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The role of Islamic culture in service quality research

Gita Gayatri (Department of Management, Faculty of Economics, University of Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia)
Margee Hume (School of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Business, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Australia)
Gillian Sullivan Mort (School of Management, Faculty of Law and Management, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia)

Asian Journal on Quality

ISSN: 1598-2688

Article publication date: 21 June 2011

2370

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore service quality (SQ) from the perspective of the Muslim consumer. There is growing evidence that culture influences buying habits and behaviours of consumers in services. However, most cross‐cultural consumer research in Asia has focused on the dimension of Chinese‐Confucian beliefs providing an opportunity to investigate other religious‐cultural aspects in Asia and consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

This research explores the key attributes/factors of quality of services according to Muslim customers using the verbal protocol method followed by in‐depth probing interviews of 35 respondents. In depth, the interviews were conducted in Indonesia with a sample of Javanese‐Muslim customers of the airline, retail, hotel, and restaurant industries. Theoretical saturation was achieved with thick rich scripts obtained from respondents.

Findings

Preliminary analysis suggests some distinct outcomes positioning culture and religion as important constructs for consideration in SQ research.

Practical implications

The research provides important insights for service providers who target the Muslim consumer.

Originality/value

The paper is the first to examine SQ dimensions specific to Muslim consumers. It advances the SQ conceptualisations and SQ theory and offers attributes for consideration in future measurement.

Keywords

Citation

Gayatri, G., Hume, M. and Sullivan Mort, G. (2011), "The role of Islamic culture in service quality research", Asian Journal on Quality, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 35-53. https://doi.org/10.1108/15982681111140534

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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