Kundupplevd kvalitet i tjänsteverksamheter: En analys och kritik av den företagsekonomiska dialogen

In English The contemporary discussion about how to define and measure the quality of services is dominated by a subjective perspective and quality is usually grounded in the customers perception. This conceptualisation of quality (perceived service quality) is well established in business and research. In contrast, this study is an argument for an intersubjective perspective grounded in language and demonstrates how theoretical statements as well as every-day-gossip about services and service quality can be analysed as linguistic products. First, we conduct a critical analysis of the concept of perceived service quality and show how and why this concept (the customers comparison of perception to expectations along general or specific quality dimensions) is problematic and ambiguous. Second, we examine the service concept and show how services can be understood as social processes where the customers make sense of the interactions by attributing meaning to the actions of themselves and others. Third, using Kenneth Burkes Grammar of Motives and its hexad of key terms (act, agent, scene, agency, attitude and purpose) we show how different theoretical perspectives on social interactions create different conclusions about how to understand and manage quality in services. Finally, we argue that service quality can be understood as the reasons customers give when they in a dialogue with other people explain their (dis)satisfaction with a service.