Construction and validation of a hybrid model to measure perceived public service quality (PSQ)

Abstract

Today, public organizations make extensive use of marketing methods and concepts to design, implement and assess the services they deliver to their beneficiaries. The quality of the services offered is at the heart of their concerns. Public sector marketing requires tools that are adapted to the specific characteristics of the context. The main contribution of this research is to propose the construction of a hybrid model to measure perceived public service quality (PSQ), mixing public and private dimensions. It is based on a quantitative study conducted on a sample of 760 inhabitants of the French town of Besançon. Points for practitioners Service quality is a cornerstone of government modernization. However, public service quality adds another dimension to the notion of service quality. In addition to those found in the private sector, dimensions specific to the public sector have a significant impact on how the beneficiaries perceive public services. In this article we develop a model to measure Public Service Quality that incorporates the public and private dimensions in a single conceptualization. This research provides practitioners with an operational measurement tool to survey their beneficiaries on public service quality.