Antecedents of Hypermarket Service Quality in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Retail format hypermarkets are emerging in numbers and contributing $2.5 billion a year to the economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Despite their importance and to the best of the authors' knowledge, no other studies specifically explore the service quality of such markets in the UAE. To fill this gap, this empirical study employs the SERVQUAL model to examine the antecedents of hypermarkets service quality in the UAE using structural equation modeling. The study sample included 1,248 respondents from different hypermarkets across the UAE. The research findings demonstrate that reliability, assurance, and empathy are the key determinants of hypermarkets service quality in the UAE, while tangibility and responsiveness are not significant. The authors' research contributes to the literature on hypermarket service quality in an understudied region and provides information for administrators to make informed decisions. Study limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.

Key words:

• hypermarkets
• retail industry
• service quality
• SERVQUAL
• structural equation modeling

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ahmed R. Elmelegy

BIOGRAPHIES

Ahmed ElMelegy is an assistant professor of operations management at Gulf University for Science and Technology. He holds a bachelor's degree in construction engineering from Ain Shams University, a master's degree from the American University in Cairo, and a doctorate in management sciences with a specialization in operations management from Illinois Institute of Technology. His research focuses on service management and e-services, technology management, scheduling algorithms, and queuing models. He can be reached by email at: [email protected].

Subramaniam Ponnaiyan

Subramaniam Ponnaiyan is an assistant professor of decision sciences at American University in Dubai. Previously he worked at the University of North Texas and KSR College of Technology. He received his bachelor's degree in production engineering from Marathwada University, his MBA in management science from the University of Madras, his master's degree in industrial engineering and operations research from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and his doctorate in management science from the University of North Texas. His research has been published in IJPR, International Journal of Information and Operations Management Education, and International Journal of Operations and Quantitative Management. His research interests are in supply chain management, inventory management, service quality, and vehicle routing.

Mohamad N. Alnajem

Mohamed AlNajem is a post-doctoral researcher at Gulf University for Science and Technology. He holds a bachelor's degree in communication systems engineering, a master's degree in technology management, and a doctorate in engineering management from the University of Portsmouth, UK.