PAKSERV – measuring higher education service quality in a collectivist cultural context

Abstract

Studies which acknowledge culturally sensitive service quality scales are scarce. This study aims to examine a PAKSERV measure of satisfaction and loyalty in a Pakistani higher education context. Consequently, the model fitness of the PAKSERV scale is tested through the conduct of this study. The data for this study have been collected from three major universities in Pakistan. The sample population for this study was higher education students, enrolled on a full-time status in these universities. To strengthen the methodology, first-year students were excluded from investigation as having very little university experience. A survey-based approach was used to collect data from 236 higher education students in Pakistan who were personally approached by the researchers. The hypotheses pertaining to the traditional service quality items of Tangibility and Assurance have been rejected. A strong significance has been found for all the PAKSERV items which include: Sincerity, Formality and Personalisation. The PAKSERV scale has been employed for the first time to investigate the service quality-loyalty path in a collectivist cultural context. Furthermore, the application of PAKSERV in a higher education setting has been enumerated. The study is useful for marketing decision makers who strive hard to enhance the students’ overall experience during the span of degree programmes.