STUDENTS’ PERCEIVED SERVICE QUALITY OF BUSINESS SCHOOLS IN TANZANIA: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY
Journal Title: Quality Issues and Insightsin the 21st Century - Year 2015, Vol 4, Issue 1
Abstract
Research applied an extended SERVQUAL instrument to determine the perceived service quality delivered to students’ of two business schools in Tanzania during and after the service encounter. Three hypotheses pertaining to demographics and time were tested. A longitudinal survey was conducted. Extended SERVQUAL instrument was administered to students in the final year of study in interval of six months period. Expectations against the school’s actual service performance along the service quality dimensions were determined. A Likert scale anchored at points 1 to 7 was used for dimension items, whereas a 5-point scale on overall performance was used. Two of the three tested hypotheses (H 1 & H 3) were partly supported while H2 was fully supported, indicating significant differences in students’ perceived service quality by demographic groups; stability of students’/graduates’ perceived service quality received during the two periods of time; and impact on Process Outcome on the overall level of service performance at T1. It is recommended to managers of business schools in Tanzania to continuously apply the extended SERVQUAL while monitoring students’ expectations and perceptions for improvement purposes. The application of the extended SERVQUAL was limited to two conveniently located public business schools in Tanzania in a time interval of six months. This period may not be long enough to track students’ perceptions of education service quality after graduation. In future, the extended SERVQUAL instrument can be applied to a large number of business schools to monitor the dynamics of students and graduates expectations and perceptions in a similar setting. A longitudinal study beyond the 6-month period may be conducted. The study can be extended to other emerging markets.
Authors and Affiliations
Esther R. Mbise
REQUIREMENTS FOR TODAY’S UNIVERSITIES: HOW TO MEASURE ACTIVITY RESULTS?
For today’s University higher and higher requirements are raised and certain criteria are thought of, by which activity results are measured. In many cases, quantitative, homogenies criteria are necessary indeed - becaus...
SOME EDUCATION QUALITY MANAGEMENT SKETCHES
It wouldn’t be right to say that quality management questions in Lithuania are perfectly known, analysed and there’s nothing to do in this sphere. On the contrary, this sphere remains very urgent, on the other hand, rath...
DECISION DIMENSION OF LEADERSHIP IN EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS IN ROMANIA
Each school system aims at performing better for its students by getting better outcomes, and being able to cope with a continuously changing society. We define herein a "successful school" a school that reaches best out...
RISK MANAGEMENT AS A MANNER OF STAKEHOLDERS' REQUIREMENTS FULFILMENT
In the XXI century, each organisation must realise its goals, and at the same time, being endangered and exposed to various turbulent environmental factors in which the particular organisation functions. Such a change, e...
YOUNG CHILDREN AFFECTED BY HIV & AIDS: A CASE STUDY OF THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE
In South Africa currently many young children have challenges in social, educational, emotional and biological aspects. Many young children live in a context where there is a high prevalence of HIV positive adults and ch...