An examination of the role of marketing culture in service quality
研究香港旅行社的营销文化与出境游服务质量的关系，发现以客户为导向、重视服务质量和人际关系的营销文化能提升服务质量。
Competition in Hong Kong’s tourism market is very intense and local travel agencies have to improve the quality of their service in order to enhance their competitive edge. This industry‐specific research examines the relationship between marketing culture and the perceived service quality of outbound tours. The author sampled tour escorts and asked them to describe the patterns and characteristics of their firms’ marketing culture. Tour members who had just returned from outbound tours were also sampled for the measurement of their perceptions of the quality of tours. The findings indicate a positive relationship between marketing culture and service quality. High quality service can be delivered when a travel agency successfully fosters a customer‐oriented marketing culture characterized with a strong emphasis on service quality orientation and interpersonal relationships. In a high‐contact service business such as tourism service, marketers must understand that commitment to quality service and service mentality are integral elements in the firm’s culture and that a positive attitude towards interpersonal relationships must be held by service employees.