University service quality measurement model in Peru: Multifactorial validation

COVID-19 has impacted the private and public sectors worldwide. Millions of students have been affected by schools being dramatically shut down and substituted with distance learning programs. Thus, the assessment of the quality of university services has become an important supportive mechanism to retain the sustainability of higher education. Thus, this research aims to develop an assessment scale for university service quality and examine the UniQual assessment model of higher education during the pandemic. This study applied a mixed-method design to develop and validate the scale of the university service quality (UniQual). Study 1 identified the initial items and dimensions of UniQual through in-depth interviews and literature review. In Study 2, item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to facilitate item refinement, scale refinement, purification, and validation. Finally, a confirmed UniQual was analyzed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with the use of Smart-PLS 3.0. The research confirms UniQual to be a valid and reliable scale for the assessment of the service quality of universities. Having adopted the bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrap technique to study 5,000 subsamples, we found “Responsiveness” and “Empathy” to be significantly associated and have positive relationships with the students’ satisfaction with university service quality. Besides that, “Health & Safety” concerns play a mediating role between university service quality and satisfaction. The newly developed UniQual scale would be of value to the educators and authorities of higher education to assess the service quality of their universities for the enhancement of the effectiveness of student learning. The improvement in the satisfaction with higher education’s service quality ultimately helps in retaining both international students and local students during the pandemic. This scale of UniQual provides a clear conceptual model and validates the assessment tool. Research hypotheses confirm the relationships’ association with university service quality and satisfaction from the perspectives of international students.

With the globalisation of the higher education industry, service quality in the higher education services is seen as a vital factor in determining a university’s competitive advantage. This study posits that higher education sector has unique characteristics that differ from retailing industries and therefore requires a customised approach towards service quality measurement. Existing measures of service quality in higher education have largely concentrated on the use of generic models such as SERVQUAL and SERVPERF in assessing students’ perception. However, these measures are found to be inadequate to capture the complexity of service perception in higher education service offering. This research study provides a new perspective on the conceptualisation of university service quality (USQ) by adapting Brady and Cronin’s (2001) hierarchical model in exploring the complex nature of perceived quality in a high involvement setting. This study aims to understand the nature of the USQ construct and to examine an individual’s motivation in higher education pursuit in influencing his/her USQ perception and the consequent effects in terms of satisfaction and behavioural intentions. This research study involves a two-stage design, which consists of qualitative and quantitative studies. The first stage consists of phenomenological interviews to gain in-depth insights into service quality experiences in the higher education institutions. The second stage which is a questionnaire survey, was then carried out to empirically verify the proposed hierarchical construct for higher education service quality and to examine the proposed antecedents and consequences model. A total of 1988 students from 9 participating universities in Malaysia responded to the questionnaire survey, and the data gathered was analysed using descriptive statistics, confirmatory data analysis and structural equation modeling. From the collective findings from Stage 1 and Stage 2 of this study, it was confirmed that the construct of service quality perception in higher education is multidimensional in nature, based on a fourth-order model which anchored upon ‘Academic Services Quality’, ‘Administrative Services Quality’ and ‘General Services Quality’ as the primary dimensions. Secondary dimensions are ‘Interaction Quality’, ‘Physical Environment Quality’ and ‘Outcome Quality’ with corresponding sub-dimensions attached to the respective dimensions. The effect of academic valence (in the form of students’ feelings towards their academic results) upon USQ perception is found to be an important influencing factor in service evaluation which requires careful attention in quality management. Further examination of the nature of USQ construct with the phenomenological findings revealed that students’ expectations are influenced by students’ sense of self which varied according to the different service they were engaged in. Their sense of self in this regard shapes their service expectations and hence, their perception of service quality. It is also established in this study that USQ perception is subject to individual characteristics such as their degree of self-determination in higher education pursuit and learning style. This study found that those who are more self-determined in the higher education participation tend to have a more favourable USQ perception, which then leads to a greater level of satisfaction and student loyalty. It was also found that the degree of the motivational effect upon USQ evaluation is moderated by the students’ learning styles. On the basis of the research findings, this study suggests that the complexity of the USQ construct as well as the effect of motivational differences and learning style upon USQ evaluation should be taken into account when considering how students’ USQ perception is formed. These pertinent issues deserve considerable attention as they have a bearing upon important outcomes such as student satisfaction and behavioural intentions. The complex nature of USQ evaluation calls for a holistic approach in managing service standards in academic services, administrative services and general services. Additionally, the understanding of the nature of students’ USQ perception and expectations can assist universities towards developing more effective quality management strategies in order to provide a meaningful USQ experience for the students.

