Cross-cultural Service Variation: Airline Service Quality

Purpose - In a global economy, marketers are required to understand service quality from an international consumer viewpoint. Despite the increased need for cross-cultural research, few studies have developed service quality research international in scope. The present research aims to shed light on variations in airline service quality among international consumers. Research design, data, and methodology - Conducting crosscultural research, this study compares airline service quality variations, investigating an international consumer group and a Korean consumer group. T-test and factor analyses are applied to examine mean scores and factor structure of the airline service dimensions. Results - The results indicate there are significant differences in mean comparisons between the groups. The international consumers indicate significantly higher service perception scores than the Koreans. Further, we find that the factor structure of airline service quality diverges between the groups. The international group considers airline service quality in four dimensions, while Koreans consider it in two. Conclusions - The study sheds new light on international service variations and suggests that the field of airline service quality may differ by nations and/or cultures.