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Cross-Cultural Research on Consumer Responses to Service Failure: A Critical Review

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Multinationals and Global Consumers

Part of the book series: The AIB Southeast Asia Series ((AIBSEAR))

Abstract

The service industry contributes significantly to global economic development and there has been a strong research effort to understand consumers’ perceptions of service quality and satisfaction. Although service performance is pivotal to consumer satisfaction in the service-delivery process, it is characterized by heterogeneity (Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry, 1990). Given this inherent variability, researchers have recognized that service failures are almost inevitable. Therefore understanding how consumers react to service failures, including what factors mitigate their dissatisfaction, has important theoretical and managerial implications for the service industry. Not surprisingly, issues of service failure and recovery have received considerable research attention in the service marketing field (e.g., Choi and Mattila, 2008; Hess, Ganesan and Klein, 2003; Kalamas, Laroche and Makdessian, 2008; Mattila, 2001; Mittal, Huppertz and Khare, 2008; Smith and Bolton, 2003; Smith, Bolton and Wagner, 1999; Witz and Mattila, 2004).

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Authors
  1. Lisa C. Wan
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  2. Maggie Y. Chu
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lingnan University, Hong Kong

    T. S. Chan  & Geng Cui  & 

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© 2013 Lisa C. Wan and Maggie Y. Chu

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Wan, L.C., Chu, M.Y. (2013). Cross-Cultural Research on Consumer Responses to Service Failure: A Critical Review. In: Chan, T.S., Cui, G. (eds) Multinationals and Global Consumers. The AIB Southeast Asia Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137307293_9

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