PurposeThis study aims to develop an assessment scale for university service quality (university SQ) and examine University Service Quality assessment model (UNIQUAL) of higher education during the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachTwo studies applied a mixed-method design to develop and validate the UNIQUAL scale. In-depth interviews and literature reviews were conducted to refine the initial dimensions and items of UNIQUAL in Study 1. Item analysis, EFA and CFA were then conducted to purify item refinement, scale refinement, purification and validation in Study 2. Finally, a confirmed UNIQUAL model was analyzed via partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using Smart-PLS 4.0.FindingsThe research confirms the four-factor structure of UNIQUAL, with a total of 16 items, to be a valid and reliable scale for the assessment of the service quality (SQ) of universities. Having adopted the bias-corrected and accelerated (BCa) bootstrap approach to study 5,000 subsamples from 27 countries, the authors found “responsiveness” and “empathy” to be significantly associated and have positive relationships with students' satisfaction with university SQ. Furthermore, university SQ and satisfaction were mediated by “health and safety” concerns.Practical implicationsThe newly developed UNIQUAL scale would be of value to educators and authorities of higher education to assess the SQ of their universities to enhance the effectiveness of student learning. The improvement in satisfaction with higher education's SQ ultimately helps in retaining both international and local students amidst concerns about traveling and studying during the pandemic.Social implicationsCOVID-19 has affected the private and public sectors worldwide. Millions of students have been affected by schools being shut down and substituted with distance-learning programs. Thus, the assessment of the quality of university services has become an important support mechanism for retaining the sustainability of higher education.Originality/valueThe UNIQUAL scale provides a conceptual model and validates an assessment tool. The research hypotheses confirm the relationship between university SQ and satisfaction from the perspective of international students.

The study examined the role of strategic orientation on the quality of educational services in Yemeni private universities. The study used a descriptive-analytical approach and a questionnaire as a tool to collect information from the study sample, which comprised (297) academic and administrative leaders at private universities in Sana'a.The results demonstrated a role for strategic orientation, with its dimensions (university vision, university mission, university objectives, and university organizational values), in the quality of educational services in Yemeni private universities. It also demonstrated that the best model for measuring the impact of the dimensions of strategic orientation on the quality of educational services in Yemeni private universities is the model that includes the dimensions (university vision, university objectives, and university organizational values).

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the complex nature of perceived quality by employing a phenomenological study to understand the meaning of University Service Quality (USQ) as experienced by the business undergraduate students. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs a phenomenological study to understand the meaning of USQ from the undergraduate students’ perspective. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 business undergraduates from public universities, local private universities and a foreign branch campus in Malaysia. Data gathered were analysed using the procedure suggested by Colaizzi (1978) for descriptive phenomenological analysis. Findings – From the qualitative data, the essential structure of the USQ experience was constructed based on five major themes which are “USQ as a luxury”, “USQ as citizenship rights”, “USQ as nurturing apprentices”, “USQ as administrative relief” and “USQ as utility consumption”. The findings suggest that students’ service quality experiences could be understood as a multi-faceted phenomenon with students expressing context-dependent service expectations and outcomes. Practical implications – The outcome of the paper highlights the nature of students’ expectations which may vary according to service contexts, and their perception of self. Therefore, an integrated effort in various service domains is necessary to enhance service quality experience in higher education. Originality/value – Although previously explored by Dabholkar et al. (1996) in the retail services, the phenomenological-based methodology is rather uncommon in the service quality inquiry, particularly in the higher education context. The insights gathered from the phenomenological study provided access to understanding some persistent issues in USQ such as standards of expectations and perceived role by students in the higher education.

