Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Commerce - Department of Business Administration

Purpose- The study aims to examine service providers{u2019} appearance by addressing the influence of and interaction between two observable cues (hijab and eyeglasses) on customers{u2019} impressions and service outcomes in hedonic and utilitarian contexts. Design/methodology/approach- In-depth interviews were conducted with female undergraduate and postgraduate students. Then, two experiments were conducted. 2{u00D7}2 between-subject factorial design conducted on 140 students for each study using digital colored photographs and scenarios. Findings- Indicated that absence of hijab triggers high ratings of competence, expected service quality and perceived congruence for wedding planner. Customers' impressions of warmth and 3 competence seem unaffected by the display of eyeglasses by both wedding planner and physician. The presence of hijab as hedonic appearance cue was rated as a liability in wedding planner context, while the absence of eyeglasses as utilitarian appearance cue was rated as a liability in physician context. Research limitations/implications- The study helps service managers to build warmth and competence-based strategies based on service providers' appearance. Furthermore, service managers should take into account the goodness of fit between service employees' characteristics and service attributes in order to draw intended traits impressions and improve the level of patronage to service. However, this research is limited, as it examines only female service employees. Originality/value- The study is one of the few studies that address how customers' draw meanings and impressions based on appearance cues such as hijab and eyeglasses pre-core encounter in two contexts -wedding planner and physician contexts. Such relationships were not sufficiently and adequately explored in service literature

Issued also as CD