Perinatal staff perceptions of safety and quality in their service.

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Sinni, Suzanne V; Wallace, Euan M; Cross, Wendy M

2014-11-28

Ensuring safe and appropriate service delivery is central to a high quality maternity service. With this in mind, over recent years much attention has been given to the development of evidence-based clinical guidelines, staff education and risk reporting systems. Less attention has been given to assessing staff perceptions of a service's safety and quality and what factors may influence that. In this study we set out to assess staff perceptions of safety and quality of a maternity service and to explore potential influences on service safety. The study was undertaken within a new low risk metropolitan maternity service in Victoria, Australia with a staffing profile comprising midwives (including students), neonatal nurses, specialist obstetricians, junior medical staff and clerical staff. In depth open-ended interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire were conducted with 23 staff involved in the delivery of perinatal care, including doctors, midwives, nurses, nursing and midwifery students, and clerical staff. Data were analyzed using naturalistic interpretive inquiry to identify emergent themes. Staff unanimously reported that there were robust systems and processes in place to maintain safety and quality. Three major themes were apparent: (1) clinical governance, (2) dominance of midwives, (3) inter-professional relationships. Overall, there was a strong sense that, at least in this midwifery-led service, midwives had the greatest opportunity to be an influence, both positively and negatively, on the safe delivery of perinatal care. The importance of understanding team dynamics, particularly mutual respect, trust and staff cohesion, were identified as key issues for potential future service improvement. Senior staff, particularly midwives and neonatal nurses, play central roles in shaping team behaviors and attitudes that may affect the safety and quality of service delivery. We suggest that strategies targeting senior staff to enhance their performance in

Business Students' Perception of University Library Service Quality and Satisfaction

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Hsu, Maxwell K.; Cummings, Richard G.; Wang, Stephen W.

2014-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to examine the college students' perception of library services, and to what extent the quality of library services influences students' satisfaction. The findings depict the relationship between academic libraries and their users in today's digital world and identify critical factors that may sustain a viable…

Service Quality and Consumer Perception on Retail Banking Facilities and Employees' Courtesy in Malaysia and New Zealand

OpenAIRE

Moha Asri Abdullah; Noor Hazilah Abd Manaf; Kamru Ahsan; Ferdous Azam

2014-01-01

Service quality and consumer perception are the issues being focused solicitously by the business community today. With the expansion of the banking sector and extensive market formation, scopes of different acuity and satisfaction level for consumers seem to impose a mingle game of their perception on service quality especially in retail banking. However, this study is focused on the service quality and consumer perception on retail banking facilities and employees' courtesy in Malaysia and ...

SERVICE QUALITY IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE

OpenAIRE

Prabha Ramseook-Munhurrun; Soolakshna D. Lukea-Bhiwajee; Perunjodi Naidoo

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to obtain a better understanding of the extent to which service quality is delivered within the Mauritian public service by drawing on front-line employees (FLE) and customer perceptions of service quality. The paper investigates how closely customer expectations of service and FLE perceptions of customer expectations match. SERVQUAL is used to measure service quality amongst FLE and customers in a major public sector department in Mauritius. The survey captures c...

Comparing perceptions of service quality in Brazil and UK

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Isabel B. Cervachiaro

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates whether the SERVPERF model developed by Cronin and Taylor (1992 can be applied in the same industry (retail banks in two different countries Brazil and UK. We find differences between the countries in the perception of the service provided by retail banks. We also find differences between the countries in the relationship between the service provided and (i the overall perception of service quality, (ii customer satisfaction and (iii future purchase intentions. Factor analysis of the data identified different dimensional structures for Brazilian and British samples. The Brazilian sample presents almost the same structure of Parasuraman et alii (1988 SERVQUAL. The UK sample presented a different three-factor dimensional structure which shows that the dimensional structure does not travel well into other cultures. Also, as this study stands, the differences found between the two samples cannot yet be attributed to cultural differences between UK and Brazil. These differences may be related to the service provided by the banks.

MEASURING SERVICE QUALITY PERCEPTIONS OF THE CUSTOMERS OF RESTAURANTS IN PAKISTAN

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Shahab Alam Malik

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This study aims to descriptively analyze different service quality attributes and ranking of services in renowned and successful restaurants. A sample of 407 customers of 10 reputed restaurants was gathered, operating in vicinity of twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi of Pakistan, using abilingual survey instrument to measure service quality perceptions of customers.Five service quality attributes of restaurant staff, tips, tangibles, convenience, and food quality were used and their relationship with overall satisfaction was measured. Besides, key reasons to visit a restaurant were also inquired. Majority of the participants was comprised of private sector employees and students. Results of current study will be beneficial for the restaurants' managers in knowing customers evaluations and formulating future strategies accordingly.

Quality of customer service: perceptions from guests in all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica

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Joel L. Frater

2007-01-01

With data collected from guests in all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica, West Indies, the purposes of this study were to: (1) delineate unique dimensions of customer service perceptions among guests and (2) report the finding of a study that measured guests' perceptions of the quality of customer service in all-inclusive resorts. The study asked the following research...

Can nurse innovation improve customer perception of service quality and experience?

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Weng, Rhay-Hung; Chen, Wan-Ping; Huang, Ching-Yuan; Hung, Chiu-Hsia; Hsu, Ching-Tai

2016-07-01

This study aimed to clarify how nurse innovation is related to customer perception of medical service quality and experience. Recently, many hospitals have put much emphasis upon the development of nurse innovation. A cross-sectional study was employed. This study adopted questionnaire survey method with nurses and customers of the inpatient wards from three Taiwanese hospitals as the research subjects. After pairing, there were 294 valid questionnaires. Hierarchical regression analysis was utilised to test the possible impact of nurse innovation on medical service quality and experience. In terms of the dimensions of nurse innovation, 'innovation behaviour' ranked the highest (3·24), followed by knowledge creation and innovation diffusion; in terms of the degree of the medical service quality, 'reliability' ranked the highest (4·35). As for the degree of the medical service experience, 'feel experience' ranked the highest (4·44). All dimensions of nurse innovation have no significant effects on medical service quality and experience. Of these three dimensions of nurse innovation, the level of innovation behaviour was perceived by the nurses as the highest. The study found that nurse innovation has no significant effects on customer perception of service quality and experience. Hospitals shall provide sufficient resources and budget for fostering innovation development and encourage their nurses to develop nursing innovation for patents. The education and training courses on 'patient-centred' shall be enhanced among hospital nurses. Healthcare managers shall also explore the difficulties about innovation diffusion and find the solutions for nurses. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

International Students' Perceptions of Service Quality in the UK Banking Sector: An Exploratory Study

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Bond, Christopher; Hsu, Marc Ting-Chun

2011-01-01

This study reviews and evaluates international students' perceptions of UK banks. The specific research objectives were to identify international students' expectations and perceptions of service quality from UK banks and to assess the quality GAP or dissonance between these. A total of 297 international students studying in the UK responded to…

Student Perceptions of Service Quality in a Multi-Campus Higher Education System in Spain

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Gallifa, Josep; Batalle, Pere

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present an in-depth case study with student perceptions of service quality, discussing the relevance of these perceptions for the important issue of quality improvement in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents institutional research carried out in a multi-campus system in Spain made up of…

Measuring patient's expectation and the perception of quality in LASIK services

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Bair Alex

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background LASIK is the use of excimer lasers to treat therapeutic and refractive visual disorders, ranging from superficial scars to nearsightedness (myopia, and from astigmatism to farsightedness (hyperopia. The purposes of this study are to checking the applicability and psychometric properties of the SERVQUAL on Lasik surgery population. Second, use SEM methods to investigate the loyalty, perceptions and expectations relationship on LASIK surgery. Methods The method with which this study was conducted was questionnaire development. A total of 463 consecutive patients, attending LASIK surgery affiliated with Chung Shan Medical University Eye Center, enrolled in this study. All participants were asked to complete revised SERVQUAL questionnaires. Student t test, correlation test, and ANOVA and factor analyses were used to identify the characters and factors of service quality. Paired t test were used to test the gap between expectation and perception scores and structural equation modeling was used to examine relationships among satisfaction components. Results The effective response rate was 97.3%. Validity was verified by several methods and internal reliability Cronbach's alpha was > 0.958. The results from patient's scores were very high with an overall score of 6.41(0.66, expectations at 6.68(0.47, and perceptions at 6.51(0.57. The gap between expectations and perceptions was significant, however, (t = 6.08. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the expectation scores among the different jobs. Also, the results showed that the higher the education of the patient, the lower their perception score (r = -0.10. The factor loading results of factor analysis showed 5 factors of the 22 items of the SERVQUAL model. The 5 factors of perception explained 72.94% of the total variance there; and on expectations it explained 77.12% of the total variance of satisfaction scores. The goodness-of-fit summary, of structure equation

Measuring patient's expectation and the perception of quality in LASIK services.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Deng-Juin; Sheu, Ing-Cheau; Pai, Jar-Yuan; Bair, Alex; Hung, Che-Yu; Yeh, Yuan-Hung; Chou, Ming-Jen

2009-07-10

LASIK is the use of excimer lasers to treat therapeutic and refractive visual disorders, ranging from superficial scars to nearsightedness (myopia), and from astigmatism to farsightedness (hyperopia). The purposes of this study are to checking the applicability and psychometric properties of the SERVQUAL on Lasik surgery population. Second, use SEM methods to investigate the loyalty, perceptions and expectations relationship on LASIK surgery. The method with which this study was conducted was questionnaire development. A total of 463 consecutive patients, attending LASIK surgery affiliated with Chung Shan Medical University Eye Center, enrolled in this study. All participants were asked to complete revised SERVQUAL questionnaires. Student t test, correlation test, and ANOVA and factor analyses were used to identify the characters and factors of service quality. Paired t test were used to test the gap between expectation and perception scores and structural equation modeling was used to examine relationships among satisfaction components. The effective response rate was 97.3%. Validity was verified by several methods and internal reliability Cronbach's alpha was > 0.958. The results from patient's scores were very high with an overall score of 6.41(0.66), expectations at 6.68(0.47), and perceptions at 6.51(0.57). The gap between expectations and perceptions was significant, however, (t = 6.08). Furthermore, there were significant differences in the expectation scores among the different jobs. Also, the results showed that the higher the education of the patient, the lower their perception score (r = -0.10). The factor loading results of factor analysis showed 5 factors of the 22 items of the SERVQUAL model. The 5 factors of perception explained 72.94% of the total variance there; and on expectations it explained 77.12% of the total variance of satisfaction scores.The goodness-of-fit summary, of structure equation modeling, showed trends in concept on expectations

The Impact of Product Quality, Service Quality, and Customer Loyalty Program perception on Retail Customer Attitude

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Ricko Achmadi Putra

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This journal examines the relationship between perception of product quality, perception of service quality, perception of Customer Loyalty Program on retail customer behavior, and sales volumes of cement products. This study examines three different cement brands, namely cement XYZ with the largest market share, cement PQR which is the main competitor, as well as cement ABC, a newcomer cement brand which is strong enough to enter the Indonesian cement market. The research is focused on the building material retailers with 100 respondents. The data collection will be done by survey through direct interview by using questionnaires. The analysis of this research uses descriptive analysis, analysis by ANOVA and also inferential analysis by using Structural Equation Model (SEM. The results of this study indicate that from the factors that influence the attitudes of retail customers of the three variables tested, only one dominant factor which influences the attitude of retail customers, which is the perception of the product quality. The results of this research also show that the perception of product quality also affects sale volume significantly, the greater the perception of the quality of cement products, the greater the volume of sales generated by the retail customer.

Linking employee perceptions of collective efficacy in self-managing service teams with customer-perceived service quality : a psychometric assessment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jong, de A.; Wetzels, M.G.M.; Ruyter, de J.C.

