Thesis (D.Min.)--Liberty Theological Seminary and Graduate School, 2002.

Market orientation, the manifestation of the marketing concept, is central in services marketing. However, the contemporary market orientation models are less service-oriented in nature. An extension of market orientation that incorporates the service concept is deemed necessary so as to be more effective in influencing the service performance of service organizations. Besides, a customer-defined market orientation is needed in order to demonstrate the real and market oriented spirit of the service providers. / This dissertation proposes an extension of market orientation called the service-driven market orientation (SERVMO) that is found to be potentially essential for improving service quality specifically in the higher education sector. The development of this strategic construct and the analyses on its consequences on service quality are based on the perceptions of 558 customers (students) from a few institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. The items in the survey instrument are generated based on a review of the related marketing literature and Critical Incident Technique. SERVMO is believed to be a valid and reliable measure for service-driven market orientation in higher education. This 32-item scale is a multi-dimensional construct comprising six multi-item components: customer orientation (6 items), competitor orientation (5 items), interfunctional orientation (5 items), performance orientation (5 items), long-term orientation (7 items), and employee orientation (4 items). SERVQUAL is also confirmed to be valid and reliable for measuring service quality, the main criterion variable, in higher education. / There are no significant differences for SERVMO according to the demographic characteristics of the customers, except for the types of institutions the students are from. The public institutions are found to be more market oriented in serving the students and also having higher score for service quality. SERVMO is found to have a positive and significant effect on service quality (SQ). This direct relationship is relatively stronger as compared to its relationships with customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. On the other hand, service quality has stronger effects on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. SERVMO seems to influence customer satisfaction and customer loyalty indirectly, through service quality. The institution type (public or private) does not significantly moderate the SERVMO-SQ relationship in higher education. / Based on the identified limitations, it is recommended that future research can focus on areas like validation of the proposed SERVMO measure and causal relationships investigations. The present study that merely focuses on the student's perceptions should be complemented with perceptions of other customers like employees. Besides, since higher education services are commonly internationalized, contextual and environmental specific examinations especially in terms of cultural differences should be of great importance. Future research should also widen the scope to include other industries. / Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2005.

Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2004.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Studies explain that participating in community service enhances relationships, positively contributes to one’s purpose, and provides life satisfaction with a specific focus on retention and degree attainment for those enrolled in college (Corporation for National and Community Service, 2007). The simultaneous increase of Black women attending colleges as universities increase outreach to drive community engagement does not align with the shift in the research of civic engagement that excludes the activity of young Black people and is counterintuitive to the historical underpinnings of political and educational transformations in the United States (e.g., Civil Rights Movement) (Hewins-Maroney, 2008). The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of why current Black undergraduate women volunteer in their communities and how they perceive these volunteer experiences reflect on understanding themselves as Black women. Qualitative inquiry was used to explore the similarities and differences of how Black women make meaning of their experiences and understand themselves. The 11 Black undergraduate women who participated revealed eight themes that contributed to their reason for serving their communities. Overwhelmingly, the participants felt a drive, usually before college, that motivated them to serve their communities to impact themselves and others in transformative ways. Their work in the community was not without hardships or barriers, but overcoming those barriers were also motivating to the participants to recognize their privilege and continue to serve. The university’s role is something the participants were critical about as they had little connection to the university related to volunteering except for the marketing of service opportunities but contributed that to their peers. As the institutionalization of service-learning and volunteerism in higher education has become a strategy to increase retention, the findings from the present study add to the limited research of volunteer engagement of diverse populations. The participants shared their criticism of volunteering within the university as well as the community broadly, and they confirm that intentional outreach and educational spaces should be dedicated to ensuring that the community work of students of all backgrounds is valued and that these students be given opportunities to engage in meaningful volunteer work.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.