Effects of Service Climate on Managers' and Employees' Rating of Visitors' Service Quality Expectations

Abstract

This study examined service quality expectation differences among three stakeholder groups involved in the tourism service encounter (visitors, employees, and managers) and the degree to which service climate may explain these differences. A case study was con ducted that consisted of a survey of visitors, frontline employees, and managers at a Midwest theme park. Managers and employees rated their visitors' service quality expec tations significantly higher than the visitors themselves. Organizational barriers that may underlie these differences were explored. Analyses revealed that two out of seven management barriers significantly impacted managers' perceptions of visitors' expectations. The results also indicated that six out of nine employee barriers significantly impacted frontline employees' perceptions of visitors' expectations .