2008-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the linkage between self-managing team (SMT) member perceptions of collective efficacy and customer-perceived service quality, and the most cost-efficient way to reliably assess collective efficacy and customer-perceived service quality, using

Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers on Student Burnout, Occupational Anxiety and Faculty Life Quality

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Türkoglu, Muhammet Emin; Cansoy, Ramazan

2017-01-01

Perceptions of pre-service teachers on burnout, occupational anxiety and faculty life quality were investigated in this research. The research group consisted of 461 pre-service teachers in total studying at Afyon Kocatepe University faculty of education. "Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Form," "Faculty Life Quality Scale"…

Structural relationships between work environment and service quality perceptions as a function of customer contact intensity: implications for human service strategy.

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Scotti, Dennis J; Harmon, Joel; Behson, Scott J

2009-01-01

This study assesses the importance of customer-contact intensity at the service encounter level as a determinant of service quality assessments. Using data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, it shows that performance-driven human resources practices play an important role as determinants of employee customer orientation and service capability in both high-contact (outpatient healthcare) and low-contact (benefits claim processing) human service contexts. However, there existed significant differences across service delivery settings in the salience of customer orientation and the congruence between employee and customer perceptions of service quality, depending on the intensity of customer contact. In both contexts, managerial attention to high-performance work systems and customer-orientation has the potential to favorably impact perceptions of service quality, amplify consumer satisfaction, and enhance operational efficiency.

Factors Affecting Customers’ Satisfaction and Perception: Case Study of Islamic Banks’Service Quality

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Yayah Cheriyah

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to investigate the perception and expectation of the Islamic bank customers on the banks’ service quality, and how these factors affect their satisfaction and their intention to buy and to use the Islamic banks products and services.This finding implies that the Islamic banks should have pay more attention to their service quality since it would have a positif influence on customer satisfaction and purchase intention.

Patients’ perception of quality service delivery of public hospitals in Nigeria using analytical hierarchy process

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Emmanuel Olateju Oyatoye

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Patients are recently more aware and conscious. This is because of the belief that a high level of quality can translate into patient satisfaction. This is critical for healthcare providers as they deal with life. This recognition by both the service provider and service receivers made the government to establish units of service commission (SERVICOM in each of the governmental agencies including hospitals in Nigeria to monitor the level of quality of service delivery. However, to what extent do patients’ perceptions about health services seem to have been largely recognized remain unclear by health care providers, despite the (SERVICOM units in public institutions in Nigeria? Method: A cross-sectional analytical study using convenient sample method, based on the fact that not every patient of the selected hospitals can be chosen, was performed on 400 patients who received health services at four different public hospitals in Ogun state Nigeria. The selection of these hospitals was based on the zones in the state (Egba, Ijebu, Remo and Yewa area of Ogun-state. The instrument was a valid and reliable analytical hierarchy process based questionnaire containing five service quality dimensions. Data were analyzed using SPSS, Expert choice and Microsoft Excel software to determine the perception of patients towards service quality delivery in pairwise comparison of judgment consistent at less than 10%. Results:The results showed the composite priorities of the patients’ perception with respect to determinants of the patients’ perception towards quality of services delivered in the public hospitals in Nigeria. The most important factor to patients was the reliability dimension with composite priority 0.24 or 24% followed by the responsiveness dimension with 0.22 assurance dimension 0.21, tangibility dimension with 0.21, and the least determinant factor was the empathy dimension with 0.1101. Conclusion: Based on the results, the

Patient's perceptions about the service quality of public hospitals located at District Kohat.

Science.gov (United States)

Aman, Bakhtiar; Abbas, Faisal

2016-01-01

To determine patients' perception regarding service and quality of healthcare at public-sector institutions. The descriptive quantitative study was conducted in Kohat district, Pakistan, between July and December 2014, and focussed on 30 variables to assess the participants' perceptions of the actual healthcare service quality delivered. SERVQUAL instrument was used to measure the reliability and cronbach alpha was calculated to measure the reliability and validity of the instrument. A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed and 157(78.5%) were received back fully filled. Of them, 105(67%) were men and 52(33%) were women.The mean value of Assurance parameter was 3.05±0.88, indicating trust in public hospitals was high as they had experienced and capable doctors. On the other hand, the lowest mean value of 2.61±0.84 was for Empathy, highlighting the fact that public hospitals lacked the ability to handle patients' problem properly, services were not offered in time and they were short of staff. Public hospitals were largely seen as failing to deliver quality service.

Perceptions of International Students on Service Quality Delivery in a Malaysian Public University

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Njie, Baboucarr; Asimiran, Soaib; Baki, Roselan

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of international students of service quality delivery (SQD) in a Malaysian public university. Design/methodology/approach: The study was limited to the University's immediate physical environment and its associated human and systems-based services. The physical environment in this…

A multi-ethnic comparison of perceptions of forest recreation service quality

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Chieh-Lu Li; James D. Absher; Harry C. Zinn; Alan R. Graefe; Garry E. Chick

2010-01-01

This study examines perceptions of service quality on an ethnically diverse national forest adjacent to a large metropolitan area, specifically looking for differences among whites, Hispanics, and Asians. Published studies of recreation and ethnicity have focused primarily on activity participation rates and patterns. The literature contains few cross–cultural...

Study on e-government services quality: The integration of online and offline services

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Jing Fan

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: E-Government, as a new bond linking the government and the public, has gradually become the focus of innovation in government services. The paper focuses on the e-Government service quality issues from the perspective of users. Design/methodology/approach: From the aspects of online service quality perception and offline service quality perception, based on IS Success model and SERQUAL model, e-Government Services Quality model has been set up with information quality, system quality and service quality as key factors. Then, the survey method was applied to collect data and then to test the model. Findings: It was found that users’ perception of offline service quality has a significant effect on improving their perception of online service quality, and online service quality perception has a significant effect on public satisfaction of e-Government services; information clarity, system security and stability, interactive services and “one-stop” services all have a significant effect on public satisfaction of e-Government services. However, offline service quality perception has certain positive effect on public satisfaction of e-Government services but not dramatically. Research limitations/implications: Mobile e-Government as an important direction of the development of e-Government, in the future, we will study more about mobile e-Government services channels. Originality/value: This study further develops the theory of information system service quality, and also provides a theoretical reference for government departments. On the one hand, based on the characteristics of e-government system, information quality, system quality and service quality in the previous system service model are further discussed; on the other hand, both online and offline services are taken into consideration in the information system service model, thus establishing the e-government services quality model and making an in-depth study of the

Development of a questionnaire to measure consumers' perceptions of service quality in Australian community pharmacies.

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Mirzaei, Ardalan; Carter, Stephen R; Chen, Jenny Yimin; Rittsteuer, Claudia; Schneider, Carl R

2018-06-11

Recent changes within community pharmacy have seen a shift towards some pharmacies providing "value-added" services. However, providing high levels of service is resource intensive yet revenues from dispensing are declining. Of significance therefore, is how consumers perceive service quality (SQ). However, at present there are no validated and reliable instruments to measure consumers' perceptions of SQ in Australian community pharmacies. The aim of this study was to build a theory-grounded model of service quality (SQ) in community pharmacies and to create a valid survey instrument to measure consumers' perceptions of service quality. Stage 1 dealt with item generation using theory, prior research and qualitative interviews with pharmacy consumers. Selected items were then subjected to content validity and face validity. Stages 2 and 3 included psychometric testing among English-speaking adult consumers of Australian pharmacies. Exploratory factor analysis was used for item reduction and to explain the domains of SQ. In stage 1, item generation for SQ initially generated 113 items which were then refined, through content and face validity, down to 61 items. In stage 2, after subjecting the questionnaire to psychometric testing on the data from the first pharmacy (n = 374), the use of the primary dimensions of SQ was abandoned leaving 32 items representing 5 domains of SQ. In stage 3, the questionnaire was subject to further testing and item reduction in 3 other pharmacies (n = 320). SQ was best described using 23 items representing 6 domains: 'health and medicines advice', 'relationship quality', 'technical quality', 'environmental quality', 'non-prescription service', and 'health outcomes'. This research presents a theoretically-grounded and robust measurement scale developed for consumer perceptions of SQ in a community pharmacy. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Stakeholder Perception of Service Quality in Qatar Higher Education Institutions: An Application to Qatar University

OpenAIRE

Shurair, Amal S.

2017-01-01

Managing quality of services offered by institutions of higher education is important in any country due to the inherent aim of producing quality graduates from programs offered in the university. Qatar has made substantial investments in higher education. Qatar University, being the national university of the country, the perception of stakeholders on the service quality in education becomes an important factor for developing a quality education system. Therefore, the main goal of this thesi...

Patients' perceptions of service quality dimensions: an empirical examination of health care in New Zealand.

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Clemes, M D; Ozanne, L K; Laurensen, W L

2001-01-01

The 1984 liberalization of the New Zealand economy has resulted in a health care sector that has become very competitive (Zwier and Clarke, 1999). The private sector is now able to supply health care services and, as a result, a greater value is being placed on patient satisfaction (Zwier and Clarke, 1999). However, despite the increasing focus on customer satisfaction, research into health care patients' perceptions of the dimensions of service quality is scarce. This can be problematic, as quality of care is an essential issue in the strategic marketing of health care services (Turner and Pol, 1995). This study takes a step towards addressing this deficiency by identifying patients' perceptions of the dimensions of service quality in health care. The findings of this study are based on the empirical analysis of a sample of 389 respondents interviewed by telephone. The findings indicate that the service quality dimensions identified in this health care specific study differ in number and dimensional structure from the widely adopted service quality dimensions first identified by Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml (1988): reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibles. The service quality dimensions identified in this study were: reliability, tangibles, assurance, empathy, food, access, outcome, admission, discharge and responsiveness. In addition, health care patients perceive the service quality dimensions relating to the core product in health care delivery (for example, outcome and reliability) as more important than the service quality dimensions relating to the peripheral product in health care delivery (for example, food, access and tangibles). Finally, the results of this study suggest that patients with different geographic, demographic, and behavioristic characteristics have different needs and wants during health care delivery and therefore perceive different service quality dimensions as important.

Factors Affecting Customer’s Perception of Service Quality: Comparing Differences among Countries - Case study: Beauty salons in Bandung and Tokyo

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Keiko Nakashima

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines a holistic study of analyzing several factors affecting service quality andtheir correlation with characteristic of customers based on value and life style. Furthermore,customer’s perception of service quality can be drawn from those relationships. Exploratoryfactor analysis and quantitative analysis is employed with case study of beauty salon serviceat Bandung and Tokyo. The results indicate how the quality of services is perceived differentlyby customers who have different value and life style, and also describe significant relationshipbetween value and life style with the affecting factors of service quality.Key words : service quality, value and life style, customer perception, beauty salon.

Quantitative comparison of measurements of urgent care service quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Hong; Prybutok, Victor; Prybutok, Gayle

2016-01-01

Service quality and patient satisfaction are essential to health care organization success. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry introduced SERVQUAL, a prominent service quality measure not yet applied to urgent care. We develop an instrument to measure perceived service quality and identify the determinants of patient satisfaction/ behavioral intentions. We examine the relationships among perceived service quality, patient satisfaction and behavioral intentions, and demonstrate that urgent care service quality is not equivalent using measures of perceptions only, differences of expectations minus perceptions, ratio of perceptions to expectations, and the log of the ratio. Perceptions provide the best measure of urgent care service quality.

Cultural values and health service quality in China.

