Methodological Problems and Economic Geography: The Case of Business Services

Bryson, John R.; Daniels, Peter; Ingram, David R.

doi:10.1080/02642069900000042

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Should management segment the markets according to different ''cultures'', serving the target consumers with the minimum ''cultural shock'' and providing the most appropriate service for consumers from different nations? (Lovelock and Yip, 1996) Previous researches neglect whether there is any difference between the optimal international marketing strategies with respect to ''service'', the intangible product, and the ''tangible product'' of manufacturing industry (Bryson, 2001b;Bryson et al, 1999;Ogorelc, 1998;Su Su, 1996). Confirming the difference of each country can result in valuable insight such as understanding the relationship among culture, economics, society and space (Bryson, 2001b) and predict consumer behavior through national culture based the said knowledge.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does national culture really matter? Hotel service perceptions by Taiwan and American tourists

Hsieh

Chien-Wen

2009

International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research

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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to clarify the question: should management segment the markets according to different ''cultures'', serving the target consumers with the minimum ''cultural shock'' and providing the most appropriate service for consumers from different nations? Design/methodology/approach -This research regards Hofstede's cultural perspective as the main basis for deduction. Drawing on a self-administered questionnaire, the data are collected from Taiwanese and American consumers in the international tourist hotels in Taiwan. Based on theoretical considerations, hypothesis are proposed to examine what are the Taiwanese and American consumers' evaluation factors toward international tourist hotel service quality.Findings -Based upon the empirical findings of this research, Taiwan consumers and American consumers have different cognition toward international tourist hotel service quality due to their cultural difference. The differences are most pronounced in the perceptual categories labeled ''Assurance'', ''Tangibles'', ''Reliability'', ''Reaction'' and ''Empathy''. Cultural differences do influence consumer behavior.Research limitations/implications -The research problems and objectives of this research are merely to understand if there is any difference between the two and where the differences might lie. However, according to the research finding, ''cultural difference'' plays a significant role. Since this research is a ''descriptive study'' which cannot assure causality, future research can investigate effect and causality of ''national culture dimension'' and ''service quality dimension'' and further expand the theory.Practical implications -In order to respond to different cultural values, enterprises should recognize different needs of consumers from different cultures and employ various operational strategies, diminish the gap between expectation and cognition of service quality, transcend cross-cultural boundaries, upgrade consumers' cognition toward hotel service quality. Via the characteristic of international tourist hotel industry, which is highly connected with consumers, one can thus clarify the consumers' various responses under the influence of their different cultures. Furthermore, with the related study on service marketing, one can supplement the theory from the cross-cultural perspective. As to the empirical aspects, the said study is able to function as a reference for upgrading the cultural sensitivity of the industry. Originality/value -Previous researches neglect whether there is any difference between the optimal international marketing strategies with respect to ''service'', the intangible product, and the ''tangible product'' of manufacturing industry. Confirming the difference of each country can result in valuable insight such as understanding the relationship among culture, economics, society and space. Consequently, understanding the cultural differences with respect to evaluation and cognition of service quality qualifies as the most important issue for this...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does national culture really matter? Hotel service perceptions by Taiwan and American tourists

Hsieh

Chien-Wen

2009

International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research

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“…In this context, it is important to remember that BPS firms provide intermediate inputs which may enhance the competitiveness or innovativeness of client companies (Daniels and Bryson 2002a). Economic geographers must explore the complex relationships that exist between BPS firms and their clients rather than concentrating solely on the activities of BPS firms (Bryson 1997;Bryson et al 1999;Pratt 2008). The danger is that the activities of BPS firms are taken out of context and research is undertaken that does not take into consideration the co-production of creativity that occurs between BPS firms and their clients.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competing by design, specialization and customization: manufacturing locks in the west midlands (uk)

Bryson

Taylor

Cooper

2008

Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography

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R. (2008): 'Competing by design, specialization and customization: manufacturing locks in the West Midlands (UK)', Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography 90 (2): 173-186.ABSTRACT. The past thirty years have seen major shifts and improvements in manufacturing productivity, bringing greater output but fewer jobs. As a result, manufacturing is now less visible in "post-industrial" societies. Nevertheless, manufacturing still matters in developed market economies but our understanding of manufacturing has failed to evolve with developments in the management and organization of production processes. This paper explores the lock industry in the West Midlands (UK), a traditional low-tech manufacturing sector. West Midlands lock companies that produced standardized, mass-produced products have experienced intensive competition from low-cost producers. Many of these firms have downsized their operations in the UK. Nevertheless, this is only one response to intensified competition. Lock firms located in the West Midlands are unable to compete on price and have shifted away from the production of mass-produced locks to concentrate on high value-added niche markets. The firms have developed inimitability strategies based around design, expertise, specialization, customization and nearness to market that assist them in maintaining their revenue and profit streams. Niche manufacturers have been far less susceptible and relatively immune to foreign competition and they continue to diversify product ranges by targeting specialist end-users. The emphasis is on producing high-quality locks in small batches that can be produced just-in-time to meet customers' requirements. The continued survival of these lock firms is based upon a strategy that includes the development of product-based competitive advantage combined with locational advantage and supported by efficient, responsive and customer-focused manufacturing processes.

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“…The paper by Bryson, Rubalcaba and Ström takes a broad perspective on the service research area in order to position the last decades of research in relation to future challenges (Bryson, 2001;Bryson, Daniels, & Ingram, 1999;Dunning, 1989;Elfring, 1989;Hermelin & Rusten, 2007;Illeris, 2002). Many research gaps and challenges still exist to better understand the service economy.…”

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confidence: 97%

Guest Editorial: The Resilience of the Global Service Economy

Ström

2012

The Service Industries Journal

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Methodological Problems and Economic Geography: The Case of Business Services

Cited by 5 publications

References 23 publications

Does national culture really matter? Hotel service perceptions by Taiwan and American tourists

Does national culture really matter? Hotel service perceptions by Taiwan and American tourists

Competing by design, specialization and customization: manufacturing locks in the west midlands (uk)

Guest Editorial: The Resilience of the Global Service Economy

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