Introduction

In the business context, a company’s partners who have decided to continue a relationship are highly valuable for any business [3]. Izquierdo et al. [21] argue that the benefits and value of a relationship can only be obtained if distributors and customers intend to continue a relationship that they consider valuable and loyal to each other. The intention to continue a relationship has been defined by many researchers in various forms, such as repeat purchases, positive disposition, extended commitment, loyalty, conveying positive recommendations, unlikely to switch behavior, or a combination of these factors [18].

Continuing relationships with others are crucial, requiring maximum effort to maintain them [44]. One key to keeping customer and company relationships is offering high satisfaction [19, 29, 33, 59]. Business satisfaction prevents relationship termination and consolidates the intention to continue the relationship [26, 35]. Similarly, Jones et al. [22] argue that customer satisfaction is crucial to customer retention. Therefore, satisfaction can be an antecedent to the intention to continue the relationship.

Satisfaction can be described as a measure of how the results or services received compare to consumer expectations [9], where the obtained results or services should at least meet consumer expectations, if not exceed them [4]. Based on the Expectation-Confirmation Theory, previous satisfaction greatly influences the intention to repurchase, while the level of satisfaction itself is obtained from disconfirmation and expectations of service for a product or system [30]. The most important factor in creating satisfaction is the performance of the agent, usually interpreted as the quality of the agent [28]. Quality service and products are crucial to customer satisfaction [24]. The higher the quality of the products and services provided, the higher the satisfaction perceived by customers.

According to Gi Park et al. [14], service quality is a well-established concept where consumer happiness is the most crucial aspect of business success. Companies have thus focused on improving service standards and ensuring consumer satisfaction. Maintaining strong customer relationships is essential for service providers, as loyal customers are vital assets to every company [36].

Consumers tend to be more satisfied when the perceived value of a product or service exceeds their initial expectations [12]. This can increase consumer loyalty [31], trigger positive recommendations to others, and strengthen the relationship between consumers and service providers. Thus, creating and maintaining a high level of perceived value can be an effective strategy for gaining trust and customer satisfaction [13, 37, 42, 46, 47].

Based on Social Exchange theory, the relationship between perceived value and satisfaction can be explained through the social exchange mechanism between customers and the company [56]. Stable relationships are formed through generalized exchanges, where trade balance can be achieved over time [41]. By understanding this social exchange mechanism, companies can direct their efforts to enhance customer satisfaction by improving perceived value.

In addition, perceived value plays an important role in influencing the intention to continue the relationship. From the customer's perspective, perceived value refers to how important a product or service is to the customer, considering the benefits received and the sacrifices made to obtain the product or service [48, 58]. Customers who perceive the service as beneficial and enhancing their productivity also consider the cost of leaving the relationship too high. Therefore, they want to remain committed continuously [48].

From a practical perspective, these findings hold value for the lubricant industry. The lubricant market is currently fiercely competitive in winning over consumers. Competition extends beyond pricing to encompass product quality, brand image, and easy access to products and services.

Lubricant companies that market and distribute lubricants to consumers are supported by distributors. Changes in the business environment and levels of competition, as well as regeneration within distributor organizations, influence distributor relationships, loyalty, and perceptions of lubricant companies as suppliers. Therefore, conducting a comprehensive literature review is very important to explore the impact of service quality and perceived value on satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship, especially from an international perspective. This effort aims to provide valuable insights for decision makers, academics, and practitioners, enabling them to improve product/service quality and customer satisfaction. Ultimately, these improvements are expected to foster long-term customer relationships in a business context. Based on this, the Research Questions (RQ) to be answered in this study are as follows:

RQ

Is there an influence of Service Quality and Perceived Value on Satisfaction and Intention to Continue Relationship that can be identified through empirical research?

Research methods

The research method followed PRISMA guidelines [52] to produce a systematic review. PRISMA provides a standard methodology that contributes to the quality assurance of the revision and replication process. A systematic review was developed by explaining the article selection criteria, search strategy, data extraction, and data analysis procedures. In general, the PRISMA method is divided into several steps as follows:

  1. 1.

    Determine the source of information

  2. 2.

    Study selection

  3. 3.

    Data collection process

  4. 4.

    Determine eligibility criteria

  5. 5.

    Selection of data items

Resources and study selection

Information searches were carried out on online databases with large academic study repositories, namely Elsevier (SCOPUS), which encompasses over 23,500 peer-reviewed journals. Articles that could not be fully accessed were also excluded in this study.

Studies were selected through three steps, namely:

  1. 1.

    Enter search keywords based on the research objective to find the influence of service quality and perceived value on satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship. The search keywords entered are: ("service quality*" OR "perceived value*" OR "satisfaction*" OR "intention*" OR "intention to continue relationship*" OR "marketing relations*" OR "effect of service quality on satisfaction*" OR "effect service quality on intention to continue relationship*" OR "effect of perceived value on satisfaction*" OR "effect perceived value on intention to continue relationship*" OR "effect satisfaction on intention to continue relationship*") AND ("quantitative*" OR "qualitative*" OR "mix method*").

