Intercultural service encounters: a systematic review and a conceptual framework on trust development
Year: 2020
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Purpose A significant body of research has now been accumulated in the intercultural service encounter (ICSE) literature. However, no study to date has provided scholars and practitioners with a systematic review to map and better understand the ICSE domain. Design/methodology/approach To fill this gap, the authors systematically review and critically examine the state of academic research on ICSE. Findings Based on a systematic review of 31 journal articles published over the last two decades, the results illustrate that ICSE research is a vibrant and rapidly growing stream of the broader international business domain, and it is topically and methodologically diverse. This review also identifies significant knowledge gaps related to the adoption of different theoretical orientations by researchers examining ICSE at different levels of analysis, a lack of contextual positioning, as well as poor methodological rigor. Originality/value Based on the findings, the authors introduce a multilevel and multidisciplinary conceptual framework that integrates the concepts of emotional intelligence (EI) and intercultural communication competence (ICC) as the key variables that explain trust development during the interaction between two key culturally different stakeholders: service providers (employees) and service receivers (customers). Finally, the authors discuss the contributions and implications for both academics and practitioners.
Source: EuroMed Journal of Business
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3097254246