Hypotheses Confirmation or Rejection

9.5.1. Hypotheses Confirmation or Rejection

  In relation to the estimated WLN Model of Reader Loyalty the hypotheses for each variable will hereby be evaluated. In table 11 below, it is illustrated if the posed hypotheses are confirmed or rejected. A review of the results is put forward and an assessment of these presented below.

  Impact scores

  T-value Total effects

  H 1 Image → Perceived Value

  H 2 Satisfaction Image →

  H 3 Image → Loyalty

  H 4 Perceived Value → Satisfaction

  H 5 Perceived Value → Loyalty

  H 6 Perceived Value Housing →

  Rejected

  Housing → H 7 Satisfaction

  Loyalty H 8 Perceived Value Local News →

  Local News → H 9 Satisfaction

  Loyalty Cultural Offers and

  H 10 Sporting Results →

  Perceived Value Cultural Offers and

  H 11 Sports Results → Satisfaction

  Loyalty Free and

  H 12 Distributed → Household

  Rejected

  Perceived Value

  Free and Household H 13 Distributed →

  Loyalty H 14 Perceived Value Others →

  Others → H 15 Satisfaction

  Significant (p<0.05) Satisfaction and Loyalty are merged to one variable, and therefore the hypotheses are tested for the relationship with one variable, hence the results are identical.

  For the variable image H 1 ,H 2, and H 3 are confirmed to have high impact scores and t-

  values. Based on the structural model it is shown that the relationships between image and perceived value (6.679) and image and satisfaction loyalty (5.702) are significant.

  Image is the variable, which has the largest documented effect. Image has a total effect of 0.449, which indicates that image is the most important driver of satisfaction loyalty and is therefore essential to focus on. The result is in accordance with the prior empirical reviews in section 5.2.1.1.2., where it is documented that image is a significant factor when it concerns the creation of satisfaction loyalty.

  H 4 and H 5 concern the variable perceived value and were among others posed because

  the ECSI model indicates a relationship between perceived value and satisfaction loyalty. Through the quantitative analysis, it is likewise documented that there is a significant relationship between perceived value and satisfaction loyalty, with an impact score of 0.326 and a t-value of 5.166. If e.g. perceived value was improved with 1, the

  satisfaction loyalty would be improved by 0.326. H 4 and H 5 are hereby confirmed.

  Housing is connected to H 6 and H 7 . The relationship between housing and perceived value is insignificant and H 6 is rejected. This points to that the WLN readers do not feel

  that housing contributes value. Not said, however, that no value is ever gained from the

  housing pages in the WLN but that the relationship is not significant. However, H 7 is

  confirmed and shows that there is positive relationship between housing and satisfaction loyalty. The total effect is 0.054 and the t-value amounts to 1.657. In section 7.2.2. it was shown, on the basis of WLN studies, that housing is important for the readers. It was therefore expected to have a higher impact on satisfaction loyalty. The scores might be low due to lack of interest for the subject housing or because the questions might have been posed unsatisfactory.

  H 8 and H 9 concern local news and are both confirmed. H 8 has an impact score of 0.261 and a t-value of 4.008, which show a significant relationship. H 9 has an impact score of

  0.160 and a t-value of 3.195, which is also significant. As predicted, local news is an important driver for WLNs, since the paper is based on the news of the community as discussed in section 7.1. The total effects for local news are 0.245, which indicate that local news is an important driver and is therefore important to focus on for WLNs.

  In connection to cultural offers and sporting results (culture) two hypotheses were

  present. H 10 and H 11 are confirmed with fair impact scores and t-values. The relationship

  between culture, perceived value, and satisfaction loyalty is significant and as expected the culture pages of the WLN are important for retaining loyal readers. The total effects for culture are 0.132, which is fairly good but the second lowest for the model.

  The variable free and household distributed (H 12 and H 13 ) is totally removed, as

  mentioned in section 9.2.3., due to CA being too low and because communalities for two of the measurement variables were below 0.5. However, the subject was initially found interesting especially in connection to the possibility of paying for the WLN in the future and in relation to the importance of the readers getting the WLN distributed to the door. It is now obvious that free and household distributed, as the questions were posed here, has no documented effect on satisfaction loyalty. However, it is recommended to include a similar variable with modified questions in future research, to further test its importance.

  The variable others (H 14 and H 15 ) was a variable consisting of eight measurement

  variables. Each had a different subject and each was chosen in order to determine how “the small factors” of the paper influence satisfaction loyalty. Most of the factors were identified through the focus groups but also through research done by POLA. The fact that each factor in others had different themes can indicate that the questions can not function optimally in one variable and provide positive relationships. Therefore only the

  three questions of generic character are included in the model (Q 34 ,Q 38 and Q 39 ). The

  total effect from others to satisfaction loyalty is 0.190 and the relationship is significant. The results had been different if each measurement variable of others was made into a latent variable and estimated individually. However, it was initially not chosen to do so because it was assumed that the themes were too specific to have their own variable and the model would have been too complex. These considerations should be kept in mind for further development of the model. Figure 15 is the final outlook of the WLN Model of Reader Loyalty.

  Final WLN Model of Reader Loyalty Final WLN Model of Reader Loyalty

  Q28 Q28 Q30 Q30

  Image Image

  Q1 Q1 Q4 Q4 Q5 Q5

  Local News Local News

  Satisfaction Q7 Satisfaction Q7 Perceived Value Perceived Value

  Housing Housing

  Loyalty Loyalty

  Cultural Offers Cultural Offers Cultural Offers

  Q50 Q50

  and Sport and Sport and Sport

  Others Others

  Q39 Q39

  Figure 15