Measuring Retail Service Quality: Examining Applicability of International Research Perspectives in India

Abstract

Service quality measures developed internationally are often accepted as adequate in India. This study evaluates the Retail Service Quality Scale (RSQS) developed in the U.S. and considered valid across a variety of formats and cultural contexts. Confirmatory factor analysis of the component structures using AMOS 4.0 indicates the RSQS dimensions are not valid in India. This lowers the diagnostic ability of the scale for identifying areas requiring strategic focus. This study argues for further research and extensive scale adaptation before scales developed in other countries such as the RSQS are applied in the Indian context.