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A Pancultural Study of Restaurant Service Expectations in the United States and Hong Kong

Washington State University

Suzanne K. Murrmann

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Kent F. Murrmann

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Gordon W. Cheung

Chinese University of Hong Kong

The present study explored the relationship between cultural norms and customers’ expectations for service by means of a pancultural factor model of restaurant service expectations. A survey instrument was developed in a three-stage process using input generated from focus groups in both the United States and Hong Kong. The service encounter was the level of measure and the instrument emphasized the behavioral components of service. Data were collected from comparable samples in the United States and Hong Kong. A six-dimensional model of service expectations was generated. Subsequent analyses indicated that the two groups differed significantly in their assessments of importance for each of the six dimensions. The results provide meaningful implications for managing service quality and training customer contact employees.

Key Words: service quality • restaurants • culture • service expectations • service dimensions

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