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Polsa, Pia; Fuxiang, Wei; Sääksjärvi, Maria; Shuyuan, Pei

2013-01-01

Several service quality studies show how cultural features may influence the way service quality is perceived. However, few studies specifically describe culture's influence on health service quality. Also, there are few studies that take into account patients' health service quality perceptions. This article seeks to present a first step to fill these gaps by examining patients' cultural values and their health service quality assessments. The study draws on published work and applies its ideas to Chinese healthcare settings. Data consist of hospital service perceptions in the People's Republic of China (PRC), a society that is socially, economically and culturally undergoing major changes. In total, 96 patients were surveyed. Data relationships were tested using partial least square (PLS) analysis. Findings show that Chinese patients' cultural values and their health service assessments are related and that the cultural values themselves seem to be changing. Additionally, further analyses provided interesting results pointing to which cultural values influenced service quality perceptions. The strongest service quality predictor was power distance. The sample is relatively small and collected from only one major hospital in China. Therefore, future research should extend the sample size and scope. Follow-up research could also include cross-cultural investigations of perceived health service quality to substantiate cultural influences on health service quality perceptions. In line with similar research in other contexts, the study confirms that power distance has a significant relationship with service quality perceptions. The study contributes to existing health service literature by offering patients' views on health service quality and by describing relationships between health service perceptions and cultural values--the study's main contribution.

Tourists' perceptions of the quality of public transportation services in the Accra metropolis: a Servqual approach

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R. Y. Nutsugbodo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available All over the world, commuters (tourists are entreating public transport service providers to ensure that they provide quality service to their clienteles and not to be interested in only the financial gains. This study sought to examine tourists’ perception of the quality of public transportation services within the Accra Metropolis, Ghana using a SERVQUAL approach. The SERVQUAL scale was modified to aid in evaluating how tourists perceive public transportation services within this jurisdiction. Accidental sampling procedure was used to collect samples from 200 tourists at selected transport terminals. The study concluded that the tourists had a negative perception of public transport services within the metropolis. The implication for this study is that it is intended to provide strong basis for more in-depth studies into this phenomenon.

The Impact of Evaluating Customer Complaints in Hotel Enterprises and Service Quality Perceptions on Customer Loyalty

OpenAIRE

Burhan KILIÇ; Serap OK; Serhat Adem SOP

2013-01-01

Service enterprises can maintain competitiveness as long as adapting to constantly changing environmental conditions and customer expectations.enterprise which is unable to satisfy its customers with the service offered, it is observed that customers react to quality of the service with complaining behaviors. Therefore, evaluating the complaints and producing solutions are expected to increase the level of the service quality perceptions and it is generally hoped that this situation creates l...

Traveling abroad for medical care: U.S. medical tourists' expectations and perceptions of service quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Guiry, Michael; Vequist, David G

2011-01-01

The SERVQUAL scale has been widely used to measure service quality in the health care industry. This research is the first study that used SERVQUAL to assess U.S. medical tourists' expectations and perceptions of the service quality of health care facilities located outside the United States. Based on a sample of U.S. consumers, who had traveled abroad for medical care, the results indicated that there were significant differences between U.S. medical tourists' perceived level of service provided and their expectations of the service that should be provided for four of the five dimensions of service quality. Reliability had the largest service quality gap followed by assurance, tangibles, and empathy. Responsiveness was the only dimension without a significantly different gap score. The study establishes a foundation for future research on service quality in the rapidly growing medical tourism industry.

MEASURING GROCERY STORES SERVICE QUALITY IN INDONESIA: A RETAIL SERVICE QUALITY SCALE APPROACH

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Leonnard Leonnard

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The growing number of modern grocery stores in Indonesia is a challenge for each grocery store to maintain and increase their number of consumers. The success of maintaining and improving service quality will affect long-term profitability and business sustainability. Therefore, in this study, we examined consumer perceptions of service quality in one of modern grocery stores in Indonesia. Data were collected from 387 consumers of grocery stores in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Bekasi, Cibubur, and Subang. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM through Maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation was employed to analyze the data. The finding indicated that the five indicators of the retail service quality scale consisting of physical aspects, reliability, personal interactions, problem solving and policies provided  valid multi-item instruments in measuring consumer perceptions of service quality in grocery stores.

An investigation on the effect of organizational citizenship behavior on perceptions of service quality

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R. Ghorbani

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the effect of organizational citizenship behavior on perceptions of service quality in city of Tehran, Iran in 2013. The study considers the behavior of citizens in terms of five perspectives including altruism, generosity, loyalty, social customs and courtesy. The study selects 229 regular employees of this municipality organization and applies a questionnaire designed in Likert scale. The results of Pearson correlation test as well as stepwise regression technique indicate that there were positive and meaningful relationships between organizational citizenship behavior including Altruism, (β = 0.445, Sig. =0.043, Social Customs, (β = 0.395, Sig. = 0.000, Generosity (β = 0.299, Sig. = 0.000, Loyalty (β = 0.193, Sig. =0.000 and Courtesy (β = 1.221, Sig. =0.000 and perceptions of service quality.

Students’ Perceptions about Role of Faculty and Administrative Staff in Business Education Service Quality Assessment

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Maja Arslanagić-Kalajdžić

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on dimensions of the perceived service quality measurement for business schools. We propose an adapted SERVQUAL measure of expected and perceived quality, where employees at business schools are split into two groups: faculty and administrative staff, and assessed separately. This measure represents a tool for comparable service quality assessment at business schools. Empirical data were collected among undergraduate students in a developing economy. A total of 282 respondents were used to assess the overall fit of the proposed model and to test the differences between the expectations and the perceptions of service quality in a business school. The results support usability of the proposed adapted SERVQUAL measure. Therefore, the study contributes to the existing literature reporting the findings on service quality in an educational context.

The Impact of Evaluating Customer Complaints in Hotel Enterprises and Service Quality Perceptions on Customer Loyalty

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Burhan KILIÇ

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Service enterprises can maintain competitiveness as long as adapting to constantly changing environmental conditions and customer expectations.enterprise which is unable to satisfy its customers with the service offered, it is observed that customers react to quality of the service with complaining behaviors. Therefore, evaluating the complaints and producing solutions are expected to increase the level of the service quality perceptions and it is generally hoped that this situation creates loyal customers. In this context, the study was conducted in a five-star hotel operating in İstanbul and the data were collected through questionnaire forms. Descriptive statistics were applied to clarify the data of the study and the frequency values were used. In order to measure the level, direction and the effect of the variables, correlation and regression analysis were consulted.It was understood that displaying positive attitude and behavior to produce solutions for complaints by the service staff, created a positive impact on the perception of service quality. In addition, the customers whose complaints were responded positively exhibited behavioral and attitudinal aspects of loyalty with being repeat customers and recommending the hotel to friends and relatives

A comparative study of male and female perceptions of service quality in fast food industry

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Ogunnaike Olaleke Oluseye

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The development of technology has brought about sudden shift in the economy towards service economy. It becomes important therefore that marketers need to bring marketing principles, theories,and strategies to bear in this emerging economy if they must satisfy their customers profitably. The study makes use of SERVQUAL, a research instrument developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry to measure the impact of customer expectations on the perceptions of service quality. Three hypotheses were put forward and tested. The first hypothesis was to determine whether there was any difference between customer expectations and perceptions of fast food service. Dependent t-test was used and it was discovered that there was no significant difference between the two parameters. The second hypothesis was to determine whether there was difference between male and female expectations of service quality. Independent t-test was employed and it was found that there was no significant difference between the two parameters. The third hypothesis of the study was to determine whether there was difference between male and female perceptions of service quality. An independent t-test was also used for this hypothesis and it was discovered that there was no significant difference between the two parameters measure.Based on the findings above some of the recommendations made were:1. It is important that Nigerian fast food restaurants established a strong presence in the cyber space by having a functional website.2. There is a need for the fast food operators to improve upon working conditions, including salaries paid to workers in the sector.

Evaluation of service quality of hospital outpatient department services.

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Chakravarty, Abhijit

2011-07-01

It has become essential for hospital managers to understand and measure consumer perspectives and service quality gaps, so that any perceived gap in delivery of service is identified and suitably addressed. A study was conducted at a peripheral service hospital to ascertain any service gap between consumer expectations and perceptions in respect of the hospital outpatient department (OPD) services. A cross-sectional study was conducted using SERVQUAL as the survey instrument, the instrument being validated for use in the hospital environment. Consumer ratings across 22 items of the survey instrument were collected in paired expectation and perception scores and then service quality gaps were identified and statistically analysed. Service quality gaps were identified to exist across all the five dimensions of the survey instrument, with statistically significant gaps across the dimensions of 'tangibles' and 'responsiveness.' The quality gaps were further validated by a total unweighted SERVQUAL score of (-) 1.63. The study concludes that significant service quality gaps existed in the delivery of the hospital OPD services, which need to be addressed by focused improvement efforts by the hospital management.

Service quality in alcohol treatment: a research note.

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Resnick, Sheilagh M; Griffiths, Mark D

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate service quality in a UK privately funded alcohol treatment clinic. Data were gathered via interviews with two groups of participants using the SERVQUAL questionnaire. The first group comprised 32 patients and the second 15 clinic staff. The SERVQUAL instrument measures service quality expectations and perceptions across five service dimensions and identifies gaps between service expectations and perceptions of what was delivered. Patients' service quality expectations were exceeded on four of five dimensions. However, staff members felt services fell below expectations on four of five dimensions with the "reliability" service dimension emerging as the common service element falling below expectations for both participant groups. It was concluded that achieving consistent service delivery and increasing empathy between staff and patients improves overall service quality perceptions. The paper relies on self-report methods from a relatively small number of individuals. There have been limited research studies measuring alcohol treatment service quality in the private sector.

Methodology for calculating perception of the user experience of the quality of monitored integrated telecommunications operator services

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2011-01-01

The invention relates to a method for calculating perception of the user experience of the quality of monitored integrated telecommunications operator services. For this purpose, data from the monitoring of user services is used, along with questionnaires previously completed by a representative

Quality of services and quality of life from service providers' perspectives: analysis with focus groups.

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Jenaro, C; Vega, V; Flores, N; Cruz, M

2013-06-01

Concepts such as support, quality of life and quality of services are customary in services for people with intellectual disabilities. The identification of the different ways of conceiving, prioritising and implementing these concepts by service providers can help to drive changes to achieve better personal outcomes for this population. The current study aims to identify service providers' perceptions regarding the quality of life of their clients and the quality of services they provide. It also aims to identify similarities and differences of appraisals among professionals, and to identify associations between supports, quality of life and quality of services. Data were collected from 22 service providers who attended three focus groups (professionals, direct support staff, and managers) from whom 424 comments were analysed. Service providers were asked about the required support for users, the meaning of quality of life for those users, and about features that should characterise quality services. Thematic analysis was employed and transcripts of the sessions were coded according to the dimensions of models on supports, quality of life and quality of services. Chi-squared tests were utilised to test for potential differences among groups. Each professional group has its own priorities concerning required supports. Among the organisation different and potentially conflicting perceptions regarding the meaning of experiencing quality of life coexist. Concerning quality of services, only managers mentioned personal outcomes. Finally, institutionalisation has a negative impact on supports, quality of life and quality of services. It is necessary to move beyond a shared awareness of the negative impact of institutionalisation towards the transformation of services in search of personal quality outcomes. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, MENCAP & IASSID.

Reliability and Validity of SERVQUAL Scores Used To Evaluate Perceptions of Library Service Quality.

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Thompson, Bruce; Cook, Colleen

Research libraries are increasingly supplementing collection counts with perceptions of service quality as indices of status and productivity. The present study was undertaken to explore the reliability and validity of scores from the SERVQUAL measurement protocol (A. Parasuraman and others, 1991), which has previously been used in this type of…

Factor selection for service quality evaluation: a hospital case study.

