Implementing quality improvement programs designed to enhance customer satisfaction: Quasi-experiments in the United States and Spain

multinational firm uses sophisticated, state-of-the-art methods to design and implement customer satisfaction improvement programs in the United States and Spain. Quasi-experimental analysis reveals a complex and surprising picture that highlights (1) implementation issues (empowerment), (2) a construct of residual satisfaction not captured by customer needs, and (3) the managerial need for combining nonequivalent controls and nonequivalent dependent variables.