This study re-conceptualises service quality in an Islamic context. The conceptual framework underpinning this re-conceptualization sees service quality as a process which emanates from the management of an organization and how the philosophy of this organization is operationalized in the delivery of its services. As such, frontline employees are key elements in service delivery, and contributors to the quality of the service. In the Islamic context, in areas such as service quality, banks' management should understand that the perspective of Islam requires other distinctive services to be provided in addition to functional banking services. These are not limited to the narrow view, namely providing the traditional services and being in compliance with the legal side of Islamic law. The wider meaning includes other services such as social responsibility, contribution to the development of society and the distribution of Islamic financial knowledge. With regard to employees, especially frontline employees in the area of service quality, the Islamic philosophy should mean that considering Itqan (quality is the synonym for this term) should be understood as both a functional and religious duty. Employees' dealings with customers should extend beyond the functional aspects to an approach where customers are considered as `friends'. To investigate this framework, the current research was applied to Egyptian Islamic banks. It used mixed method- interviews with frontline employees and questionnaires distributed to customers, as well as support from field notes and examination of banks' websites. Egyptian Islamic banks, including their employees failed to understand, embody or practice the Islamic perspective on service quality. In the case of management, the failure was evident in issues such as an imbalance between providing functional and distinctive Islamic services. Customers' views were positive about the functional aspects of services and the legal side of financial transactions, but their views on the distinctive Islamic services were negative. Although employees confirmed that quality has Islamic roots represented in the term of Itqan (quality is the synonym for this term) as an inherent duty, the practice of this concept was not apparent to customers. To re-conceptualise service quality in the Islamic context, Islamic banks, including their employees should understand that customer praxis, the process by which the Islamic perspective on service quality is translated into action, was the most important dimension from the customer perspective. The instrument suggested to measure service quality generally and apart from the Islamic context, should be a customized scale that is context, country, industry and religion specific at a particular time.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:543742 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Yahia, Salem Ahmed Mohamed |
| Publisher | University of Gloucestershire |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/3284/ |
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