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Cross-cultural consumer perceptions of service quality in restaurants

Ilija Djekic (Department of Food safety and quality management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia)
Kevin Kane (Salford Business School, University of Salford, Salford, UK)
Nikola Tomic (Department of Food Safety and Quality, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia)
Eleni Kalogianni (Department of Food Technology, Alexander Technological Education Institute of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece)
Ada Rocha (Faculty of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal)
Lamprini Zamioudi (Department of Food Technology, Alexander Technological Education Institute of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece)
Rita Pacheco (Faculty of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal)

Nutrition & Food Science

ISSN: 0034-6659

Article publication date: 14 November 2016

5127

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present results from a research that analyzed consumer perceptions of service quality in restaurants in four European cities – Belgrade (Serbia), Manchester (UK), Thessaloniki (Greece) and Porto (Portugal).

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 802 respondents have been interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The service quality statements covered food quality, building exterior, restaurant interior and layout, seating comfort, restrooms and servicing.

Findings

Within all analyzed categories (city, gender and age), servicing of food and taste of food were the most influential factors. However, this study confirmed that there are different patterns in analyzed cities. For each factor analyzed, in at least two cities, results for the items were significantly different. Consumers from different cities showed different perceptions regarding service quality in restaurants. Gender of consumers plays a significant role in the perception of interior, restroom and servicing factors in restaurants. Age of respondents was the category with no significant difference with respect to food quality, layout, restrooms and servicing.

Research limitations/implications

Given the great cultural and other differences within the four cities/countries, more research is necessary to determine if similar results would be derived from different samples across various other continental and Mediterranean European cities.

Originality/value

In addition to increasing the theoretical understanding of the cultural aspects of the service quality, this paper can be of managerial relevance.

Keywords

Citation

Djekic, I., Kane, K., Tomic, N., Kalogianni, E., Rocha, A., Zamioudi, L. and Pacheco, R. (2016), "Cross-cultural consumer perceptions of service quality in restaurants", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 46 No. 6, pp. 827-843. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-04-2016-0052

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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