analysis of Gap Model of Service quality

Female participation in international assignments was the subject of this study. The literature regarding women in management has emphasized stereo-typing, discrimination and prejudice. Despite the advantageous female personalities and the world’s claim for diversity, the growth of female participation in international assignments has been undermined and the number of men as international assignees was nearly three times higher than women in 2013. This study verified the feasibility of applying a model from the service marketing literature, the SERVQUAL framework, into HR as a tool to implement an international assignment recruitment process in order to diminish the incidence of gender bias, and as a guideline to design and/or adjust expatriation policies. A qualitative survey was conducted by means of face-to-face interviews with ten expatriate women employed by two different German companies, both of the chemical sector in order to identify possible consequences of gender bias in the expatriation context. The application of the SERVQUAL framework to improve the service quality perception toward HR was demonstrated while the HR department was positioned as an internal service provider and the most relevant service quality dimensions were identified by the survey, revealing the service GAPs present in the expatriation process. Due to the fact there were no recruitment processes to be assessed by interviewees, gender bias was not perceived upon selection, but within expatriation. Yet, cultural and gender biases were recognized and identified as negative aspects present in multinational firms.