The relationship between customers' personalities and their evaluations of service quality

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on September 14, 2007)Vita.Includes bibliographical references.Thesis (M.S.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2006.Dissertations, Academic -- University of Missouri--Columbia -- Parks, recreation and tourism.[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This study examined the relationship between customers' personalities and their evaluations of the quality of service in a restaurant. The researcher, specifically, investigated the relationship between openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism and their perceptions of service quality, overall service quality and satisfaction. The research found out that customers' personality traits are related to the process of perceiving service quality and customer satisfaction with the service. Extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness had a significant positive correlation with the evaluation of service quality. Neuroticism had a negative, significant relationship with the evaluation of service quality. Openness had no significant relationship with the evaluation of service quality. The results of the findings supported the idea that when customers appraise service quality, the level of quality can be varied depending on the customers' personality characteristics