The Influence of Sociocultural Factors on Service Quality Perception. A Christkindlesmarkt Nuremberg Study

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2017 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: 1,0, University of Applied Sciences Nuremberg, language: English, abstract: This thesis investigates the quality of service at the Christkindlesmarkt Nuremberg and reveals how the sociocultural factors region, gender and age influence the visitors¿ perception of service quality. The results provide support for using a two-dimensional model to measure service quality at the Christkindlesmarkt. Based on the findings of the study, this work provides recommendations for improvement. The results of the study enhance the understanding about the service quality on the Christkindlesmarkt Nuremberg. Overall, the findings emphasize that when investigating service quality, considering variables pertaining to the individual characteristics of the visitors and the service itself is of major importance.

The Christkindlesmarkt Nuremberg is the most famous Christmas market in Germany and is one of the most famous landmarks of the city. Every year, more than two million people from all over the world visit the market. However, the competition among the German Christmas markets is increasing. The markets in eastern Germany are catch-ing up and threating the supremacy of the Christkindlesmarkt Nuremberg. The Christkindlesmarkt is a complex service comprised of several interdependent sub-services. Visitors to the Christkindlesmarkt, especially those who are not from Nuremberg or the metropolitan area, invest time and money to see the market and can only get intangible satisfaction in return. The visitors¿ final evaluations of service quality are strongly affected by their subjective expectations and experiences.

In consideration of the fierce competition, delivering high quality service that results in satisfied customers can give the Christkindlesmarkt a sustainable competitive advantage. It is therefore vital for the operators of the market to be aware of the current perception of service quality. This thesis aims to assess which instrument is appropriate for evaluating the service quality at the Christkindlesmarkt and appraise the market accordingly. This research assesses the relative influence of different service quality dimensions on overall satisfaction. Therefore, the research groups different aspects of service quality on the Christkindlesmarkt and their relative influence is computed by running a multiple regression analysis.