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Ameryoun, Ahmad; Najafi, Seyedvahid; Nejati-Zarnaqi, Bayram; Khalilifar, Seyed Omid; Ajam, Mahdi; Ansarimoghadam, Ahmad

2017-02-13

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a systematic approach to predict service quality dimension's influence on service quality using a novel analysis based on data envelopment and SERVQUAL. Design/methodology/approach To assess hospital service quality in Tehran, expectation and perception of those who received the services were evaluated using SERVQUAL. The hospital service quality dimensions were found by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). To compare customer expectation and perception, perceived service quality index (PSQI) was measured using a new method based on common weights. A novel sensitivity approach was used to test the service quality factor's impact on the PSQI. Findings A new service quality dimension named "trust in services" was found using EFA, which is not an original SERVQUAL factor. The approach was applied to assess the hospital's service quality. Since the PSQI value was 0.76 it showed that improvements are needed to meet customer expectations. The results showed the factor order that affect PSQI. "Trust in services" has the strongest influence on PSQI followed by "tangibles," "assurance," "empathy," and "responsiveness," respectively. Practical implications This work gives managers insight into service quality by following a systematic method; i.e., measuring perceived service quality from the customer viewpoint and service factors' impact on customer perception. Originality/value The procedure helps managers to select the required service quality dimensions which need improvement and predict their effects on customer perception.

The structure of service quality perceptions for multiple-encounter services.

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Andaleeb, Syed Saad; Kara, Ali

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine a complex service environment-hospitals-to suggest how service quality could be reframed and measured for multiple-encounter service situations more effectively. In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 371 patients completed the survey instrument. Service quality measures were guided by the literature but allowed to flow from the respondents at the preliminary stage. Confirmatory factor analysis, along with structural equation modeling, was used to test the hypothesized relationships among key actors' performance metrics (KAPMs). Patient satisfaction is significantly influenced by perceived service quality based on KAPMs. For multiple-encounter services, service quality dimensions and measures ought to be tied to KAPMs. Primary actors-ie, doctors-need knowledge and skills about patient psychology, negotiation, handling difficult patients, and, importantly, "putting the customer first." Sensitivity training on such matters should be provided. The secondary actors are the nurses who have more frequent contact with the patients. Nurses need to be perceived as "patient advocates." Effective advocacy begins with prompt and caring services to build trust. The tertiary actors in their support role also ought to be integrated into becoming vital part of the service provided.

Higher-Order Factor Analysis as a Score Validity Evaluation Tool: An Example with a Measure of Perceptions of Library Service Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Colleen; Thompson, Bruce

The SERVQUAL measure was developed by A. Parasuraman, L. Berry, and V. Zeithaml (1988) to measure perceptions of service quality, originally in the retailing sector. However, libraries and other educational institutions are also service providers. Librarians in particular have increasingly become interested in measuring quality of service as the…

The interplay between value and service quality experience: e-loyalty development process through the eTailQ scale and value perception

OpenAIRE

Li, Honglei; Aham-Anyanwu, Nnanyelugo; Tevrizci, Cemal; Luo, Xin

2015-01-01

This research aims to investigate the process and factors relevant for developing customer e-loyalty from an e-service quality experience perspective. Based on previously published loyalty studies and e-commerce literature, an integrated model of e-loyalty development process is proposed by including and validating value perception and the e-service quality scale eTailQ scale. The eTailQ scale consists of website design, security/privacy, value perception, reliability and customer support and...

Managing postgraduate research service quality: Developing and assessing a conceptual model

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Shawn Ramroop

2013-05-01

Full Text Available 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.

Service quality in community pharmacy: an exploration of determinants.

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White, Lesley; Klinner, Christiane

2012-01-01

Although various instruments have been developed to measure customer satisfaction with community pharmacy services, there is limited research regarding pharmacy staffs' understanding of service quality and its determinants. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of pharmacy staff regarding the factors that constitute a high level of service quality using the service quality determinants proposed by the Conceptual Model of Service Quality. Structured interviews were conducted with 27 pharmacy assistants and 6 pharmacists in 3 community pharmacies in Sydney. The interview questions focused on the participants' perceptions of consumer expectations, the translation of these perceptions into service quality specifications, the actual service delivery, and the communication to customers. From the pharmacy staff perspective, service quality is significantly limited by insufficient internal communication and control processes that impede role clarity and the resolution of conflicting role expectations among customer service personnel. Participants indicated that these problems could be alleviated through the implementation of more transparent, realistic, measurable, and accepted quality specifications by pharmacy management. The study indicates that the extent to which pharmacy management sets, maintains, and communicates service quality specifications to staff directly affects role clarity, role conflict, and organizational commitment among customer service staff, which in turn directly influence the level of service quality provided to the customers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparative study of male and female perceptions of service quality in fast food industry

OpenAIRE

Ogunnaike Olaleke Oluseye

2009-01-01

The development of technology has brought about sudden shift in the economy towards service economy. It becomes important therefore that marketers need to bring marketing principles, theories,and strategies to bear in this emerging economy if they must satisfy their customers profitably. The study makes use of SERVQUAL, a research instrument developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry to measure the impact of customer expectations on the perceptions of service quality. Three hypotheses were ...

Customer Perception On Products Pricing Service Quality Towards Customers Quality Relationships And Loyalty Of Domestic Airlines Indonesia

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Hasniaty

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Aviation services industry is an important industry that holds Indonesia. Indonesia has approximately 17 thousand islands scattered with a long coastline over 5000 kilometers. Air transport is an essential component for connecting approximately 250 million people with a population growth of 1.49 percent annually. Air transport services become business areas that are needed by todays modern society. This study aims to quantify the relationship between customer perceptions on the concept or product price service quality and relationship quality on customer loyalty of domestic airline in Indonesia. This study took a sample of 300 respondents. The data analyzed using SEM Structural Equation Modeling. The results of this study is theoretical findings suggests that the product has a significant positive effect on trust customer satisfaction and loyalty but positive effect is insignificant on commitment. The price has significant positive effect on trust commitment satisfaction but positive effect is insignificant on loyalty. Service quality has a significant positive effect on trust commitment satisfaction but positive effect is insignificant on loyalty. Trust has significant positive effect on satisfaction and loyalty. Commitment has significant positive effect on loyalty but positive effect is insignificant on loyalty. Satisfaction has significant positive effect on satisfaction and loyalty.

Evaluation of outpatient service quality in Eastern Saudi Arabia

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Fraihi, Khalid J. Al; FAMCO, Dip; FAMCO, Fellow; Latif, Shahid A.

2016-01-01

Objectives: To investigate perceptions and expectations of patients regarding hospital outpatient services by using a service quality gap model and factors influencing such gaps. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study conducted between October and November 2014 in the outpatient waiting areas of a hospital in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, a sample of 306 patients was selected by convenience sampling technique. The data was collected through an Arabic version of the service quality (SERVQUAL) questionnaire consisting of 2 parts: patients’ demographic characteristics, and 22 items scales of patients’ expectations and perceptions of SERVQUAL. The data was analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis, independent, and paired t samples tests and one way analysis of variance test. Results: The results showed that the proposed model for service quality dimensions had a good fit by satisfying the recommended values. The patients’ expectations exceeded perceptions in all service quality dimensions indicating statistically significant service quality gaps (t=26.3, pservices showed highest service quality gap, while observation of privacy showed the smallest service quality gap in the statements. The study showed a significant association between gender, age, education, multiple visits, and service quality dimensions. Conclusion: The proposed model is valid and reliable and significant service quality gaps of all 5 dimensions need to be prioritized and addressed by focused improvement efforts of hospital management. PMID:27052285

Patients' behavioral intentions and the influence of service quality perceptions and customer satisfaction in the Albanian healthcare industry

OpenAIRE

Gega, Elsa; Dapi, Zhanina

2013-01-01

The primary objective of this study was to measure patients’ perceptions of service quality and customer satisfaction with a private hospital experience and to estimate the effect that each of these constructs will have on future behavioural intentions. More specifically, the present study was an attempt to assess empirically the most important dimensions of service quality and transaction-specific customer satisfaction dimensions that drive both patient loyalty and ‘overall’ or cumulative sa...

Measuring Service Quality Dimensions: An Empirical Analysis of Thai Hotel Industry

OpenAIRE

Dr. Sakun Boon-itt; Dr. Nopadol Rompho

2012-01-01

The aim of this study is to focus on hotel service quality based on the application of 29 characteristic indicators from the SERVQUAL model by comparing two hotel types, namely the boutique and the business hotel, in Thailand and to understand the expectation, perception and gaps between expectation and perception regarding hotel service quality. The study applied a self-administered questionnaire to measure the expectation and perception of service quality characteristics of hotels in Thaila...

Service quality in public health clinics: perceptions of users and health professionals.

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Campos, Domingos Fernandes; Negromonte Filho, Rinaldo Bezerra; Castro, Felipe Nalon

2017-10-09

rational allocation of available resources and improvement of the quality of the service delivered to patients. Besides, it offers a focus to prioritize specific actions. Originality/value It is important to compare the perceptions of service quality between patients and the healthcare service providers who work in direct contact with them. The managers can smooth out these differences and ensure, over time, customer satisfaction. In this study, providers were asked to express what they think about the expectations of patients and about their own service performance delivered. Thus, not only the traditional gap 5 was measured, but it was also possible to evaluate the distance between what providers think that patients need and their actual needs.

An Empirical Investigation of Students' Motivational Impact upon University Service Quality Perception: A Self-Determination Perspective

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Chong, Yit Sean; Ahmed, Pervaiz K.

2012-01-01

Based on Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory, this study examines the impact of an individual's motivation in pursuing higher education towards university service quality perception, with the individual's learning style posited as the moderator of the proposed relationship. The consequent effects upon satisfaction and behavioural intentions…

Analysis of Student Satisfaction Toward Quality of Service Facility

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Napitupulu, D.; Rahim, R.; Abdullah, D.; Setiawan, MI; Abdillah, LA; Ahmar, AS; Simarmata, J.; Hidayat, R.; Nurdiyanto, H.; Pranolo, A.

2018-01-01

The development of higher education is very rapid rise to the tight competition both public universities and private colleges. XYZ University realized to win the competition, required continuous quality improvement, including the quality of existing service facilities. Amenities quality services is believed to support the success of the learning activities and improve user satisfaction. This study aims to determine the extent to which the quality of the services effect on user satisfaction. The research method used is survey-based questionnaire that measure perception and expectation. The results showed a gap between perception and expectations of the respondents have a negative value for each item. This means XYZ service facility at the university is not currently meet the expectations of society members. Three service facility that has the lowest index is based on the perception of respondents is a laboratory (2.56), computer and multimedia (2.63) as well as wifi network (2.99). The magnitude of the correlation between satisfaction with the quality of service facilities is 0.725 which means a strong and positive relationship. The influence of the quality of service facilities to the satisfaction of the students is 0.525 meaning that the variable quality of the services facility can explain 52.5% of the variable satisfaction. The study provided recommendations for improvements to enhance the quality of services facility at the XYZ university facilities.

Service quality, trust, and patient satisfaction in interpersonal-based medical service encounters.

