How culture shapes the restaurant experience: A study of Hofstede’s dimensions and service quality

Tijana Radojević; Nemanja Stanišić; Nenad Stanić

doi:10.5937/menhottur2400009R

Authors

Tijana Radojević Singidunum University, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5324-2482
Nemanja Stanišić Singidunum University, Faculty of Business Economics, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6543-1472
Nenad Stanić Singidunum University, Faculty of Computer Science, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6737-7422

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5937/menhottur2400009R

Keywords:

restaurant services, hotel services, hospitality, culture, Hofstede, indulgence-restraint

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to determine the impact of cultural traits on restaurant service quality and infer implications for the hospitality sector. Specifically, it investigates which of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions correlate with superior service. Methodology – The research analyzes 35,000 customer reviews from restaurants in 80 capitals worldwide. It employs a multivariate multilevel model to explore the effects of cultural dimensions on service ratings, complemented by qualitative evidence. Findings – The results reveal that positive customer service evaluations are significantly linked to low power distance, high uncertainty avoidance, and low indulgence (restraint). Additionally, sector-specific cultural traits such as collectivism for hotels and uncertainty avoidance for restaurants are found to be crucial. Implications – This study provides both theoretical and practical insights into the cultural influences on hospitality service quality. It offers valuable guidance for leveraging these insights in staff recruitment and training, ultimately enhancing service delivery and business performance in the hospitality industry. By understanding and integrating cultural dimensions, hospitality businesses can improve their service quality and customer satisfaction.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Banerjee, S. (2008). Dimensions of Indian culture, core cultural values and marketing implications. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 15(4), 367–378. https://doi.org/10.1108/13527600810914157

Baum, T. (2006). Human resource management for tourism, hospitality and leisure: An international perspective. Thomson Learning.

Belal, H. M., Shirahada, K., & Kosaka, M. (2013). Value co-creation with customer through recursive approach based on Japanese Omotenashi service. International Journal of Business Administration, 4(1), 1923–4007. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijba.v4n1p28

Bürkner, P.-C. (2017). brms: An R package for Bayesian multilevel models using Stan. Journal of Statistical Software, 80(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v080.i01

Chen, Y. F., & Law, R. (2016). A review of research on electronic word-of-mouth in hospitality and tourism management. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 17(4), 347–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2016.1226150

Chudnovskaya, E. V., & O’Hara, L. L. S. (2022). Indulgence versus restraint: Exploration of a new cultural dimension in context. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 22(2), 41–52. https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v22i2.54

Cultural Atlas Editors (2015). Lebanese culture – Etiquette. Retrieved January 10, 2024 from https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/lebanese-culture/lebanese-culture-etiquette

Djekic, I., Kane, K., Tomic, N., Kalogianni, E., Rocha, A., Zamioudi, L., & Pacheco, R. (2016). Cross-cultural consumer perceptions of service quality in restaurants. Nutrition & Food Science, 46(6), 827–843. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-04-2016-0052

Dutta, D., Vedak, C., & Joseph, V. (2023). New hire performance: Identifying critical traits for hospitality industry. Tourism Review, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-11-2022-0565

Furrer, O., Shaw-Ching Liu, B., & Sudharshan, D. (2000). The relationships between culture and service quality perceptions basis for cross-cultural market segmentation and resource allocation. Journal of Service Research, 2(4), 355–371. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/109467050024004

Gelman, A., & Hill, J. (2007). Data analysis using regression and multilevel/hierarchical models. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511790942

Heydari, A., Laroche, M., Paulin, M., & Richard, M. O. (2021). Hofstede’s individual-level indulgence dimension: Scale development and validation. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 62, 102640 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102640

Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill, New York.

Huang, S. (Sam), & Crotts, J. (2019). Relationships between Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and tourist satisfaction: A cross-country cross-sample examination. Tourism Management, 72, 232–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TOURMAN.2018.12.001

Humborstad, S. I. W., Humborstad, B., Whitfield, R., & Perry, C. (2008). Implementation of empowerment in Chinese high power-distance organizations. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(7), 1349–1364. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190802110224

Ivancevic, S., & Ivanovic, T. (2022). Burnout syndrome. In D. Buhalis (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing. Edward Elgar Publishing, 385–387. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800377486.burnout.syndrome

Kanjanakan, P., Wang, P. Q., & Kim, P. B. (2023). The empowering, the empowered, and the empowerment disparity: A multilevel analysis of the integrated model of employee empowerment. Tourism Management, 94, 104635. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TOURMAN.2022.104635

Koc, E. (2020). Cross-cultural aspects of tourism and hospitality. Routledge, London. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003018193

Koc, E., Ar, A. A., & Aydin, G. (2017). The potential implications of indulgence and restraint on service. Ecoforum, 6(3), 2013–2018.

