The Effects of Culture on Retail Customer Service Expectations in the US and Sweden
SERVQUALHofstedeCustomer serviceExpectationsRetailManagement of enterprisesFöretagsledningManagementBusiness and Economics
This thesis attempts to clarify the impact of cultural differenceson customer expectations of service level. Furthermore, wewant to determine whether or not expectations of service differenough to be quantifiable between two countries, Sweden andthe US, mostly regarded as similar in business practices. The conclusion showed that higher ratings on four of Hofstede?s five cultural indexes were associated with higher customer service expectations overall, and in all four SERVQUAL dimensions. This research contributes to retail internationalization and customer expectations theory. It also provides practical recommendations for retail companies expanding internationally.