Masoud Karami, Mohamad Mehdi Maleki and Alan J. Dubinsky
The purpose of the study is to explore the impact of cultural values on perceptions of service encounter quality by examining the potentially mediating role of service encounter…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to explore the impact of cultural values on perceptions of service encounter quality by examining the potentially mediating role of service encounter expectations.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was designed to collect data from 30 cosmetic clinic patients in Tehran, Iran. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the convergent and discriminant validity of the scales. Moreover, path modeling and bootstrapping were implemented using Smartpls 2.0 (M3) software to analyze the collected data and to assess the research model (Figure 1).
Findings
Cultural values have a significant impact on both expectations and perceptions of service encounter quality. Moreover, findings show that expectations of service encounter quality have an impact on perceptions of service encounter quality. The mediating role of service encounter expectations was confirmed.
Research limitations/implications
There are additional issues that should be addressed about different aspects of service encounters in developing countries. Moreover, subcultures provide attractive context for service quality perception research; subcultures comprise a large consumer market having its own cultural values that future research could examine.
Practical implications
Healthcare service providers should understand the cultural values of patients that may differ by social demographic characteristics. Providing a service that enhances patient cultural values might enhance success in the plastic surgery market, because such surgery may assist one in gaining recognition and improving their relationships with others. Clinic managers should consider Iran as a developing country, with its considerable young population having modern self-oriented demands, should be a desirable market for cosmetics and beauty care products.
Originality/value
Using the concept of Schwartz’s basic human values model to assess consumers’ cultural values and its impact on service encounter quality was the study’s main contribution. Moreover, it is among few studies conducted in the cosmetic surgery industry in a developing country’s context.
Details
Keywords
Mohamad Mehdi Maleki and Bahman Hajipour
In this paper, the authors have tried to propose an organizational antecedent’s model of sustainable entrepreneurial orientation. It is believed that firms with high degree of…
Abstract
Purpose
In this paper, the authors have tried to propose an organizational antecedent’s model of sustainable entrepreneurial orientation. It is believed that firms with high degree of entrepreneurial orientation are more plausible to prosper. Therefore, the authors are looking on how they can use organization factor to achieve sustainable entrepreneurial orientation.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a multiple case-study approach while incorporating content analysis and interpretive structural modeling. After reviewing previous studies on entrepreneurial orientation and corporate entrepreneurship, multiple case study including six firms from different industries in Iranian economic context were studied to discover the main organizational antecedents of sustainable entrepreneurial orientation using content analysis. Furthermore, interpretive structural modeling methods were used to determine the relationship between realized antecedents.
Findings
The findings show that the organizational antecedents of sustainable entrepreneurial orientation are coaching, succession plans, organizational learning, chief executive office, professional staff, organizational alignment and key resources and capabilities. The proposed structural model shows the relationship between organizational antecedents of entrepreneurial orientation and coaching is determined as the building stone of sustainable entrepreneurial orientation.
Practical implications
Researchers believe that findings will help managers and practitioners on how to design organizational factors in their organization. Hence, they can strengthen factors that promote entrepreneurial orientation and make it sustainable to enhance organizational performance.
Originality/value
While entrepreneurial orientation construct is a well-recognized concept in the previous studies, little is known about its organizational antecedents. Current research identified model organizational antecedents to achieve sustainable entrepreneurial orientation.