Abstract
PurposeThis study envisioned plausible influential factors on service quality and academic excellence relatable to graduate self-confidence in an open distance learning (ODL) outlook. The objective was to expose the moderating role of academic excellence (graduate satisfaction) between service quality and self-confidence (engagement, achievement, loyalty and opportunity, EALO). It was also of interest to explore how, in what routines factors involved interrelated.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilized exploratory design. Qualitatively, service quality included acclimation, advising, module, tutorial, assessment, feedback and referral factors. Service quality led to academic excellence (GPA, study length, relevance and recognition). Besides, academic excellence influenced self-confidence. Quantitatively, service quality, academic excellence and self-confidence were the independent, moderating and dependent variables. Respondents were randomly selected through a survey of eligible Universitas Terbuka alumni.Findings11 hypotheses were assessed under structural-equation modeling (SEM). Responses from 122 out of 500 graduates were completed. Eight hypotheses were validated by the analysis. The tutorial was the most influential factor followed by module, assessment and acclimation; advising, feedback and referral were excluded. Academic excellence also led to self-confidence. The study was able to visualize a substantial role of academic excellence in moderating service quality to EALO. Besides, important-performance analysis and customer-satisfaction index (IPA-CSI) recognized 21 out of 32 attributes as the pillars of academic excellence.Originality/valueThree of the hypotheses were invalidated by the quantitative analysis. Further inquiry with much broader coverage is then required to diminish the variance to finally find the ideal framework.
Highlights
Service quality related to students’ satisfaction was the basis of academic excellence associated with persistence, loyalty and future career in an open distance learning (ODL) perspective
The population of the study was 550 graduates who attended the graduation ceremony organized by Universitas Terbuka Makassar Regional Center, 10–11 April 2019. 500 questionnaires are provided and distributed to participants. 122 questionnaires were completed and analyzed
(3) The results positively showed that academic excellence reflected by graduate satisfaction is dependable to support selfconfidence
Summary
Service quality related to students’ satisfaction was the basis of academic excellence associated with persistence, loyalty and future career in an open distance learning (ODL) perspective. All these concerns are still relatable to the Universitas Terbuka context as previously detailed by Sembiring (2015), Sembiring (2017), and Sembiring and Rahayu (2019) After carefully considering those central issues, this study was activated to explore conceivable and significant factors (variables, dimensions or attributes) as the origin of service quality toward graduates’ self-confidence moderated by academic excellence. The acclimation program (X1) was defined as the dimension of service quality in providing relevant and practical materials for orientation concerning ODL to a student with good substance, adequate frequency and delivery mode as well as useful for students’ success.
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