Service quality perceptions among different cultures in the Nelson Mandela Metropole

• Main Author: Müller, Otto
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University 2006
• Subjects: Service industries > South Africa > Nelson Mandela Metropole > Quality control; Service industries > Customer services > South Africa > Nelson Mandela Metropole; Consumer satisfaction; Service industries > South Africa > Nelson Mandela Metropole > Cross cultural studies
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011687

Managing cultural differences in today’s work environment has received the attention of researchers all over the world. What has received far less attention is the managing of the cultural differences between service provider workers and customers and how this is perceived to lead to achieving great service quality. This research project focuses on the cultural differences between culturally diverse South African service provider workers and South African customers, with some reference to international customers. The questionnaire used in this research includes questions embodying the service quality instruments developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1988) and Hofstede’s (1991) cultural dimensions. The questionnaire was completed by 81 students of the East Cape Midland College in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. A Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated for each service quality instrument and each cultural dimension. The resulting correlation coefficients were analysed and a positive or negative correlation between each service quality instrument and each cultural dimension is shown. The implications of each positive and negative correlation are shown and how it impacts on perceived service quality delivery. The implications for service quality management are shown, followed by recommendations for the management of a culturally diverse workforce.