An Exploratory Study of Retail Service Management in the Philippines
AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF RETAIL SERVICE MANAGEMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES J. Mark Munoz Tabor School of Business Millikin University Peter V. Raven Department of Management Albers School of Business and Economics Seattle University 900 Broadway Seattle, WA 98122-4340 (206) 296-5763 (206) 296-2083 fax pvraven@seattleu.edu (contact author)
Dianne H.B. Welsh Muldoon Center for Entrepreneurship John Carroll University
Keywords: Management, Retail, Service, Philippines, Southeast Asia
AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF RETAIL SERVICE MANAGEMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES ABSTRACT The Philippines has become an important source of global middle managers as its population has become more educated and bilingual. Along with China, the Philippines attracts international enterprises seeking to establish a presence in Asia. This exploratory study examines retail small/medium enterprises (SMEs) management and employee perceptions of customer service. The results suggest that managers and employees in the Philippines behave in similar ways to those in western countries, but there are differences, probably related to cultural characteristics. The Philippines is a culturally diverse country, with historical and cultural influences from China, Malaysia, Spain, Japan, and the United States. As the Philippine market becomes more ingrained in a globalized environment, the importance of service quality increases. Global retailers stand to benefit from this study through an enhanced understanding of the mindsets and attributes of managers, employees, and customers in this region of the world. The lessons learned can be valuable in the formulation of training, sales and marketing, business development, human resources management, and strategic planning. Implications for practice are discussed. INTRODUCTION The Asian Crisis in 1997 awakened the global community to the fact that Asian economies are closely linked to international markets and that economic and business events that occur in Asia have a
Dianne H.B. Welsh Muldoon Center for Entrepreneurship John Carroll University
Keywords: Management, Retail, Service, Philippines, Southeast Asia
AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF RETAIL SERVICE MANAGEMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES ABSTRACT The Philippines has become an important source of global middle managers as its population has become more educated and bilingual. Along with China, the Philippines attracts international enterprises seeking to establish a presence in Asia. This exploratory study examines retail small/medium enterprises (SMEs) management and employee perceptions of customer service. The results suggest that managers and employees in the Philippines behave in similar ways to those in western countries, but there are differences, probably related to cultural characteristics. The Philippines is a culturally diverse country, with historical and cultural influences from China, Malaysia, Spain, Japan, and the United States. As the Philippine market becomes more ingrained in a globalized environment, the importance of service quality increases. Global retailers stand to benefit from this study through an enhanced understanding of the mindsets and attributes of managers, employees, and customers in this region of the world. The lessons learned can be valuable in the formulation of training, sales and marketing, business development, human resources management, and strategic planning. Implications for practice are discussed. INTRODUCTION The Asian Crisis in 1997 awakened the global community to the fact that Asian economies are closely linked to international markets and that economic and business events that occur in Asia have a
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