A Conceptual Analysis of Switching Costs: Implications for Fitness Centers

Kyungyeol (Anthony) Kim, Kevin K. Byon and Heedong Choi
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Kyungyeol (Anthony) Kim: Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Kevin K. Byon: Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Heedong Choi: School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: In facing fierce competition, fitness centers have encountered challenges of generating long-term economic sustainability. The construct of switching costs, which has garnered considerable attention as a sustainable strategy, suffers from conceptual confusion in the literature, limiting the applicability of the concept to fitness centers. The purpose of the study is to conduct a conceptual analysis of switching costs, thereby clarifying conceptual confusion and providing implications for fitness centers. To achieve the purpose, a conceptual analysis method was adopted, in which 376 switching costs articles were analyzed. The results show that (1) several terms have been used individually and interchangeably, (2) there is no consensus on the definition, (3) both unidimensional and multidimensional conceptualizations have been used, (4) model specification has rarely been done, and (5) a paucity of studies have been conducted in the context of the sport industry. Overall, we highlight the conceptual weaknesses of previous switching costs research and offer several recommendations and approaches to scholars who are interested in this line of research. Furthermore, the conceptual analysis brings attention to the importance of conceptualization (e.g., choosing a term, defining a construct) and how conceptual confusion might impinge on future research in the marketing literature.

Keywords: conceptual analysis; conceptual confusion; switching costs; fitness centers; business sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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