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Chang, Ching-Sheng; Chen, Su-Yueh; Lan, Yi-Ting

2013-01-16

Interaction between service provider and customer is the primary core of service businesses of different natures, and the influence of trust on service quality and customer satisfaction could not be ignored in interpersonal-based service encounters. However, lack of existing literature on the correlation between service quality, patient trust, and satisfaction from the prospect of interpersonal-based medical service encounters has created a research gap in previous studies. Therefore, this study attempts to bridge such a gap with an evidence-based practice study. We adopted a cross-sectional design using a questionnaire survey of outpatients in seven medical centers of Taiwan. Three hundred and fifty copies of questionnaire were distributed, and 285 valid copies were retrieved, with a valid response rate of 81.43%. The SPSS 14.0 and AMOS 14.0 (structural equation modeling) statistical software packages were used for analysis. Structural equation modeling clarifies the extent of relationships between variables as well as the chain of cause and effect. Restated, SEM results do not merely show empirical relationships between variables when defining the practical situation. For this reason, SEM was used to test the hypotheses. Perception of interpersonal-based medical service encounters positively influences service quality and patient satisfaction. Perception of service quality among patients positively influences their trust. Perception of trust among patients positively influences their satisfaction. According to the findings, as interpersonal-based medical service encounters will positively influence service quality and patient satisfaction, and the differences for patients' perceptions of the professional skill and communication attitude of personnel in interpersonal-based medical service encounters will influence patients' overall satisfaction in two ways: (A) interpersonal-based medical service encounter directly affects patient satisfaction, which represents a

Service quality, trust, and patient satisfaction in interpersonal-based medical service encounters

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Interaction between service provider and customer is the primary core of service businesses of different natures, and the influence of trust on service quality and customer satisfaction could not be ignored in interpersonal-based service encounters. However, lack of existing literature on the correlation between service quality, patient trust, and satisfaction from the prospect of interpersonal-based medical service encounters has created a research gap in previous studies. Therefore, this study attempts to bridge such a gap with an evidence-based practice study. Methods We adopted a cross-sectional design using a questionnaire survey of outpatients in seven medical centers of Taiwan. Three hundred and fifty copies of questionnaire were distributed, and 285 valid copies were retrieved, with a valid response rate of 81.43%. The SPSS 14.0 and AMOS 14.0 (structural equation modeling) statistical software packages were used for analysis. Structural equation modeling clarifies the extent of relationships between variables as well as the chain of cause and effect. Restated, SEM results do not merely show empirical relationships between variables when defining the practical situation. For this reason, SEM was used to test the hypotheses. Results Perception of interpersonal-based medical service encounters positively influences service quality and patient satisfaction. Perception of service quality among patients positively influences their trust. Perception of trust among patients positively influences their satisfaction. Conclusions According to the findings, as interpersonal-based medical service encounters will positively influence service quality and patient satisfaction, and the differences for patients’ perceptions of the professional skill and communication attitude of personnel in interpersonal-based medical service encounters will influence patients’ overall satisfaction in two ways: (A) interpersonal-based medical service encounter directly

Service quality, trust, and patient satisfaction in interpersonal-based medical service encounters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chang Ching-Sheng

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Interaction between service provider and customer is the primary core of service businesses of different natures, and the influence of trust on service quality and customer satisfaction could not be ignored in interpersonal-based service encounters. However, lack of existing literature on the correlation between service quality, patient trust, and satisfaction from the prospect of interpersonal-based medical service encounters has created a research gap in previous studies. Therefore, this study attempts to bridge such a gap with an evidence-based practice study. Methods We adopted a cross-sectional design using a questionnaire survey of outpatients in seven medical centers of Taiwan. Three hundred and fifty copies of questionnaire were distributed, and 285 valid copies were retrieved, with a valid response rate of 81.43%. The SPSS 14.0 and AMOS 14.0 (structural equation modeling statistical software packages were used for analysis. Structural equation modeling clarifies the extent of relationships between variables as well as the chain of cause and effect. Restated, SEM results do not merely show empirical relationships between variables when defining the practical situation. For this reason, SEM was used to test the hypotheses. Results Perception of interpersonal-based medical service encounters positively influences service quality and patient satisfaction. Perception of service quality among patients positively influences their trust. Perception of trust among patients positively influences their satisfaction. Conclusions According to the findings, as interpersonal-based medical service encounters will positively influence service quality and patient satisfaction, and the differences for patients’ perceptions of the professional skill and communication attitude of personnel in interpersonal-based medical service encounters will influence patients’ overall satisfaction in two ways: (A interpersonal-based medical

Perception of quality of maternal healthcare services among women utilising antenatal services in selected primary health facilities in Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Emelumadu, Obiageli F.; Onyeonoro, Ugochukwu Uchenna; Ukegbu, Andrew Ugwunna; Ezeama, Nkiru N.; Ifeadike, Chigozie Ozoemena; Okezie, Obasi Kanu

2014-01-01

Background: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study aimed at assessing antenatal care service attendees’ perception of quality of maternal healthcare (MHC) services in Anambra State, southeast Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A total of 310 pregnant women utilising antenatal care (ANC) services in three purposively selected primary health centres (PHCs) in rural communities in Anambra State were studied. Reponses were elicited from the participants selected consecutively over a 4-month period, using a pre-tested, semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, utilisation and perception of MHC services. Data collected were analysed using SPSS version 17. Results: Findings showed that utilisation of facility for both antenatal (97.0%; 95% CI, 94.4–98.4%) and natal services (92.7%; 95% CI 89.2–95.2%) were quite high. Generally, most of the women were satisfied with MHC services (89.7%). Most of them were satisfied with the staff attitude (85.1%), waiting time (84.1%) and cost of services (79.5%). Being ≥30 years (X2 = 4.61, P = 0.032), married (X2 = 9.70, P = 0.008) and multiparous (X2 = 9.14, P = 0.028), as well as utilisation of formal health facility for antenatal (X2 = 26.94, P = 0.000) and natal (X2 = 33.42, P = 0.000) services were associated with satisfaction with maternal health services. Conclusions: The study showed high level of satisfaction with quality of maternal health services among antenatal attendees and highlights the need to strengthen interventions that increase uptake of formal MHC services. PMID:24791050

The Effect of VAT e-Service Quality on Taxpayers’ Satisfaction in Iran

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Maryam Alipour

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The design of e-government websites with improper service quality is one of the common problems in the contemporary era. Users’ perceptions of e-service quality are affected by their perceived service content and delivery quality. In this study, based on the model of e-government service quality, first we identify the factors of service content and delivery related to Value Added Tax (VAT system in Iran. Then, we develop a conceptual model that depicts the influence of these factors on service quality and users’ satisfaction.  Data gathering is performed through electronic questionnaire and the case study of taxpayers using VAT services. The results show that transactional performance and accessibility respectively, have the greatest impact on quality of service content and delivery. In addition, the users’ positive perceptions of service content and delivery quality influence their positive perceptions of overall service quality. This study offers the design of a user-centric governmental website with effective service quality to improve users’ satisfaction and also to encourage the adoption and continuance use of these services.

Variations in Student Perceptions of Service Quality of Higher Education Institutions in Brazil: A Longitudinal Study

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Campos, Domingos Fernandes; dos Santos, Guido Salvi; Castro, Felipe Nalon

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine, through a longitudinal study, undergraduate student perceptions of service expectations, priorities and quality of the higher education institution that they attend, using an importance-performance rating matrix. Design/methodology/approach: This research was carried out with students exposed to a…

Applying revised gap analysis model in measuring hotel service quality.

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Lee, Yu-Cheng; Wang, Yu-Che; Chien, Chih-Hung; Wu, Chia-Huei; Lu, Shu-Chiung; Tsai, Sang-Bing; Dong, Weiwei

2016-01-01

With the number of tourists coming to Taiwan growing by 10-20 % since 2010, the number has increased due to an increasing number of foreign tourists, particularly after deregulation allowed admitting tourist groups, followed later on by foreign individual tourists, from mainland China. The purpose of this study is to propose a revised gap model to evaluate and improve service quality in Taiwanese hotel industry. Thus, service quality could be clearly measured through gap analysis, which was more effective for offering direction in developing and improving service quality. The HOLSERV instrument was used to identify and analyze service gaps from the perceptions of internal and external customers. The sample for this study included three main categories of respondents: tourists, employees, and managers. The results show that five gaps influenced tourists' evaluations of service quality. In particular, the study revealed that Gap 1 (management perceptions vs. customer expectations) and Gap 9 (service provider perceptions of management perceptions vs. service delivery) were more critical than the others in affecting perceived service quality, making service delivery the main area of improvement. This study contributes toward an evaluation of the service quality of the Taiwanese hotel industry from the perspectives of customers, service providers, and managers, which is considerably valuable for hotel managers. It was the aim of this study to explore all of these together in order to better understand the possible gaps in the hotel industry in Taiwan.

Staff perception of relative importance of quality dimensions for patients at tertiary public services in oman.

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Alrashdi, Ismail; Al Qasmi, Ahmed

2012-09-01

This research attempted to explore the public healthcare providers understanding the quality dimensions and patient priorities in Oman. It also addresses the issue of risks confronting health professionals in management without "a customer focused" approach. A descriptive study was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire distributed around two tertiary public hospitals. A total of 838 respondents from several specialties and levels of hierarchy participated in the study. The data was analyzed to compare the perception of two groups; the group of junior and frontline staff, as well as of managers and senior staff involved in management. The results showed that 61% of the junior and frontline staff, and 68.3% of the senior staff and managers think that cure or improvement in overall health is the single most important quality dimension in healthcare. Both groups perceive that technical dimensions have greater importance (to patients) over interpersonal aspects such as communication with the exception of dignity and respect. There was no significant difference between the perception of the managers and senior staff vis-à-vis the perception of junior and frontline staff on the importance of technical dimensions and the interpersonal aspects of service quality. Despite the proven contribution of empathy to patient satisfaction, it was ranked by both groups as the least important among the dimensions examined. The findings of this research are therefore informative of the need to implement strategies that deal effectively with such attitudes and create the platform and programs that reinforce the culture of good quality service amongst healthcare providers, managers in particular, and to improve patient satisfaction.

Analisis Pengaruh Brand Image, Price Perception, Dan Service Quality Terhadap Customer Loyalty Pada Pelanggan Urban Kitchen

OpenAIRE

Joshua, Timothy Joshua; Haryadi, Eddy

2014-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the influence of Brand Image, Price Perception, and Customer Service Qualityon Customer Loyalty in Urban Kitchen. The questionnaires were distributed to 150 respondents in four locations of Urban Kitchen employing simple random sampling technique. The data obtained were processed and analyzed using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) with LISREL8.72. The results indicate that Brand Image and Service Quality have significant influences on Customer Loyalty,...

Client perception of service quality at the outpatient clinics of a General hospital in Lagos, Nigeria.

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Ogunnowo, Babatunde Enitan; Olufunlayo, Tolulope Florence; Sule, Salami Suberu

2015-01-01

Service quality assessments have assumed increasing importance in the last two decades. They are useful in identifying gaps in services been provided with the ultimate aim of guaranteeing quality assurance. The objective of this study was to assess the client perception of service quality at the outpatient clinics of Randle General hospital, Lagos. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted from March to May 2013. A multistage sampling technique was used to select respondents and data was collected with the aid of modified SERVQUAL questionnaires. The data was analysed with aid of EPI-INFO 2002 and statistical significance was set at a P value 0.05 for statistical significance. Total of 400 respondents were interviewed. The mean age was 40 years with a standard deviation of 15.2 yrs. The highest mean score of 4.35 out of a possible maximum of 5 was recorded in assurance domain while the lowest mean score of 4.00 was recorded in the responsiveness domain. The overall mean score of all the domains was 4.20 with standard deviation of 0.51. Overall majority (80.8%) of respondents rated the overall service quality as good/ very good. After linear regression, the assurance domain was the most important predictor of the overall perceived service quality (pservice quality was good. The major deficiencies were in the responsiveness domain and especially the waiting time. The hospital management should implement measures to improve the responsiveness of services by ensuring prompt delivery of services.

Service quality of private hospitals: the Iranian patients' perspective.

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Zarei, Asghar; Arab, Mohammad; Froushani, Abbas Rahimi; Rashidian, Arash; Ghazi Tabatabaei, S Mahmoud

2012-02-02

Highly competitive market in the private hospital industry has caused increasing pressure on them to provide services with higher quality. The aim of this study was to determine the different dimensions of the service quality in the private hospitals of Iran and evaluating the service quality from the patients' perspective. A cross-sectional study was conducted between October and November 2010 in Tehran, Iran. The study sample was composed of 983 patients randomly selected from 8 private general hospitals. The study questionnaire was the SERVQUAL questionnaire, consisting of 21 items in service quality dimensions. The result of factor analysis revealed 3 factors, explaining 69% of the total variance. The total mean score of patients' expectation and perception was 4.91(SD = 0.2) and 4.02(SD = 0.6), respectively. The highest expectation and perception related to the tangibles dimension and the lowest expectation and perception related to the empathy dimension. The differences between perception and expectation were significant (p SERVQUAL is a valid, reliable, and flexible instrument to monitor and measure the quality of the services in private hospitals of Iran. Our findings clarified the importance of creating a strong relationship between patients and the hospital practitioners/personnel and the need for hospital staff to be responsive, credible, and empathetic when dealing with patients.

