the multidimensional structure of engagement and confirming the mediating role of relationship commitment, this study provides both theoretical and practical implications. Notably, it contributes to the literature by proposing and validating an integrated causal model that includes relationship commitment as a mediating variable, thus offering a clearer understanding of the behavioral mechanisms underlying customer loyalty.