Investigating the Mediating Effect of Switching Barriers in the Relationship Between Social Service Quality and Switching Intention

The present study investigated the mediating effect of switching barriers in the relationship between social service quality and switching intention for social service users. The purpose of this study is to provide baseline data on lowering switching intention by increasing social service quality, in order to promote policies and stable organizational management of service provider agencies. To this end, social service users in Busan were surveyed; 719 survey responses were used in the final analysis. The main results are as follows. First, social service users showed lower switching intention with higher perceived service quality. Second, higher switching barriers resulted in lower switching intention. Third, switching barriers in social services were found to mediate the effect of service quality on switching intention. Based on these results, implications regarding the reduction of switching intention that contributes to the success of social services are provided.