Kotler, P. R., & Keller, K. L. (2009). Marketing management (13th ed.). Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Kozak, M. (2001). Comparative assessment of tourist satisfaction with destinations across two nationalities. Tourism Management, 22(4), 391–401. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(00)00064-9

KPMG. (2017). Labour migration in the hospitality sector – A KPMG report for the British Hospitality Association (Issue March). Retrieved February 6, 2024 from https://www.hospitalitynet.org/file/152008175.pdf

Laskowski, M. (2016). Bridges or walls? A reflection on the concept of hospitality. The Journal of Linguistic and Intercultural Education, 9(2), 93–102. https://doi.org/10.29302/jolie.2016.9.2.8

May, J., Wills, J., Datta, K., Evans, Y., Herbert, J., & McIlwaine, C. (2007). Keeping London working: Global cities, the British state and London’s new migrant division of labour. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 32(2), 151–167. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-5661.2007.00241.x

O’Gorman, K. D. (2006). Dimensions of hospitality: Exploring ancient and classical origins. In P. Lynch, A. Morrison & C. Lashley (Eds.), Hospitality: A Social Lens. Routledge, London. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780080465692

Oh, Y. (2019). Completion and further issues. Sustainability Valuation of Business. Springer Briefs in Finance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18648-7_5

R Core Team. (2021). R: A language and environment for statistical computing (3.1.1). R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria. Retrieved March 4, 2024 from http://www.r-project.org

Radojevic, T., & Stanisic, N. (2022). Customer satisfaction. In D. Buhalis (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing (pp. 736–739). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800377486.customer.satisfaction

Radojevic, T., Stanisic, N., & Stanic, N. (2017). Inside the rating scores: A multilevel analysis of the factors influencing customer satisfaction in the hotel industry. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 58(2), 134–164. https://doi.org/10.1177/1938965516686114

Radojevic, T., Stanisic, N., & Stanic, N. (2019). The culture of hospitality: From anecdote to evidence. Annals of Tourism Research, 79, 102789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2019.102789

Radojevic, T., Stanisic, N., Stanic, N., & Davidson, R. (2018). The effects of traveling for business on customer satisfaction with hotel services. Tourism Management, 67, 326–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.02.007

Sato, Y., & Al-alsheikh, A. (2014). Comparative analysis of the western hospitality and the Japanese Omotenashi: Case study research of the hotel industry. Retrieved December 10, 2023 from http://www.kwansei-ac.jp/iba/assets/pdf/journal/BandA_review_December_14p1-16.pdf

Stopniece, S. (2017). Chinese ‘enormous hospitality’ versus Finnish ‘meeting among friends’: Guest-host positioning in China Finland delegation visits. In F. Dervin (Ed.) Encounters between East and West, Intercultural Perspectives (pp. 145–161). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4014-6_9

Thareani-Sussely, Y. (2007). Ancient caravanserais: An archaeological view from ’Aroer. Levant, 39(1), 123–141. https://doi.org/10.1179/lev.2007.39.1.123

The Guardian. (2020). Why aren’t waiters given the respect – or salary – they deserve? Retrieved December 15, 2023 from https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jan/15/restaurant-waiters-front-of-house-service-britain-respect

UNESCO. (2021). Did you know? Caravanserai along the Silk Roads in the north of the Indian subcontinent. Silk Roads Programme. Retrieved December 16, 2023 from https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/content/did-you-know-caravanserai-along-silk-roads-north-indian-subcontinent

Yang, J. (2015). Transportation, boarding, lodging, and trade along the early silk road: A preliminary study of the Xuanquan manuscripts. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 135(3), 421–432. https://doi.org/10.7817/jameroriesoci.135.3.421

Yoo, B., Donthu, N., & Lenartowicz, T. (2011). Measuring Hofstede’s five dimensions of cultural values at the individual level: Development and validation of CVSCALE. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 23(3–4), 193–210. https://doi.org/10.1080/08961530.2011.578059

Yüksel, A., & Yüksel, F. (2003). Measurement of tourist satisfaction with restaurant services: A segment-based approach. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 9(1), 52–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/135676670200900104

Zhang, Z., Ye, Q., Law, R., & Li, Y. (2010). The impact of e-word-of-mouth on the online popularity of restaurants: A comparison of consumer reviews and editor reviews. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 29(4), 694–700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2010.02.002