Service quality in healthcare institutions: establishing the gaps for policy action.

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Abuosi, Aaron A; Atinga, Roger A

2013-01-01

The authors seek to examine two key issues: to assess patients' hospital service quality perceptions and expectation using SERVQUAL; and to outline the distinct concepts used to assess patient perceptions. Questionnaires were administered to 250 patients on admission and follow-up visits. The 22 paired SERVQUAL expectation and perception items were adopted. Repeated t-measures and factor analysis with Varimax rotation were used to analyse data. Results showed that patient expectations were not being met during medical treatment. Perceived service quality was rated lower than expectations for all variables. The mean difference between perceptions and expectations was statistically significant. Contrary to the SERVQUAL five-factor model, four service-quality factors were identified in the study. Findings have practical implications for hospital managers who should consider stepping up staffing levels backed by client-centred training programmes to help clinicians deliver care to patients' expectations. Limited studies are tailored towards patients' service-quality perception and expectation in Ghanaian hospitals. The findings therefore provide valuable information for policy and practice.

Service Quality Evaluation and Ranking of Container Terminal Operators

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Jafar Sayareh

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In the service industry, the regular assessment of service quality is considered as a means of promoting the quality of services. Container market is no exception, and the quality of providing service in a container terminal is of prime importance in attracting new customers and maintaining the existing ones. The main aim of present research is to evaluate the quality of service being offered at Shahid Rajaee Container Terminal (SRCT in Bandar Abbas port. The evaluation process uses SERVQUAL model which is an appropriate tool for measuring the service quality, identifying and analyzing available gaps between service expectations and perceptions. Target population in this research includes customers of SRCT. The standard and customized questionnaires were distributed among 165 samples, out of which 127 (77% were returned. For the purpose of data analyses, initially the reliability of SERVQUAL model was checked, and then paired sample t-test was performed to reveal any possible gap between expectations and perceptions of respondents. Finally, TOPSIS was used to rank the 9 main container service companies in the SRCT. The results indicated that there are significant gaps between customers’ expectations and perceptions in SRCT, in all five dimensions of services quality. Additionally, from weighing point of view, ‘Tangibles’ was the most important dimension, followed by ‘Reliability’, ‘Assurance’, ‘Responsiveness’ and ‘Empathy’. In addition, ‘Tangibles’ dimension had maximum gap and ‘Empathy’ dimension had minimum gap between customers’ expectations and perceptions. Finally, after ranking companies, BandarAbbas Aria Container Terminal (BACT Company was ranked first among nine companies in satisfying customers’ expectations.

Perception of quality of health delivery and health insurance subscription in Ghana.

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Amo-Adjei, Joshua; Anku, Prince Justin; Amo, Hannah Fosuah; Effah, Mavis Osei

2016-07-29

National health insurance schemes (NHIS) in developing countries and perhaps in developed countries as well is a considered a pro-poor intervention by helping to bridge the financial burden of access to quality health care. Perceptions of quality of health service could have immense impacts on enrolment. This paper shows how perception of service quality under Ghana's insurance programme contributes to health insurance subscription. The study used the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) dataset. Both descriptive proportions and binary logistic regression techniques were applied to generate results that informed the discussion. Our results show that a high proportion of females (33 %) and males (35 %) felt that the quality of health provided to holders of the NHIS card was worse. As a result, approximately 30 % of females and 22%who perceived health care as worse by holding an insurance card did not own an insurance policy. While perceptions of differences in quality among females were significantly different (AOR = 0.453 [95 % CI = 0.375, 0.555], among males, the differences in perceptions of quality of health services under the NHIS were independent in the multivariable analysis. Beyond perceptions of quality, being resident in the Upper West region was an important predictor of health insurance ownership for both males and females. For such a social and pro-poor intervention, investing in quality of services to subscribers, especially women who experience enormous health risks in the reproductive period can offer important gains to sustaining the scheme as well as offering affordable health services.

WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE QUALITY SERVICE IMPROVEMENT IN MONTENEGRO: EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

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Djurdjica Perovic

2013-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, using an Ordinary Least Square regression (OLS, we investigate whether intangible elements influence tourist's perception about service quality. Our empirical results based on tourist survey in Montenegro, indicate that intangible elements of tourism product have positive impact on tourist's overall perception of service quality in Montenegro.

Patients' Expectations and Perceptions of Service Quality in the Selected Hospitals.

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Nadi, Aliasghar; Shojaee, Jalil; Abedi, Ghassem; Siamian, Hasan; Abedini, Ehsan; Rostami, Farideh

2016-04-01

Hospital's success depends on patients' expectations, perceptions, and judgment on the quality of services provided by hospitals. This study was conducted to assess the patients' perceptions and expectations from the quality of inpatient health care in Vali-Asr hospital, Ghaemshahr, and Imam Khomeini and Shafa Hospitals, Sari. This study is applied regarding the objective of the study. Considering the research methodology, it is a descriptive - analytical study. The sample of this study consists of 600 patients with at least 24 hours of being hospitalized in internal, surgery, women, and children sectors of Vali-Asr, Ghaemshahr, Imam Khomeini, and Shafa Hospitals. Using random sampling method, the classifications relevant to the size of each class were selected. The data required was collected through the standard SERVQUAL questionnaire and then it was analyzed using the SPSS software. The overall mean value and standard deviation of expectations were equal to 10.4 and 28, respectively. The mean value for the field of perception was 69.2 and the relevant standard deviation was 26. In terms of patients and hospital visits in concrete cases, the highest priority is related to empathy. The second priority is related to physical appearance, the third priority is related to responsiveness, the fourth priority is related to assurance, and the lowest priority is related to the reliability of the SERVQUAL approach. Examining the gap between patients' perceptions and expectations, the widest gap was observed in the Vali-Asr Hospital with the mean and SD (-92.0±39.0) and the lowest gap was observed in Shafa Hospital with the mean value of (-39.9±44.0). According to The Kruskal-Wallis test, the difference observed in these three hospitals were significant. The results showed that patients' expectations had not been met in any of the examined dimensions and their consent has not been achieved. It seemed that necessary for managers and relevant authorities to plan and pay

Defining the Perception and Experiences of Educational Service Stakeholders

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Soleiman Ahmady

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: The office of educational services at universities is a very important division and it is necessary for employees to strive towards providing suitable services to students. The quality of educational services has always been a major concern for higher education managers. Interviewing stakeholders and experts increases our understanding of different aspects of the subject in order to create a native model with high performance capability based on existing conditions and the cultural and political infrastructure of our country. Therefore, we aimed to define the perception and experiences of educational service stakeholders.Methods: In this qualitative thematic content analysis that adapted a deductive approach using Graneheim and Lundman’s method. Initially, purposeful sampling was done to identify and select the students (as first level stakeholders studying paramedical majors at one of the medical science universities of the country during the educational year 2015-2016. Altogether, 20 people were interviewed consisting of 6 students, 4 faculty members, 2 student affairs employees, 1 counselor, 2 education officers, and 2 education office managers.Data were analyzed and coded using MAXQDA software.Results: Of the 400 initial codes extracted through data analysis, 336 abstract codes, 48 sub-categories, 20 categories, and 7 themes were obtained. The level of abstraction was different in the categories. The extracted themes were as follows: information gap before and after entering university, the difference between expected and perceived services and factors contributing to expectations, the university’s approach in enhancing service quality, the student and management of educational problems, the system-student interaction in educational planning, and the professors’ responsibilities and performance in enhancing quality, and the role on the university management system in enhancing the quality of services

Buying Behavior Of Organic Vegetables Product The Effects Of Perceptions Of Quality And Risk

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Doni Purnama Alamsyah

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Consumer behaviors are more important in the study of Green Marketing. This studied aims to examined buying behavior of consumers on organic products which is formed by perception of quality and perception of risk. The research model with three hypotheses to explained the relationship and influenced between the constructs that perception of quality perception of risk and purchase decision. In these empirical studied treated 366 respondents from customer of retail supermarkets in West Java - Indonesia. Results of research founded a significant negative relationship between perception of quality and perception of risk. As well as the behavior of perception of quality and the perception of risk has a significant influenced on purchase decision. Retail self-service needs to improve the perception of quality and reduces the risk perception of the consumers if purchasing behavior of consumers want increase on organic products. This studied was useful in raising awareness of self-service retail and consumers for environmentally friendly products.

Service quality improvement of ground staff at Don Mueang International Airport

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Sittichai Sricharoenpramong

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The purposes of this research were to: 1 evaluate the service quality of the ground staff at Don Mueang International Airport (DMK, 2 compare the ground staff quality service perception of Thai passengers at DMK, and 3 provide guidelines for service quality improvement of the DMK airlines ground staff. A sample size of 400 Thai domestic passengers was accidentally selected at DMK. A questionnaire was used as a research tool for data collection. Five dimensions of service quality were evaluated: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. It was found that the service quality of ground staff was moderate. The highest dimension of service quality realization was tangibles, followed successively by reliability, assurance, empathy, and responsiveness. The passengers' perception of the ground staff's service quality varied by gender and age group. Guidelines were proposed for the improvement of ground staff service quality at DMK based on the findings. Keywords: airport, ground staff, quality of service

Service quality framework for clinical laboratories.

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Ramessur, Vinaysing; Hurreeram, Dinesh Kumar; Maistry, Kaylasson

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate a service quality framework that enhances service delivery in clinical laboratories by gauging medical practitioner satisfaction and by providing avenues for continuous improvement. The case study method has been used for conducting the exploratory study, with focus on the Mauritian public clinical laboratory. A structured questionnaire based on the SERVQUAL service quality model was used for data collection, analysis and for the development of the service quality framework. The study confirms the pertinence of the following service quality dimensions within the context of clinical laboratories: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, turnaround time, technology, test reports, communication and laboratory staff attitude and behaviour. The service quality framework developed, termed LabSERV, is vital for clinical laboratories in the search for improving service delivery to medical practitioners. This is a pioneering work carried out in the clinical laboratory sector in Mauritius. Medical practitioner expectations and perceptions have been simultaneously considered to generate a novel service quality framework for clinical laboratories.

An Investigation into the Impact of Service Quality, Frequent Flier Programs and Safety Perception on Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty in the Airline Industry in Southern Africa

OpenAIRE

Sandada Maxwell; Matibiri Bright

2016-01-01

This study aims to identify the factors that make passengers loyal to an airline in Southern Africa by investigating the impact of service quality and safety perception on customer satisfaction and how satisfaction and frequent flyer programs (FFP) subsequently influence customer loyalty. The key finding was that service quality positively influenced customer satisfaction, and satisfaction was an important antecedent of customer loyalty. The analysis also suggested that safety perception and ...

The importance of the evaluation of expectations and perceptions to improve the dental service quality.

