Cross-cultural studies examining perceived service quality (Mattilla, 1999; Winsted,
1997) equally revealed significant variations from consumers of different nationalities. A
more recent study by Levy (2010) examined social interaction of consumers within their
cultural groups. He concluded that Asian consumers benefited better from management
facilitation of social interaction than Westerners. A number of studies have examined crosscultural
differences in the hospitality context. Baek et al. (2006) in their investigation of
college students’ perception on fast-food restaurant selection argued that Korean students
preferred cosiness while Filipinos preferred a quick service. Koreans’ search for comfort was
attributed to Korea’s economic success as compared to most Asian countries. Koreans
perceive comfort as a reward for their hard work. Furthermore, in a study of hotel consumers’
attitudes and complaining behaviours, Yuksel et al. (2006) found that British, Dutch, Turkish
and Israeli tourists differed significantly in their voice behaviour. British tourists were found
to be more likely to complain and express their dissatisfaction than the Dutch. This was
attributed to the wider use of the English language.