The Effect of Cultural factors on Customer Perception in Mobile Data Services

Abstract

Mobile service providers are searching new profit-models in mobile data market by the saturation of mobile service subscribers and the stagnation of voice market and their other action for overcoming of mobile voice market's saturation and subscribers' stagnation is to push into the global market. This study intended to analyze the differences generated by mobile data service's perception among the nations based on cultural model and Kano theory. Also, this study aims to investigate the different perceived value of innovators who play an important role in spreading mobile data services across different countries. In the result of first study, asymmetric perception for mobile data services can be appeared differently from nation to nation because of the cultural factor. Korea customer perceive indirect communication as must-be attribute, interpersonal service as must-be and one dimensional attributes because of high collectivism. Japan customer also perceive indirect communication as must-be service same as Korea. Because of high power distance, they perceive hedonic service as must-be service attribute. Regarding to innovative service, it was analyzed to have one dimensional attribute. US user who have low context characteristic unlike Korea and Japan perceive direct communication as attractive service attribute and prefers to impersonal service very much because of high individualism. In the second study, Cultural level measured for innovator group is different from the level Hofstede suggested. And Hofstede's cultural index was different from nation to nation but cultural index of innovator group analyzed by this research don't show great difference. In Hall's context cultural side view, it's appeared same as the analyzed result by the questionnaire. Korea and Japan innovator groups perceive indirect communications such as mobile video phone call as indifferent and one dimensional service attributes but US innovator group was analyzed to perceive as attractive attribute. Also Korea, Japan and US innovator groups perceive impersonal service as entirely attractively because of high individualism and hedonic service as must-be service because of high power distance. Furthermore, uncertainty avoidance of Korea, Japan and US innovator groups were appeared lowly. From the research, this study found that cultural dimension needs to be reinterpreted according to research purpose and application. Almost previous researches were used cultural model as it is without any modification. But cultural levels of whole nation and segment can be appeared differently each other. Service provider need to consider characteristics of low context, high individualism, etc. in establishing the business strategy. The cultural factor can be applied in choice and concentration of enterprise resources' utilizing. Cultural level for service providers' purpose market have to be measured preliminarily because whole nation's cultural level and subdivided market's cultural level can be appeared differently each other and cultural factors have to be considered for releasing time and subjects of new service.