A study of the cultural effects of designing a user interface for a web-based service
by Pei-Luen Patrick Rau, Sheau-Farn Max Liang
International Journal of Services Technology and Management (IJSTM), Vol. 4, No. 4/5/6, 2003

Abstract: With the globalisation of markets and the internet, customer satisfaction now depends on how seriously service providers take into account regional user needs combined with culturally-suitable user interface design. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of two cultural dimensions, Time Orientation (TO) and Communication Style (CS), on user performance in browsing a web-based service. A comparison in Hofstede's cultural dimensions was also made between two Chinese-speaking student groups. The results showed that participants with polychronic TO performed faster and took fewer steps than those with monochronic TO. Participants with high-context CS were more disorientated than those with low-context CS. The comparison in cultural dimensions indicated that there is a variety even within Chinese-speaking cultures. To be able to meet customers' expectations and increase their satisfaction, it is necessary for user interface designers to consider these cultural effects.

Online publication date: Wed, 24-Sep-2003

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