Service design and operations strategy formulation in multicultural markets

Abstract

Businesses that service multicultural customer segments face unique challenges in developing the appropriate service strategy. While the strategic implications of expanding services from a domestic market to an international location have been well documented, multicultural customer segments at one location is a unique problem that has largely been neglected by researchers. This paper attempts to fill this gap by presenting a conceptual framework and method for determining the extent of service product and process attribute standardization versus customization in these settings. The paper presents an approach for modeling the preferences of different cultural segments, evaluating the differences between the segments and determining the appropriate service strategy for service providers. We evaluate the effects of competitors adopting their revenue maximizing strategy both independently of each other and simultaneously while assuming the size of the market is viewed as a zero sum game. In an actual application at an international airport terminal, one food-service vendor implemented the suggested operations strategy and the result was a significant revenue gain over the previous year's sales during the same period. The method has valuable implications for managers when developing strategies for delivering a service to multicultural customer segments.

The Role of Coordinated Marketing-Operations Strategy in Services: Implications for Managerial Decisions and Execution

“…Verma, Thompson and Louviere (1999) Demonstrated how discrete choice experiments can be design and conducted in services to better match its operations with market preferences and present an example from the pizza delivery industry. Pullman, Verma and Goodale (2001) Presented an approach for modeling the preferences of different cultural segments and determining the appropriate strategy for service firms. Reported an actual application of the proposed approach for a food service provider that shows significant revenue gain.…”

Uma revisão sistemática para identificação das possibilidades de aplicações e das barreiras de adoção da customização em massa na produção de alimentos

“…Pode-se mencionar a aplicação de CM para a produção de pizzas (WEGRZYN et al, 2012;LIPTON et al, 2015;NAGPAL et al, 2015;SUN et al, 2015), cachorro-quente (RAHIMNIA et al, 2009;PULLMAN et al, 2001), hambúrguer (PULLMAN et al, 2001;WOLF;ZHANG, 2016), saladas (NAGPAL et al, 2015) e pratos prontos para restaurantes (SAMSUDIN et al, 2011;CHEN et al, 2014). Os estudos dessas categorias abordam principalmente a análise do comportamento dos consumidores frente a diferentes combinações de componentes de produtos (PULLMAN et al, 2001;NAGPAL et al, 2015;BALCOMBE et al, 2016;DONADINI et al, 2016;WOLF;ZHANG, 2016), ou para análise da interação dos consumidores com a customização de produtos (RAHIMNIA et al, 2009;SAMSUDIN et al, 2011;CHEN et al, 2014). Ainda para as categorias "fast food" e "refeições", também foram identificados estudos propondo a utilização de manufatura aditiva, principalmente para a confecção de massas (WEGRZYN et al, 2012;LIPTON et al, 2015;SUN et al, 2015).…”

“…Uma revisão sistemática para identificação das possibilidades de aplicações e das barreiras de adoção da customização em massa na produção de alimentos Calegari, L. P.; Fettermann, D. C. da customização do produto alimentício (PULLMAN et al, 2001;NAGPAL et al, 2015;WOLF;ZHANG, 2016).…”

The Effect of Tourists’ National Culture on Perceived Performance of Restaurants in Petra, Jordan

“…Toh & Birchenough, 2000;Harris, Murphy, DiPietro, & Rivera, 2015), consumer behavior and perceptions (e.g. Pullman, Verman & Goodale, 2001;Mattila & Patterson, 2004;Torres, Fu & Lehto, 2014;Dunn, 2015) and tourist behaviour and satisfaction (e.g. Pizam & Sussmann, 1995;Becker et al, 1999;Barutcu, Dogan, & Unguren, 2011;Moital, Dias, & Machado, 2013).…”