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Rocha, Juliana; Pinto, Andres; Batista, Marilia; Paula, Janice Simpson de; Ambrosano, Glaucia

2017-07-10

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the use of SERVQUAL to assess service quality in Dentistry, by evaluating patients' expectations and perceptions of dental care and their association to patients' sociodemographic data. Design/methodology/approach The sample constituted of 379 subjects in the first assessment and 155 in the second phase. All employees of the companies that were clients of the dental insurance participated, a total of four companies in two states (São Paulo and Minas Gerais) of Brazil. SERVQUAL questionnaires about expectations and sociodemographic data were dispatched in the first phase, and in a second phase SERVQUAL questionnaires about perceptions. Those who had not yet received dental treatment and had agreed to participate filled out their survey in the first phase. In the second phase, the respondents had to have completed their treatment. Findings When the value gap is considered, Reliability (as a dimension) had the smallest score (-3.71). This means that it was the worst result, i.e. there is a higher difference between expectations and perceptions, and problems can be identified here. t-test confirmed that all the dimensions had some statistically significant difference with p<0.05 in relation to expectations and perceptions. Women presented higher prevalence of dissatisfaction (Tangible and Reliability dimensions), as well as the oldest participants (Empathy dimension) and those with lower parental literacy (Assurance and Empathy dimensions). The only dimension that was not significantly associated was Responsiveness. Originality/value This research suggests that the patients evaluated the physical characteristics of the premises and the interaction with the staff as the priority issues that need special attention in this service. Moreover, the use of SERVQUAL was extremely relevant for the oral health service, because it assessed the users' subjective perceptions.

Service quality of hospital outpatient departments: patients' perspective.

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Zarei, Ehsan

2015-01-01

Assessment of patient perceptions of health service quality as an important element in quality assessments has attracted much attention in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to assess the service quality of hospital outpatient departments affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences from the patients' perspective. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014 in Tehran, Iran. The study samples included 500 patients who were selected by multi-stage random sampling from four hospitals. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire consisting of 50 items, and the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed. For data analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Friedman test, and descriptive statistics were used through LISREL 8.54 and SPSS 18 applications. Eight significant factors were extracted for outpatient service quality, which explained about 67 per cent of the total variance. Physician consultation, information provided to the patient, and the physical environment of the clinic were the three determining factors of the quality of outpatient services. The highest and lowest perceptions were related to physician consultation and perceived waiting time dimension, respectively. The mean score of patients' perception of outpatient service quality was 3.89 (±0.60). About 59.5 per cent of patients assessed the quality of outpatient services as good, 38.2 per cent as moderate, and 2.3 per cent as poor. Practical implications - The instrument developed for this study is valid and reliable, and it can help hospital managers to identify the areas needing improvement and correction. According to the findings of this study, the majority of patients had a positive experience with outpatient departments of teaching hospitals, and the services provided in these centres were of adequate quality, based on patient assessments.

From service quality in organisations to self-determination at home.

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Martínez-Tur, V; Moliner, C; Peñarroja, V; Gracia, E; Peiró, J M

2015-10-01

In our proposed model, family members' perceptions of service quality in organisations improve communication about self-determination. In turn, family perceptions of communication openness have a positive relationship with self-determination attitudes of family members. Finally, these attitudes predict self-determination behaviours of individuals with intellectual disability, as reported by family members. We tested this model with a sample of 625 family members (196 using 'day care services' and 429 using 'occupational services'). Multi-sample structural equation modelling (SEM) supported the model. Communication and attitudes fully mediated the link from service quality to self-determination behaviours. Improving family members' perceptions of service quality and opening channels of communication between professionals and family members are useful strategies to facilitate parents' positive attitudes and increase the frequency of self-determination behaviours at home. © 2015 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Knowledge and perceptions of antenatal services need and delivery ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusion: While client demand for services depends on volume, cost/price and quality of services supplied, lack of knowledge of what one deserves also influences one's care seeking behavior. Therefore, it is imperative to do periodic evaluations of population knowledge, perceptions of the introduced policy, and service ...

Changes in perceptions of quality of, and access to, services among clients of a fractional franchise network in Nepal.

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Agha, Sohail; Gage, Anastasia; Balal, Asma

2007-05-01

With declining levels of international donor funding for financing reproductive health programmes, developing country governments and international donors are looking towards private sector strategies to expand the supply of quality reproductive health services. One of the challenges of a health franchise is to improve the quality of services provided by independent private practitioners. Private providers are more likely to abide by the quality standards set by a franchiser if they see a financial benefit resulting from franchise participation. This study was conducted to measure whether (a) there were improvements in perceived quality of care and perceived access to health facilities once these facilities became part of a franchise and (b) improvements in perceived quality and perceived access were associated with increased client loyalty to franchised clinics. Franchisees were given basic reproductive health training for seven days and services marketing training for two days. Exit interviews were conducted with male and female clients at health facilities. A pre-test measurement was taken in April 2001, prior to the start of project activities. A post-test measurement was taken in February/March 2002, about 9 months after the pre-test. Multilevel regression analysis, which takes the hierarchical structure of the data into account, was used for the analysis. After taking provider-level variation into account and controlling for client characteristics, the analyses showed significant improvements in perceived quality of care and perceived access to services. Private provider participation in a franchise network helps improve client perceptions of quality of, and access to, services. Improvements in client perceptions of quality and access contribute to increased client loyalty to franchised clinics. Once increased client loyalty translates into higher client volumes, providers are likely to see the benefits of franchise participation. In turn, this should lead to

Measuring service quality in a hospital colposcopy clinic.

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Wisniewski, Mik; Wisniewski, Hazel

2005-01-01

The issues surrounding the measurement and provision of service quality in a health care setting are becoming increasingly important to nursing. This research study aims to apply the SERVQUAL measurement instrument in a Scottish colposcopy clinic. The study involved adapting the SERVQUAL instrument to the colposcopy setting and asking a sample of patients to complete the questionnaire. Patient expectations of service were obtained on first attendance at the clinic. Patient perceptions of service received were obtained on completion of treatment. Perceptions and expectations are then compared to identify where the largest service gaps exist. Although patient satisfaction with the overall service provided was generally high, the instrument provided evidence of where specific service improvements were needed. The largest service quality gap was for the reliability of service. The research also revealed the need for improved premises. Although the study has a limited sample size, it does appear that the SERVQUAL instrument has a useful diagnostic role to play in assessing and monitoring service quality in nursing, enabling nursing staff to identify where improvements are needed from the patients' perspective. The study has raised a number of issues which would form the basis for useful further research. Service quality from the patients' perspective should be routinely monitored and assessed. The findings should be useful to nursing staff seeking to assess, and improve, service quality.

Service quality in hotel industry

OpenAIRE

Mitreva, Elizabeta; Miteva, Natasa; Saneva, Dusica

2017-01-01

Quality assessment is one of the greatest challenges of hotel industry. Given its complex nature, numerous technics help in quality measurement, assessment and management. Following this it can be achieved full quality management and with that sustainable business development to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. In service industries quality is measured according to consumers’ expectation and perception. The aim of this paper is to, through literature review, to get the importance of qual...

Technology usage, quality management system, and service quality in Thailand.

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Sivabrovornvatana, Nilubon; Siengthai, Sununta; Krairit, Donyaprueth; Paul, Himangshu

2005-01-01

This article aims to explore the relationship between technology and quality management for enhancing Thai hospital service quality. The paper presents the findings of an exploratory study that investigates service quality from the customer and service provider perception. In-depth interviews were conducted with respondents in Thai hospitals. The interviews explored service-related factors that patients and service providers perceive to be important for hospital services. The first interview group consisted of professionals as internal customers in direct contact with external customers, while the second group consisted of external customers of the same hospitals. The study's outcomes clearly suggest factors that make significant contribution to service quality. These factors can be categorized according to five SERVQUAL dimensions (reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibility), although some factors required slightly different interpretation. The findings suggest that hospitals can develop an appropriate approach to their advantage, which can yield sustainable improvement in service quality as perceived by patients and professionals. Hospitals can make better quality decisions based on structured measurement and knowledge. It is recommended that managers apply this knowledge for successful implementation of activities related to service quality in their organizations.

Chronic kidney-disease screening service quality: questionnaire survey research evidence from Taichung city

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Glen Robert

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD is a serious public health problem in Taiwan and the world. The most effective, affordable treatments involve early prevention/detection/intervention, requiring screening. Successfully implementing CKD programs requires good patient participation, affected by patient perceptions of screening service quality. Service quality improvements can help make such programs more successful. Thus, good tools for assessing service quality perceptions are important. Aim: to investigate using a modified SERVQUAL questionnaire in assessing patient expectations, perceptions, and loyalty towards kidney disease screening service quality. Method 1595 kidney disease screening program patients in Taichung City were requested to complete and return a modified kidney disease screening SERVQUAL questionnaire. 1187 returned them. Incomplete ones (102 were culled and 1085 were chosen as effective for use. Paired t-tests, correlation tests, ANOVA, LSD test, and factor analysis identified the characteristics and factors of service quality. The paired t-test tested expectation score and perception score gaps. A structural equation modeling system examined satisfaction-based components' relationships. Results The effective response rate was 91.4%. Several methods verified validity. Cronbach's alpha on internal reliability was above 0.902. On patient satisfaction, expectation scores are high: 6.50 (0.82, but perception scores are significantly lower 6.14 (1.02. Older patients' perception scores are lower than younger patients'. Expectation and perception scores for patients with different types of jobs are significantly different. Patients higher on education have lower scores for expectation (r = -0.09 and perception (r = -0.26. Factor analysis identified three factors in the 22 item SERVQUAL form, which account for 80.8% of the total variance for the expectation scores and 86.9% of the total variance for the satisfaction

Chronic kidney-disease screening service quality: questionnaire survey research evidence from Taichung City.

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Lin, Deng-Juin; Li, Ya-Hsin; Pai, Jar-Yuan; Sheu, Ing-Cheau; Glen, Robert; Chou, Ming-Jen; Lee, Ching-Yi

2009-12-19

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious public health problem in Taiwan and the world. The most effective, affordable treatments involve early prevention/detection/intervention, requiring screening. Successfully implementing CKD programs requires good patient participation, affected by patient perceptions of screening service quality. Service quality improvements can help make such programs more successful. Thus, good tools for assessing service quality perceptions are important. to investigate using a modified SERVQUAL questionnaire in assessing patient expectations, perceptions, and loyalty towards kidney disease screening service quality. 1595 kidney disease screening program patients in Taichung City were requested to complete and return a modified kidney disease screening SERVQUAL questionnaire. 1187 returned them. Incomplete ones (102) were culled and 1085 were chosen as effective for use. Paired t-tests, correlation tests, ANOVA, LSD test, and factor analysis identified the characteristics and factors of service quality. The paired t-test tested expectation score and perception score gaps. A structural equation modeling system examined satisfaction-based components' relationships. The effective response rate was 91.4%. Several methods verified validity. Cronbach's alpha on internal reliability was above 0.902. On patient satisfaction, expectation scores are high: 6.50 (0.82), but perception scores are significantly lower 6.14 (1.02). Older patients' perception scores are lower than younger patients'. Expectation and perception scores for patients with different types of jobs are significantly different. Patients higher on education have lower scores for expectation (r = -0.09) and perception (r = -0.26). Factor analysis identified three factors in the 22 item SERVQUAL form, which account for 80.8% of the total variance for the expectation scores and 86.9% of the total variance for the satisfaction scores. Expectation and perception score gaps in all 22

Customer perceived service quality, satisfaction and loyalty in Indian private healthcare.

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Kondasani, Rama Koteswara Rao; Panda, Rajeev Kumar

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how perceived service quality and customer satisfaction lead to loyalty towards healthcare service providers. In total, 475 hospital patients participated in a questionnaire survey in five Indian private hospitals. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, regression and correlation statistics were employed to analyse customer perceived service quality and how it leads to loyalty towards service providers. Results indicate that the service seeker-service provider relationship, quality of facilities and the interaction with supporting staff have a positive effect on customer perception. Findings help healthcare managers to formulate effective strategies to ensure a better quality of services to the customers. This study helps healthcare managers to build customer loyalty towards healthcare services, thereby attracting and gaining more customers. This paper will help healthcare managers and service providers to analyse customer perceptions and their loyalty towards Indian private healthcare services.

[Care quality in intensive care evaluated by the patients using a service quality scale (SERVQUAL)].

