The role of Islamic culture in service quality research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore service quality (SQ) from the perspective of the Muslim consumer. There is growing evidence that culture influences buying habits and behaviours of consumers in services. However, most cross-cultural consumer research in Asia has focused on the dimension of Chinese-Confucian beliefs providing an opportunity to investigate other religious-cultural aspects in Asia and consumption. Design/methodology/approach – This research explores the key attributes/factors of quality of services according to Muslim customers using the verbal protocol method followed by in-depth probing interviews of 35 respondents. In depth, the interviews were conducted in Indonesia with a sample of Javanese-Muslim customers of the airline, retail, hotel, and restaurant industries. Theoretical saturation was achieved with thick rich scripts obtained from respondents. Findings – Preliminary analysis suggests some distinct outcomes positioning culture and religion as important constructs for consideration in SQ research. Practical implications – The research provides important insights for service providers who target the Muslim consumer. Originality/value – The paper is the first to examine SQ dimensions specific to Muslim consumers. It advances the SQ conceptualisations and SQ theory and offers attributes for consideration in future measurement.