Abstract
This paper investigates the influence of national culture on customers' behavior and customers' choice of channel through the customer life cycle stages. An exploratory in-depth single case study in a multinational organization in Egypt was conducted. Specifically, 31 in-depth interviews were conducted with members of staff in marketing, IT, retail and customer services departments, and external prospects/customers. Based on an interpretive approach, the authors have articulated a situated cultural approach based on structuration theory to identify the cultural dimensions that have provided an understanding of the cultural influence on customers' channel choice. The results highlighted that verbal, human interaction, traditional shopping, and cash based were the themes for customers' channel choice through the four stages of customer life cycle. The results also show that the customers' channel choices were linked to the following Egyptian cultural dimensions: collectivism, market price relationship, emotional, power distance, low trust, uncertainty avoidance, and universalism.
Highlights
The introduction of new channel to customer services, such as telephone and the Internet, is becoming widespread (Hughes, 2006; Gómez & Pérez, 2018; Ameen & Willis, 2019)
The paper is constructed in a logical flow, section two, we have provided the background literature of introducing a new channel for the customer management, in section three we have discussed the research phenomenon, which is about the influence of national culture on the customers’ channel choices, in section four we have presented the conceptual model and the analytical technique to explore cultural influence on the phenomenon, in section five we have proposed the research methodology adopted in this study, in section six, we have provided the data analysis, in section seven we have discussed the findings, and in section eight we have concluded the paper with the implications and limitations
The data analysis of the case study is presented in three sections, this includes: case study themes/ patterns, Structurational analysis, and cultural dimensions
Summary
The introduction of new channel to customer services, such as telephone and the Internet, is becoming widespread (Hughes, 2006; Gómez & Pérez, 2018; Ameen & Willis, 2019). There is a few research studies that have examined the influence of national culture on the customers’ channel choice throughout customer life cycle This articTleh,ipsuabrtliicshleedpuabslaisnheOdpaesn aAncOcepsesnaArticccleesosnarAtipcrleild1i6st,r2ib0u2t1edinutnhdeegr othlde OteprmensAofcctheessCjoreuartnivale, CJooumrnmaol nosf AGtltorbibaul tIinofnorLmicaetinosne Management ((JhGttIpM:/)/c(rceoantivveercteodmtmo ognosld.oOrgp/leinceAnscecse/sbsyo/4n.0J/a)nwuahriych1,p2er0m21it)s, uisndreissttrriibctuetdedusuen,ddeirsttrhiebutetiromns, aonfdthperoCdruecattiiovne Cinoamnmy omnesdAiutmtri,bution License (http://creativepcoromvmidoendst.hoerga/ulitcheonrsoesf/tbhye/4o.r0i/g)inwahliwchorpkeramnditsoruingriensatlripcutebdlicuastei,odnisstoruibrcuetioarne, panrodpperrolyduccretidointeidn.
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