Transactional cross-cultural interactions: A qualitative study of British expatriates and service providers in Dubai
[Thesis]
Hilary A. Curry
Nelson, Annabelle
Fielding Graduate University
2017
159
Committee members: Agger-Gupta, Dorothy; Hurst, Ron; Johnson, Rachel; Murphy-Shigematsu, Stephen
Place of publication: United States, Ann Arbor; ISBN=978-1-369-68599-2
Ph.D.
Human and Organization Development
Fielding Graduate University
2017
As globalization has exponentially increased mobility, the United Arab Emirates has become a country that hosts nationalities from around the globe, with expatriates making up over 89% of the population. This study builds on the conceptual model presented by Stauss and Mang that explored the intercultural provider performance gap through investigating how British expatriates experience cross-cultural transactions with service providers in Dubai. This study took place in 2016 and it involved 15 individual interviews and a facilitated focus group with six of those participants. I analyzed the gathered information through thematic analysis and I further evaluated it against secondary information to help to create a clear understanding of how expatriates experience transactional cross-cultural interactions in Dubai. Key findings of the study included that the service provider gap identified by Stauss and Mang is consistent with transactional interactions in Dubai. Findings further indicate that British expatriates tend to be aware of their behavior within the scope of an interaction and they experience empathy for the situation of service providers; however, their customer expectations of service have not changed and there is a demonstrated unwillingness to change. Accordingly, I propose a transactional experience model to provide a framework for understanding between expatriates and service providers.
Social research; Middle Eastern Studies; Organizational behavior
Social sciences;Acculturation;Cross-cultural customer service;Dubai;Social hierarchy;United arab emirates