  2. 2.

    Explore and select the title, abstract, and keywords based on eligibility criteria.

  3. 3.

    All papers not eliminated in the previous selection will be explored and selected by thoroughly reading the entire article based on the eligibility criteria.

Data collection and eligibility criteria

The data collection process was carried out manually by extracting data based on content analysis such as article type, journal name, year of publication, topic, title, research methodology, relationship between variables, indicators and research results in the form of the influence of service quality and perceived value on satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship.

The inclusion criteria (IC) that guide the preparation of this systematic literature review are explained as follows:

  1. a.

    IC1: all original and peer-reviewed literature is written in English.

  2. b.

    IC2: research aims to determine the effect of service quality and perceived value on satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship.

  3. c.

    IC3: research uses quantitative, qualitative or both methods, namely mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative).

For IC1, only studies written in English were selected because English is the language commonly used by researchers. Meanwhile, in IC2, we want to know the influence of service quality and perceived value on satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship, where this variable is important to research as an implementation of Marketing Management Theory, which emphasizes that quality service products have an important role in shaping customer satisfaction [24]. The higher the quality of the products and services provided, the higher customer satisfaction. If customer satisfaction increases, it can generate profits for the business entity. Satisfied customers will continue to make purchases from the business entity. For IC3, this research focuses on quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods papers.

Data items

Data items extracted from each article are summarized into the following categories: year of publication, researcher, research method, research variables, and research results on the influence of service quality and perceived value on satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship. The steps for the systematic literature review process are presented in full in Fig. 1 below.

Fig. 1
figure 1

Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (Adoption of PRISMA) Source: Researcher Process (2024)

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The initial sample was 263 scientific articles based on previously determined keywords. Next, articles were selected based on title, abstract, and keywords, so 111 relevant empirical studies were found. Among the 111 empirical studies, 22 were identified as appropriate to the selection criteria after thoroughly reviewing their entire content based on criteria 2 and 3. The total number of articles used in this systematic literature review is 22 empirical research articles used to discuss the relationship between service quality and perceived value on satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship.

Results

After conducting an academic literature search, the researchers obtained 22 articles. Researchers found that articles discussing the relationship between service quality and satisfaction were 4 articles out of 22 articles, the relationship between perceived value and satisfaction was 9 articles out of 22 articles, the relationship between perceived value and intention to continue the relationship was 5 articles out of 22 articles, and the relationship between satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship was 9 articles out of 22 articles. This shows that research related to the relationship between service quality and perceived value on satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship is still relevant in recent years, so the empirical evidence is sufficient to discuss this relationship. However, there is still a gap in the research development that discusses service quality, perceived value, satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship simultaneously, because it is still rare to examine these four variables together (Table 1).

Table 1 Grouping of articles based on relationships between variables and authors
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Furthermore, 22 relevant articles based on the selection results to discuss the relationship between service quality, perceived value, satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship are presented as follows.

Based on Table 2, a quantitative approach was predominantly used out of the 22 selected articles in this study. Rarely do studies employ a qualitative or mixed-method approach to investigate the influence of service quality and perceived value on satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship. However, there are differing research findings by Amoako et al. [3], Rahardja et al. [32], Chen and Lin [8] indicating a significant positive influence between Perceived Value and Intention to Continue Relationship, whereas the studies conducted by Zhang et al. [60] and Yang et al. [55] suggest otherwise, stating that the relationship is not significant. These results contribute to the literature, indicating the need for further development for scientific verification and serving as a gap and reference for future researchers to explore in different research settings.

Table 2 List and synthesis of articles
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Discussion

The relationship between service quality, perceived value, satisfaction, and intention to continue relationship

Several empirical studies with a quantitative approach indicate a significant positive relationship between service quality and satisfaction [6, 23, 25, 39]. Kim [23] asserts that service quality influences the intention to continue smart-working through perceived value and satisfaction. Kumari and Biswas [25] revealed that perceived value co-creation participation, service quality, and cognitive processing amplify user satisfaction, significantly increasing the intention for continued usage of M-payment.

Research findings indicate that passengers are satisfied with the service and system attributes, and a further improvement in such dimensions of service quality would help enhance travelers' satisfaction with ride-hailing services [39]. Key service attributes contributing to passenger satisfaction include safety, price, service convenience, information and communications technology (ICT), and comfort [39]. The SERVQUAL framework, consisting of five dimensions (tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy), is frequently used to measure service quality [1]. Banki et al. [6] utilized the SERVQUAL model to develop construct measurement variables, as this model is the most widely accepted among all service quality measurement models, and the items on the constructs used have high reliability and validity [16, 34, 57]. Quality hotel service offerings are often necessary to provide higher value and customer satisfaction [6]. Therefore, in today's intensely competitive world, managers should focus on enhancing customer satisfaction through continuous monitoring of the service provision process to ensure that customers can access satisfactory services at all times.

