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Service quality is an established research area in the services marketing literature and is an integral component in an Islamic economy driven by halal service sectors. Despite its importance and the rapidly changing service environment, there has yet to be a comprehensive study of service quality research across halal industries. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the existing literature on service quality in halal industries to provide a state-of-the-art understanding and identify opportunities in this research area.

Guided by the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol and the theories, contexts, characteristics and methods (TCCM) framework, this paper reviews 78 journal articles from the Web of Science database which features service quality as an underpinning theory in the context of halal economies.

Findings indicate that since the first study in 2010, service quality research in halal industries has concentrated on consumers in the Islamic finance sector who are served primarily by human service agents. Most studies are focused on halal industries in Muslim countries. Several papers adopt the SERVQUAL model while others develop more novel service quality scales for halal industries. Culture, technology and faith-related factors are key drivers of halal service quality. While few papers study the antecedents and moderators of service quality in halal industries, religiosity was found to be a significant variable in several papers reviewed.

The global Islamic economy will continue to be driven by halal services. This review will provide managers with an appreciation of service quality across different halal industries. Researchers can use the results of this review to guide future studies and contribute toward the development of this research area.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first to comprehensively map the antecedents, dimensions, outcomes and moderators of service quality across halal industries and provides managers with a strategic understanding of service quality across the halal economy. This study develops a conceptual model and concludes with a research agenda to advance halal service quality research.