The deployment of service quality as a source of competitive advantage is becoming increasingly important to higher education institutions as the higher education market becomes globalised and competitive pressure intensifies. To some institutions, the focus on service quality is a necessity due to governmental requirements and the need to be more accountable to the public. To others, the interest in service quality takes on a more pro-active stance since there are many advantages associated with it: student satisfaction and retention, positive word-of -mouth recommendations, higher market share, and improved financial performance. / In order to achieve superiority in service quality, higher education institutions must have the means to measure it. Currently, two of the most valid and reliable measurement scales used in the evaluation of service quality are the SERVQUAL and the SERVPERF. Despite their wide application in a multitude of services, there have been arguments that one of them measures service quality better than the other. Few studies have empirically tested the relative measuring ability of the two scales, and there is little evidence in the literature to suggest that it had been investigated in the higher education service sector. / This dissertation examines the relative predictive ability of the SERVQUAL and the SERVPERF in a higher education setting through the use of a questionnaire survey. In addition, the dimensionality, reliability and validity of both measurement scales were compared and contrasted. The findings revealed that instead of the postulated five factors of service quality, a two-factor model is appropriate in the higher education context. The items of reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy all loaded onto one factor, while all the items of tangibles loaded onto another. Both scales have high reliability, as well as convergent and discriminant validity. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the two-factor SERVPERF is far more superior to the two-factor SERVQUAL in measuring service quality in higher education. / The research findings imply that there is no necessity to measure expectations when evaluating students' perceptions of higher education service quality. Only their perceptions of actual performance suffice. Furthermore, the use of the SERVPERF would automatically shorten the SERVQUAL questionnaire by half, that is, from 44 items to 22 items. / The SERVPERF, however, has shortcomings since it does not fully capture the essence of the service quality construct. Too much emphasis has been placed on tangibles and processes. The literature suggests that there is a possibility that other determinants could be important too. Future research should also compare and contrast international and local student's perceptions of higher education service quality as well as those of self-funded and aid-funded students. / Thesis (DBA(DBusinessAdministration))-University of South Australia,
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/267399 |
| Date | January 2004 |
| Creators | Hoe, Teh Chin. |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | copyright under review |
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