The purpose of this study was to link the quality of university education services perceived by university students in China with trust and to suggest a way to inspire positive behavioral intentions among university students in China. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, based on domestic and foreign literature and previous studies, the theoretical basis regarding university students in China, university education service quality, trust, and positive behavioral intentions was prepared. Based on this, a research model and research hypothesis were set up and verified through empirical analysis. The results of the empirical analysis are as follows: The educational content, educational environment, and teaching ability of the university education service quality were found to have a significant positive effect on trust, so Hypotheses 1, 2, and 3 were accepted. In addition, Hypothesis 4 was also accepted because it was found that trust had a significant positive effect on positive behavioral intention. The implications of the empirical analysis of this study are as follows: First, in order for universities in China to attract students, they should not have a tendency to be biased towards certain factors of university education service quality, and continuous efforts should be made to build trust through various factors of university education service quality. Second, to raise the trust of students, universities should actively seek ways to inspire the trust of students in various aspects by developing programs that can enhance the quality of educational services, such as improving the educational environment, teaching skills, and educational content. Third, enhancing trust in the university through the quality of educational services provided to current students can generate behavioral intentions among them. Therefore, the university should develop strategies to consistently maintain the reliability of its educational service quality.

This article investigated the relationship between Organizational Culture and Service Quality in universities in Kenya. Dimensions of Organizational Culture that were addressed were Consistency, Involvement, Mission and Adaptability which were measured using Denison’s Organizational Culture Survey. Service Quality dimensions measured were Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Empathy and Responsiveness using SERVQUAL. The study used survey research design which was quantitative in nature. Sample size comprised of 225 teaching staff in the business program in four chartered universities in Kenya. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. To measure the causal relationship, regression and correlation analyses were conducted. The study findings showed that there was a significant, positive relationship (r=0.727, p-value=0.000) between Organizational Culture and Service Quality in universities in Kenya. Organizational Culture had a significant influence (r2=0.529, p-value=0.000) on Service Quality in universities in Kenya. The study recommended that the university leadership needs to streamline the working within departments, increase training of necessary skills, improve on communication, conduct regular consultation with employees and encourage employee involvement in planning process.

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how graduates’ perceptions of self-service technology and perceived job performance can be used to assess university service quality. Also, this study examines the mediating role of perceived job performance on the effect of university service quality on graduates’ satisfaction and loyalty.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative methodology was adopted where university graduates’ perceptions of self-service technology and job performance were used to assess the level of the university’s service quality. Through a cross-sectional survey, data were collected from 280 university graduates employed in Chinhoyi town, Zimbabwe, during the period between August and December 2021.FindingsThis study’s findings indicate that self-service technology influences university service quality which in turn impacts on graduates’ perceived job performance, satisfaction and loyalty. Graduates' perceived job performance was also found to partially mediate the effect of university service quality on satisfaction and loyalty among graduates.Research limitations/implicationsThis study’s results are instrumental to enable university’s management in developing economies to adopt and improve self-service technologies as this enhances university service quality and graduates’ perceived job performance, satisfaction and loyalty.Originality/valueThis paper provides new insights, that is, the incorporation of graduates’ perceptions of self-service technology and job performance in assessing the university’s service quality. This research further clarifies the function of graduates’ perceived job performance in mediating the effect of university service quality on graduate satisfaction and loyalty. This study further adds to our understanding of tools, criteria and methods for assuring university service quality.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to a wide range of human activities, with academic commitment at universities being one of the most important. By the end of COVID-19, everyone will recognise that universities cannot be held responsible for the adoption of online studies. However, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to investigate the relationship between "University Service Quality" and "Student Loyalty" in order to better comprehend the impact of online learning adoption. Studying the Influence of university service quality on student loyalty to online learning adoption in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, on the other hand, will lead to greater understanding of how students' commitment to online learning is linked to how satisfied they are with their university's services in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, a focus group experiment was conducted with university students to determine their level of loyalty towards their universities based on their online studies instead of face-to-face. According to the findings, students believe they should be compensated in some way because they paid for face-to-face instruction while receiving online instruction. The universities should not charge the same amount for online learning as it does for face-to-face study. Consequently, they lost a lot of faith in the university, and their loyalty to the university dropped drastically.

