Private and public voice: exploring cultural influence

Purpose - This research adopts Hofstede's typology of culture as a framework to test for cultural differences regarding consumer verbal behaviors in the context of a service provider switching incident. Design/methodology/approach - The study includes respondents from five countries selected to provide global diversity by including cultures from Asia, Europe, South America, and North America. Cooperation from a variety of businesses was utilized in each country investigated to survey employees. Findings - Findings indicate there are significant relationships between cultural orientation and: the propensity of engaging in discussion of service switching incidents; communication valence; the social network that private word-of-mouth is shared with; the likelihood of public complaint behavior. Research limitations/implications - The sample, while five-country in design, is somewhat limited by its representation at the extremes (i.e, most developed and least developed) and from urban populations only. Within-country differences are also not considered. A broad range of service sectors strengthens the results, but does not allow for sector-specific conclusions. The results of this study can assist global service providers to better understand the role that culture plays in customer verbal behaviors as well as providing direction to formulate strategies and tactics to better manage the complaint process. Originality/value - As service organizations become more globally diverse, understanding the subtle influences of cultural differences becomes increasingly important for building effective customer relationships. No study to date has examined consumer post-switching verbal behaviors across a broad range of cultural settings.