Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The Middle East is a growing, lucrative marketplace that has recently captured the interest of the world for political as well as economic reasons due to the War in Iraq, which began in 2003. This exploratory study examines the relationship between retail small/medium enterprises (SMEs) that are family business owned, organizational commitment, and management and employee perceptions of customer service on a number of dimensions. The results suggest that managers and employees of family-owned businesses in the Middle East behave in ways similar to those in Western countries; however, there are differences, probably related to cultural characteristics. The Middle East is a richly diverse region, a myriad of unique cultures. As the market becomes more sophisticated, the importance of service quality increases. Global retailers can benefit from this study by better understanding the managers and employees in the region and the pivotal role of the family on business. Implications for practice are discussed.
Welsh et al. (Wed,) studied this question.