Abstract
This paper reports on the conceptual development and empirical evaluation of a postgraduate (PG) research service quality management model, through conducting an electronic survey among a cohort of master’s and doctorate graduates at one of the top three research universities in South Africa, using specifically developed and validated research instruments.By fitting the data from a sample of 117 graduates to a conceptual model using structural equation modelling, it became evident that the PG research students’ perception of the Organisational Climate for Research (OCR) is associated with their perception of the PG Research Service Quality (PGSQUAL), the PG Service Experience (SERVEXP) and their perception of their Role (RC). However, no association was found between the students’ perception of the research climate (OCR) and their satisfaction (SERVSAT) with the research service; the service experience (SERVEXP) and postgraduate research service quality (PGSQUAL); service satisfaction (SERVSAT) and postgraduate service quality (PGSQUAL). The aforementioned findings imply that higher education institutions need to create a research climate which is supportive of service quality, and better manage the research climate, so that the PG students are clear about their role, which will eventually translate to a better PG service experience and improved perception of PG service quality.
Highlights
Every time a customer interacts with a service organisation, a service encounter occurs
The study is organised as follows: following a brief discussion of the literature on the PG service encounter, the PG students’ participation, the research service climate, the research service experience and research service quality, several relationships are proposed among the aforementioned variables
In order to further explore the relationships among service quality, service experience and service satisfaction, with specific reference to the PG research service encounter, it is postulated that: P7: The PGs’ perception of the PG Service Quality (PGSQUAL) is associated with their Service Experience (SERVEXP)
Summary
Every time a customer interacts with a service organisation (by phone, mail, technology or in person), a service encounter occurs. By drawing heavily on the services marketing (quality) literature, a conceptual model of the PG research service encounter is developed, and relationships among the PG research students’ perception of their role and the research climate on their service experience, service satisfaction and service quality are postulated and assessed. The study is organised as follows: following a brief discussion of the literature on the PG service encounter, the PG students’ participation (role), the research service climate, the research service experience and research service quality, several relationships are proposed among the aforementioned variables. In order to further explore the relationships among service quality, service experience and service satisfaction, with specific reference to the PG research service encounter, it is postulated that: P7: The PGs’ perception of the PGSQUAL is associated with their SERVEXP. The postulated relationships (P1-P9) which are depicted as a conceptual model in Figure 1, were empirically evaluated following the methodology described
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