«Ο ρόλος του εσωτερικού μάρκετινγκ στην ικανοποίηση από την εργασία και στην πελατοκεντρική συμπεριφορά των εργαζομένων σε γυμναστηριακούς χώρους στην Ελλάδα »

This study explores the role of internal marketing in employee satisfaction and examines how such satisfaction influences customer-oriented behavior within the private fitness sector in Greece. In a highly competitive service environment, service quality represents a critical differentiating factor, while employees’ attitudes and capabilities play a decisive role in shaping the overall customer experience. A quantitative research approach was employed, based on data collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 200 employees working in gym chains operating in Greece, including ALTERLIFE and Yava Fitness Centers. The instrument utilized a five-point Likert scale and measured key dimensions of internal marketing, internal customer satisfaction (ICS), and customer orientation (CO). Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS, applying confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess both direct and indirect relationships among the examined variables. The results indicate that ICS functions as a central mediating mechanism between internal marketing practices and customer orientation. Employee training emerged as the strongest predictor of ICS, while internal communication and administrative support also demonstrated statistically significant positive effects. In contrast, encouragement systems and authority delegation did not show significant relationships with employee satisfaction. Furthermore, ICS exhibited a strong direct effect on customer orientation, underscoring the importance of employee satisfaction as a foundation for customer-focused behavior. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of strengthening internal customer satisfaction through targeted internal marketing practices, particularly training, effective communication, and administrative support, as a means of enhancing service quality and improving the competitive positioning of fitness centers.