طراحی خدمات و تدوین استراتژی عملیات در بازارهای چند فرهنگی

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.

Should Euro Disney have adapted more of its US-based policies rather than attempt to satisfy a wide variety of European preferences? Should Il Bellagio, a Las Vegas luxury hotel, allocate valuable retail space to a noodle restaurant targeted towards its Asian customers or to an internationally recognizable brand like McDonalds? Why does Hilton offer a separate service concept, ‘Wa No Kutsurogi’ for Japanese customers within their existing hotels (Teare, 1993)? These questions reflect the strategic tradeoffs that service firms face when operating in multicultural markets. The choices between strategic alternatives have important implications for service design, i.e. new practices may need to be designed and developed. Previously, business researchers have focused on issues related to services and products expanding into an international location. However, we focus on the distinct concept of the multinational facility — a business that must service multicultural customer segments. This area has remained under-researched particularly from a service management perspective.

A firm delivering a service to multicultural markets must decide if it is worth trying to pursue strategies that customize its service product and process attributes for the various cultural segments, or pursue a standardization strategy that is acceptable across segments. We suggested two propositions and a methodology for evaluating service design strategy in this market, we illustrate the use of the method in an actual case and the propositions were generally supported. From this work, we see implications for other services, limitations from this study and ideas for future work.