With the rapid development of computer communication technology, the level of archives information services in colleges and universities continues to improve. More and more universities have created archives management halls to promote digital archives services in depth. As an important part of information resources, the development and use of archive information resources have also attracted the attention of all walks of life. University archives are the pioneers in the development of archives in my country, and their computerization level will directly affect the development and utilization of information resources in my country’s archives. This article aims to analyze the management of online education archives in colleges and universities under the background of big data, analyze the management of online education archives in colleges and universities, and explore the management of archives under the background of online education in colleges and universities. Use the university network archives construction evaluation model calculation and investigation research method to study the current situation and mode of university network education archives management, and provide reference value for the rational connection of various tasks of university network education archives management under the background of big data. The experimental results of this article show that 55% of college students believe that the current college archives need to be combined with the requirements of the development of the times, and it is necessary to innovate the archive management methods of colleges and universities to improve the quality of archive management services in universities and ensure the real-time storage of network information and maximize the development of archive information the value of.

It is impossible to understate the use of Information Communication and Technologies (ICTs) resources and the challenges they present in university libraries in underdeveloped countries like Tanzania. Thus, this study investigated the quality of library services in Tanzanian universities, focusing on ICT facilities and removing adoption hurdles. The ServQual framework forms the theoretical basis for evaluating how ICT-related library services contribute to user satisfaction in Tanzanian university libraries. This study was guided by two specific objectives: (1) to determine the barriers to ICT technology adoption in Tanzanian university libraries, and (2) to evaluate the availability of ICT facilities for improving library service offering. The study employed the cross-sectional research design, the quantitative and qualitative research approach, and the pragmatic philosophical framework. A systematic questionnaire and interview were used to gather the data, and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for both descriptive and content analysis of the qualitative data. The findings indicated that despite the presence of computers, projectors, photocopiers, and internet connectivity, the quality of these fundamental ICT resources was inconsistent. Although a sizable percentage of respondents said that internet facilities were sufficient, there were several substantial obstacles to using ICT. These difficulties included subpar computer systems, erratic power supplies, inadequate ICT infrastructure, and student abuse of ICT resources. These challenges have a detrimental effect on patron satisfaction and severely impair the caliber of library services. The study comes to the conclusion that although certain ICT facilities are there, their efficient usage is restricted by deficiencies in infrastructure, resource sufficiency, and management. Resolving these issues is essential to enhancing customer happiness and library service delivery. Enhancing computer facilities, enhancing internet connectivity, guaranteeing a steady power supply, offering staff training, boosting management support for ICT efforts, and putting procedures in place that stop ICT resource exploitation are some of the recommendations made by the study.

With the globalisation of the higher education industry, service quality in the higher education services is seen as a vital factor in determining a university's competitive advantage. The purpose of this study is to extend current conceptualisation of quality research in higher education by investigating the influence of self-determination and outcome valence in the form of students' feelings towards their academic result, on university service quality (USQ) evaluation. The results highlighted that students who feel good about their academic results are more self-determined and perceive a more favourable USQ experience than others. On the basis of the research findings, this study suggests that the effect of motivational differences and academic outcome valence on USQ evaluation should be taken into account when considering how students' USQ perception is formed. These pertinent issues deserve considerable attention as they have a bearing on important outcomes such as student satisfaction and staff performance appraisal.