Studies also highlight the importance of perceived value in shaping customer satisfaction [6, 13, 23, 25, 37, 42, 43, 46, 47]. These findings indicate that the perceived value perceived by customers plays a crucial role in increasing their satisfaction levels with a product or service. Consistently, these studies have revealed that when customers feel they are getting value for what they pay, they tend to be more satisfied with their experience. Factors such as service quality, product attributes, and user experience can influence how customers assess the value of a product or service. A deep understanding of perceived value and its relationship with customer satisfaction can aid companies in developing more effective marketing strategies [27].

The relationship between perceived value and satisfaction is complex, with various models and theories proposed to explain it. Gotlieb et al. [17] suggest that disconfirmation of expectations, perceived quality, satisfaction, and perceived situational control play a role in this relationship. Eggert and Ulaga [11], Whittaker et al. [51] both argue that perceived value and satisfaction are distinct but complementary constructs, with the former potentially being a better predictor of behavioral outcomes. These findings indicate that the perceived value perceived by customers plays a crucial role in increasing their satisfaction levels with a product or service. Consistently, these studies have revealed that when customers feel they are getting value for what they pay, they tend to be more satisfied with their experience.

Analysis results suggest a significant positive influence between perceived value and intention to continue the relationship [3, 8, 32]. However, findings from Zhang et al. [60] and Yang et al. [55] suggest this relationship may not always be significant, sparking discussions on potential contextual factors influencing this relationship. One possible reason for the differing results may lie in the different study contexts, research methods used, or additional variables influencing the relationship between perceived value and intention to continue the relationship.

From the journal synthesis results, it is found that satisfaction has a significant positive influence on the intention to continue the relationship [3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 32, 50, 53]. This underscores the importance of customer satisfaction as a contributing factor to sustaining and prolonging business relationships.

According to Social Exchange theory, satisfaction is a key element in social exchange, influencing customer dependence on the company [38, 40, 54]. This theory highlights the importance of mutually beneficial interactions and trust in building long-term relationships. Trust, social bonds, and relationship duration are crucial in enhancing satisfaction in business-to-business relationships [40].

Theoretical implications

The theories underlying this research are Social Exchange Theory and Expectation-Confirmation Theory. Social Exchange theory has been influential in explaining social behavior as exchange, emphasizing interdependence, relationships, and the norms that govern contractual relationships [49]. The greater the benefits of the relationship, the more likely the relationship will continue. Social exchange theory includes basic concepts, exchange rules, and evolving dimensions of exchange relationships [2]. The most basic assumption of this theory is that people are motivated by personal interests [45]. In other words, social exchange assumes that individuals want to maximize their benefits with minimal sacrifice in a relationship. By showing that service quality and perceived value positively influence satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship, this research confirms that individuals tend to maintain relationships that provide positive benefits and value.

The Expectation-Confirmation Theory (ECT), proposed by Oliver [30], involves patterns of customer behavior commonly used to determine and predict satisfaction and intentions for repeat purchases. In Oliver's [30] opinion, repurchase intentions are highly dependent on previous satisfaction, while the level of satisfaction itself is obtained from disconfirmation and expectations of service in a product or system. Disconfirmation has the most direct and consequential influence on satisfaction. The concept of satisfaction occupies a central position in marketing thinking and practice. This research supports the Expectation-Confirmation Theory by showing that customer satisfaction and intention to maintain the relationship are influenced by confirmation or disconfirmation of the customer’s initial expectations of the service or product.

Based on the theoretical viewpoint as described and the results of previous empirical research, the following is a research conceptual framework that can be used as a reference for future researchers. There are differences in research results from perceived value to intention to continue the relationship, so it can be used as a research gap for future researchers who intend to retest and reanalyze this relationship in a different research context (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2
figure 2

Research conceptual framework

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Conclusion

The systematic literature review provided a comprehensive overview of the relationship between service quality and perceived value, as well as satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship. By applying the eligibility criteria established in this study, 22 articles were selected for analysis. Examination of these primary studies indicates that service quality and perceived value are closely associated with satisfaction and intention to continue the relationship. However, the analysis reveals inconsistencies in the research results. While some studies demonstrate a significant positive relationship between perceived value and intention to continue the relationship, others suggest otherwise. Hence, further research is essential to validate the scientific findings of this systematic literature review. Moreover, these findings serve as a research gap and provide valuable insights for future researchers to explore various research settings.

Practical implications

The findings of this research hold practical significance, particularly in a business-to-business (B2B) context. Companies operating in B2B markets can prioritize enhancing their service quality to cater to the needs of their customers. Implementing relationship marketing initiatives and enhancing perceived value can be instrumental in fortifying relationships with B2B clientele. Moreover, with a deeper understanding of the factors influencing satisfaction and intention to continue business relationships, companies can devise tailored approaches to bolster service quality, reinforce the value proposition, and ensure the longevity of mutually beneficial partnerships.