V
Contents
Acknowledgements....I
Abstract ........ II
摘要 IV
Chapter 1 Introduction ..... 1
1.1 Background and Purpose of the Study ........ 1
1.2 Organization of the Study ... 3
Chapter 2 Literature Review ........ 5
2.1 Culture and Cultural Theories ......... 5
2.1.1 Definition of Culture5
2.1.2 Culture Theory ......... 6
2.2 Service Quality...... 10
2.2.1 Definition of Service Quality ......... 10
2.2.2 Definition of Service quality Perception .... 12
2.2.3 Service quality of the international hotel industry . 13
2.3 Cultural influence on Service Quality Perception. 15
2.4 Measurement-SERVQUAL MODEL........ 16
Chapter 3 Hypothesis Development....... 20
3.1 Power Distance and service quality .......... 20
3.2 Uncertainty Avoidance and service quality ........... 21
3.3 Individualism and service quality . 22
3.4 Masculinity and service quality .... 24
3.5 Long-term/short-term orientation and service quality....... 25
Chapter 4 Research Methodology.......... 27
4.1 Questionnaire Design........ 27
4.2 Data Collection ..... 28
4.3 Method and Procedure ...... 29
Chapter 5 Data Discussion......... 30
5.1 Descriptive Analysis ......... 30
5.2 Validity and Reliability ..... 31
5.3 Research Findings . 31
5.3.1 Reliability... 32
5.3.2 Tangible...... 33
5.3.3 Assurance ... 34
5.3.4 Empathy ..... 34
5.3.5 Reaction ..... 35
Chapter 6 Conclusion and Suggestion ... 37
6.1 Conclusion37
6.2 Limitations and Directions for Future Research ... 39
6.3 Marketing Implications ..... 40
Bibliography ........... 43
Appendix..... 46
附录 492
more people to experience poor service and learn to avoid the hotel in the future.
Many hoteliers have recognized this reality and as a result they find providing
high-quality service is increasingly seen as a determining factor in the success of their
properties.
Service quality has been valued since the beginning of the 1980s in the
service-marketing field. Until now, service quality continues to receive a lot of
research attention. In the modern age of globalization, in particular, service quality is
considered to be the most critical element with respect to successful
internationalization of service industry. The relationship among culture, subculture
and consumer behavior has also started to draw attention. In 1987, Horovitz initially
pointed out the effect of cultural difference on perceptions of service quality.
Afterwards, some researches emphasize the empirical importance of this issue.
According to the empirical studies of Donthu and Yoo (1998), Furrer et al. (2000),
Mattila (1999), Winsted (1997) significant relationship between culture and the
cognition of service quality have been confirmed. However, there are still insufficient
studies about whether the individual’s cultural background would affect his/her
recognition and evaluation of service quality. The fact of cultural difference suggests
that the related behavior and cognition of culturally different consumers will vary.
According to the research of Hofstede (1980b, 1991), Chinese and Americans are
considerably different in national culture. Does the said difference causes extreme
differences in Chinese and Americans’ perceptions of service quality The
management has already recognized that the provision of service quality is the critical
element with respect to the success of hotel management. However, they have not yet
realized the possible cognitive differences between customers from different cultural
areas with respect to service quality. In order to satisfy the quality expectations of
consumers from different cultures, reduce cultural shock, and further diminish the gap
between consumers’ expectations and perceptions of service quality, the management
must understand how, if at all, the needs of consumers from various cultures differ.
Via the characteristic of international hotel industry, which is highly connected with
consumers, the hotel managers can thus clarify the consumers’ various responses1
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Background and Purpose of the Study
By the year 2010, multinational companies have controlled approximately half of
the world’s assets. Many companies that were identified as companies such as
MacDonald’s, Wendy’s, Holiday Inns and others have saturated the Chinese market.
Holiday Inn, for example, entered the European market in 1968, the Asian market in
1973 and the Chinese market in 1984. Globalization of the hotel industry has
continued since that time and has greatly increased over the last ten years. There are
many benefits of international expansion. Additional growth or expansion added
revenues or profits which lead to improved return on investment were reported as the
greatest benefits. Other benefits cited included larger market penetration and thus
more market share. In addition, a greater name recognition and an international
identity are also advantageous to the company. These benefits are undoubtedly most
favorable; however, international expansion has exposed the Chinese hospitality
companies to groups of multicultural consumers. The rapid global development of the
hospitality industry has made it important for multinational corporations to be able to
function profitably in foreign environments.
Globalization has also created a demand for competent and qualified global
managers. Global managers are expected to successfully interact with people from
various cultures and more importantly to be able to understand more than the
domestic market, both in managing their properties and in marketing their products.
Almost any book about running a business states the cardinal requirement for
entrepreneurial success: know your customers. Meeting and responding to the needs
of customers from different cultures is a prerequisite for global managers’ success.
Internationally, as competition and customer sensitivity intensifies, lodging providers
are becoming increasingly concerned with the quality of their service offerings.
Hotels with poor services have difficulties succeeding in the area of marketing no
matter how attractive their advertising may be or how many sales calls their sales
personnel may make. Aggressive advertising and sales promotions only persuadeIV
摘要
随着经济全球化和服务国际化的加快发展，各个国家或地区之间的文化特征
不断凸现，既而使文化成为影响服务性行业的重要因素。消费者对服务质量的评
价可从期望和感知两个方面进行衡量，而这两者都是消费者的主观感受，因而在
很大程度上受到其自身文化价值观等因素的影响。所以，研究不同文化价值观对
服务质量评价的影响逐渐成为服务质量研究领域的热点。酒店业作为典型的服务
行业，衡量其生存及发展能力的重要指标就是其服务质量。随着中国经济的不断
发展，酒店服务业在蓬勃发展的同时，也面临着不同文化背景下顾客的不同消费
心理以及国内外服务企业经营战略多变的局面。提升服务质量成为企业生存的不
二法则。在这种情况之下，服务性企业迫切需要了解如何根据不同文化背景顾客
的差异，制定差别化的营销策略

中国和美国在文化上存在很大差异。该文化差异必然会导致中美消费者不同
的价值观和对服务质量感知的不同反应。本研究基于 Hofstede 文化模型和
SERVQUAL 模型，对中美文化因素对酒店服务质量感知的影响进行实证研究

研究结果基本证实了本研究提出的假设，主要结论有：中国消费者相比美国
消费者，对酒店服务质量更加敏感，主要体现在质量感知的有形性、移情性、可
靠性上；而在质量感知的响应性和保证性上，两国消费者没有大的区别

本文再次论证了文化价值观与消费者行为密切相关，文化价值观对消费者服
务质量感知的不同层面产生了深远的影响。因此，跨国经营企业需要客观了解、
理解并尊重目标市场消费需求和感知的文化差异，有效实施跨文化营销，减少文
化环境中的不确定性因素，从而获得国际营销的成功。同时，跨国企业应充分利
用文化差异的竞争优势，开展文化营销活动，基于不同的服务质量感知的差异性
来制定