هدفت الدراسة إلى الكشف عن أثر الإدارة الإلكترونية في جودة الخدمات في الجامعات اليمنية الأهلية، ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة تم استخدام المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، وتكونت عينة الدراسة من (170) فردًا، تم اختيارهم بالطريقة العشوائية الطبقية من القيادات الأكاديمية والإدارية في ست جامعات اليمنية أهلية (العلوم والتكنولوجيا، الأندلس، سبأ، الوطنية، اليمنية، الملكة أروى). وتمثلت أداة الدراسة في الاستبانة. ومن أبرز النتائج التي توصلت إليها الدراسة أن مستوى تطبيق الإدارة الإلكترونية في الجامعات اليمنية الأهلية كان بدرجة (عالية)، وكذلك أيضًا كان مستوى جودة الخدمات بدرجة (عالية)، كما أظهرت النتائج وجود تأثير إيجابي للإدارة الإلكترونية في جودة الخدمات بالجامعات اليمنية الأهلية. الكلمات المفتاحية: الإدارة الإلكترونية، جودة الخدمات، الجامعات اليمنية الأهلية. The Impact of Electronic Management on Service Quality A Field Study in Private Yemeni Universities Abstract The study aimed to reveal the impact of electronic management on the quality of services in private Yemeni universities. To achieve the study's objectives, the descriptive analytical approach was used. The study sample consisted of (170) individuals, randomly selected from the academic and administrative leaders in six private Yemeni universities (University of Science and Technology, Al-Andalus University, Saba University, National University, Yemeni University, and Queen Arwa University). The study tool was a questionnaire. The most prominent results of the study showed that the level of application of electronic management in private Yemeni universities was (high), and the level of service quality was also (high). The results also showed a positive impact of electronic management on the quality of services in private Yemeni universities. In addition. Keywords: Electronic management, service quality, private Yemeni universities.

Little is known about how students perceive the quality of service provided by Ghanaian tertiary institutions and how this perception influences their enrolment choices. Using the Higher Education Quality (HiEdQUAL) model for service quality measurement, this study examined service quality across five key dimensions; teaching and course content, administrative services, academic facilities, campus infrastructure, and support services in Ghanaian private and public universities. A structured questionnaire based on HiEdQUAL model consisting of 27 items with five dimensions, measured on a five-point Likert-Scale was used to gather data. Out of the initial 2,266 sampled respondents surveyed from private and public universities, a total of 1,758 correctly completed questionnaires were returned. This gave a high response rate of 76.43%. The paired t-test results that examined the equality of means between students’ perceptions of service quality at private and public universities across five dimensions, helped to determine the presence of statistically significant differences in some areas. The results suggested that public universities may be making better use of their resources or benefitting from their large numbers of enrollment and state financial support. Given that the quality of service provided by both private and public universities in Ghana falls short of students’ expectations, the paper provides administrators with practical insights to improve service quality in Ghanaian universities and suggests the need for continuous quality improvement in institutions of higher learning in Ghana. Keywords: HiEdQUAL, Service Quality, Higher Education, Public Universities, Private Universities.

O setor de prestação de serviços está fortemente presente no dia a dia dos usuários, tendo uma significativa participação na economia do país. As universidades possuem papel fundamental para o desenvolvimento socioeconômico, já que são responsáveis pela formação de novos profissionais e, por isso, necessitam ter qualidade em relação aos serviços prestados pelos envolvidos (docentes, técnicos e gestores), e entender a percepção da qualidade dos serviços por parte dos clientes (discentes). Dessa forma, o trabalho objetivou avaliar a qualidade dos serviços prestados pelo campus de uma universidade pública, a partir do nível de satisfação dos clientes, em relação aos momentos verdade identificados. O estudo apresentado tem uma abordagem qualitativa, utilizando como método de pesquisa o estudo de caso. Após a análise dos resultados, identificou-se que a maioria das insatisfações dos alunos está relacionada aos bens facilitadores de serviços, como disponibilidade de livros e internet. A pesquisa proporcionou conhecimento sobre as causas das insatisfações dos alunos e oportunidades de melhoria, para garantir a qualidade dos serviços prestados. Também contribuiu para preencher uma lacuna da literatura sobre o uso dos momentos verdade na avaliação da qualidade dos serviços em universidades.