While researchers have a fairly good understanding of the meaning of service quality
in the domestic U.S. context, the understanding of service quality in other cultures
is limited. Dash et al. (2009) argue that national culture can play a critical role in shaping
what international customers demand and how they expect services to be delivered.
Specifically, Riddle (1992) states that cultural dimensions, including (a) time
orientation or the degree of urgency one experiences when expected time schedules
are not met; (b) activity orientation or the degree of getting things done as efficiently
as possible; and (c) relations with others, or the degree of differentiation made between
in-group and out-group members, are important to consider when examining the interaction
of culture and services. Because general values, expectations, and perceptions
of people from different cultures will likely differ, one may expect their expectations
and perceptions of service quality to vary as well (Lituchy & Barra, 2008; Webster &
Sundaram, 2005). In turn, it follows that a service interaction that is appropriate in one
culture may be inappropriate in another culture