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Regaira Martínez, E; Sola Iriarte, M; Goñi Viguria, R; Del Barrio Linares, M; Margall Coscojuela, M A; Asiain Erro, M C

2010-01-01

The evaluation made by the patients on the quality of service received is important to introduce improvement strategies in the care quality. 1. To evaluate the care quality through the analysis of the differences obtained between expectations and perceptions, that the patients have of the service received in the ICU. 2. To analyze if there is any relationship between care quality evaluated by the patients and the sociodemographic variables. A total of 86 patients who were conscious and oriented during their stay in the ICU were studied prospectively. At 24h of the discharge from the ICU, the SERVQUAL (Service Quality) scale, adapted for the hospital setting by Babakus and Mangold (1992), was applied. This scale measures the care quality based on the difference in scores obtained between expectations and perceptions of the patients. The positive scores indicate that the perceptions of the patients exceed their expectations. The scale has 5 dimensions: Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurances and Empathy. It includes 15 items for perceptions and the same for expectations, with 5 grades of response (1 totally disagree - 5 totally agree). The mean score of perceptions 66.92) exceeded that of the expectations (62.30). The mean score of the difference between perceptions and expectations for the total of the SERVQUAL scale was 4.62. It was also positive for each one of the dimensions: Tangibility=1.44, Reliability=0.53, Responsiveness=0.95, Assurances=0.99, Empathy=0.71. No statistically significant associations were found between care quality evaluated by the patients and the sociodemographic variables. The care quality perceived by the patients in the ICU exceeds their expectations, and had no relationship with the sociodemographic characteristics. Copyright 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. y SEEIUC. All rights reserved.

The impact of visitor segments on the perception of the quality of the product of accommodation establishments

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Roman Švec

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to evaluate differences in the quality perception among particular segments of demand. Data for analysis were collected by means of the questionnaire survey among clients of accommodation establishments. The research in accommodation establishments succeeded to identify four factors of the perception of quality of services provided in those establishments, when only accommodation and catering services were taken into consideration. Age appeared to be an important criterion for the evaluation the of the quality of offered services as the differences in the quality perception among particular age groups were proved for three of four identified factors of the quality perception. The factors are as follows: “environment of the accommodation establishment”, “hygiene in accommodation establishment”, “service in the catering part of the establishment” and “quality of the meals”. The duration of stay as well as the gender of the respondents influences the quality of perception only in the perception of the “quality of meal” factor. Compared to the duration of stay, the repetition of the stay is a considerably important factor in causing the variability of the answers on the rate of the quality perception. The purpose of travel was also proven to be a criterion affecting the rate of the quality perception of the first three factors, whereas the impact of the criterion “client’s travel companionship” was proven in case of the first and third factor.

Patients’ Perception on Hospital Quality in a Teaching Hospital of Tehran

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Samad Azari

2016-01-01

Full Text Available ​Background and Objectives : Due to unique characteristics of the health sector, measuring the efficiency and quality of services provided are the top priorities of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. In health systems, an appropriate response to the needs and demands of patients is a priority. This study was conducted to assess hospital’s services quality using logit model for prioritizing service attributes based on patients’ perception in 2012. Material and Methods : In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 330 patients in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran were entered into the study based on Cochran method. Data were gathered using questionnaire in 5 dimensions and 10 scenarios. Reliability and validity of the questionnaire were approved. Data were input into STATA software 10th edition and utility function was estimated to calculate the marginal utility specifications. Results : According to the patients’ perception, type of examination and treatment was ranked as the first and cleaning services of the departments and toilets was ranked as the last priority. The results about waiting time between hospital arrival until admission was negative which means reverse influence on patient perception of quality. Except cleaning services of the departments and toilets and handling patients, other features had significant relationship with patient preferences. Conclusion : In order to increase the desirability of visiting patients in hospitals and delivering high quality services and considering patient preferences; hospital administrators need to be focused on improving the quality of the programs.

[Quality of service provided to heart surgery patients of the Unified Health System-SUS].

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Borges, Juliana Bassalobre Carvalho; Carvalho, Sebastião Marcos Ribeiro de; Silva, Marcos Augusto de Moraes

2010-01-01

To evaluate the service quality provided to heart surgery patients during their hospital stay, identifying the patient's expectations and perceptions. To associate service quality with: gender, age and the use of extracorporeal circulation. We studied 82 elective heart surgery patients (52.4% females and 47.6% males), operated by midsternal thoracotomy, age: 31 to 83 years (60.4 +/- 13.2 years); period: March to September 2006. Service quality was evaluated in two instances: the expectations at pre-operative and the perceptions of the service received on the 6th post-operative; through the application of the modified SERVQUAL scale (SERVQUAL-Card). The result was obtained by the difference of the sum of the scores on perception minus those of the expectations, and through statistical analysis. The SERVQUAL-Card scale was statistically validated, showing adequate level of internal consistency. We found a higher frequency of myocardial revascularization 55 (67.0%); first heart surgery 72 (87.8%) and the use of ECC 69 (84.1%). We noticed high mean values for expectations and perceptions with significant results (Pquality of service with: gender, in empathy (P= 0.04) and age, in reliability (P = 0.02). There was no significant association between ECC and quality of service. Service quality was satisfactory. The patient demonstrated a high expectation to hospital medical service. Women present a higher perception of quality in empathy and younger people in reliability. The use of ECC is not related to service quality in this sample. The data obtained in this study suggest that the quality of this health service can be monitored through the periodical application of the SERVQUAL scale.

PATIENT'S PERCEPTION ON THE QUALITY OF RADIOTHERAPY SERVICES IN TWO TEACHING HOSPITALS IN NIGERIA.

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Sowunmi, Anthonia C; Fatiregun, Omolara Amina; Alabi, Adewumi O; Zaccheus, Ibitoye A; Kingsley, Irurhe A; Oyedeji, S A

2015-01-01

Patient satisfaction is an important and commonly used indicator for measuring the quality in health care. Patient satisfaction affects clinical outcomes, patient retention, and medical malpractice claims. It affects the timely, efficient, and patient-centered delivery of quality health care. A review of quality of services from the patient's perspective could be a method of assessing in order to improve services and achieve total quality management. This study was designed to assess patients' perception on the quality of Radiotherapy services in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Lagos and University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan. This study is a cross-sectional study. This research lasted for a period of two months and all patients receiving radiotherapy within is period were included in this study. A total of 246 questionnaires were completed (152 and 94 in LUTH and UCH respectively) and the data collection was by semi-structured questionnaire. Data obtained were collected and analyzed using SPSS statistics [Social Sciences Statistical Package] 17.0 version. The findings of this research indicated that 68.4% in LUTH and 53.2% in UCH of the patients experienced good care. It also revealed that there is good interaction between the staff and the patient. Most of the patients spent more than 3 hours before receiving treatment and also the reason for such delay were not explained to them. The rate of preferential treatment was noted to be high. This study will contribute positively towards achieving effective and qualitative radiotherapy services by creating awareness for the need to minimize patient waiting time as well as the need to explain the reason for such delays. The department should adopt better ways of appointment system so that treatment will be on first come first serve basis. This study will contribute positively towards achieving effective and qualitative radiotherapy services by creating awareness for the need to minimize patient waiting time

Consumers' quality perception

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bech, Anne C.; Grunert, Klaus G.; Bredahl, Lone

2001-01-01

Much has been said about food quality, and the disussion is endless because the notion of quality changes along with the changes in our life and society. This underlines the complexity of the issue of food quality. Today food production in Europe is highly concentrated, and the global market is r...... framework, the Total Food Quality Model, which we believe is useful in understanding consumers perception of food quality. We will then illustrate applications of the model using two recent examples of the quality perception of meat and fish.......Much has been said about food quality, and the disussion is endless because the notion of quality changes along with the changes in our life and society. This underlines the complexity of the issue of food quality. Today food production in Europe is highly concentrated, and the global market...... of quality and the ability of producers to react to changes in consumers' perception of quality may form the basis of market success or failure, independent of whether you are a local or multinational producer. This chapter deals with the analysis of consumers' quality perception. We will introduce a general...

perception and satisfaction with quality of antenatal care services ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

of this new focus, measurement of customer satisfaction has become equally important in assessing ... Objectives: This study evaluated clients' perception of antenatal care quality at the University College Hospital (UCH), ..... National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), waivers for staff of the UCH and for People Living with.

Assessment of the quality of service provided by a national regulatory institution

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Adetunji, O.

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Government institutions need to assess how well they meet the needs of their customers, and what their customers think about the quality of the services they provide. This is aligned with the Batho Pele principle of the South African government. The SERVQUAL scale, augmented with a qualitative survey, was used to determine how the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC is perceived by its clients, which key factors drive such perceptions, and whether the perceptions are consistent across the different client groups of this regulatory institution. The complementary role of qualitative data in illuminating issues driving quantitative results is highlighted. Service quality scores are computed for the NHBRC. The convergence of opinions of different customer groups was studied using correlation analysis. The significance of service quality perception gaps was tested using the multivariate analysis of variance, and the reliability of the SERVQUAL scale was examined using exploratory factor analysis. It was observed that by improving the feedback mechanism of the NHBRC, their clients customer service quality perceptions could be enhanced.

Service Quality and Student/Customer Satisfaction in the Private Tertiary Education Sector in Singapore

Science.gov (United States)

Khoo, Susie; Ha, Huong; McGregor, Sue L. T.

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper focuses on students' perceptions of the quality of non-academic services received in higher education. While the important role played by expectations and perceptions in students' evaluations of such services has been discussed in much of the service quality literature, there is insufficient work in the private tertiary…

Links among high-performance work environment, service quality, and customer satisfaction: an extension to the healthcare sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Scotti, Dennis J; Harmon, Joel; Behson, Scott J

2007-01-01

Healthcare managers must deliver high-quality patient services that generate highly satisfied and loyal customers. In this article, we examine how a high-involvement approach to the work environment of healthcare employees may lead to exceptional service quality, satisfied patients, and ultimately to loyal customers. Specifically, we investigate the chain of events through which high-performance work systems (HPWS) and customer orientation influence employee and customer perceptions of service quality and patient satisfaction in a national sample of 113 Veterans Health Administration ambulatory care centers. We present a conceptual model for linking work environment to customer satisfaction and test this model using structural equations modeling. The results suggest that (1) HPWS is linked to employee perceptions of their ability to deliver high-quality customer service, both directly and through their perceptions of customer orientation; (2) employee perceptions of customer service are linked to customer perceptions of high-quality service; and (3) perceived service quality is linked with customer satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings, including suggestions of how healthcare managers can implement changes to their work environments, are discussed.

The students’ viewpoint on the quality gap in educational services

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RAHIM KHANLI, MARZIYEH; DANESHMANDI, HADI; CHOOBINEH, ALIREZA

2014-01-01

Introduction: Students and university community are social and human resources of the country. The students’ viewpoints about the quality of educational services can be considered as a basis for planning quality promotion and improving organizational performance. This study was conducted to determine the quality gap in educational services by the students of Health and Nutrition School of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 140 students participated voluntarily (age range=19 to 40 years). The service quality (SERVQUAL) questionnaire was used for data collection. This questionnaire measured the quality gap in 5 dimensions of educational service including assurance, responsiveness, empathy, reliability, and tangibility. The students’ perception about the current conditions and their expectations as to optimal conditions can be determined, using this questionnaire. The score of the gap in quality of educational services is calculated from difference between perception and expectation scores. Due to non-normality of data, non-parametric tests were used. To this end, data were analyzed by statistical tests including Wilcoxon, Friedman, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whiteny tests in SPSS 14. Results: The results showed that there was quality gap in all 5 dimensions of educational services. The largest and the smallest gaps were observed in "responsiveness" with a mean±SD of -0.94±0.74 and in "reliability" with a mean±SD of -0.76±0.69, respectively. There was a significant difference in quality gap between the 5 dimensions (p<0.001). Conclusion: According to the results, the students’ expectations were higher than their perceptions of current conditions; also, in all aspects of the services their expectations were not met. It is recommended that workshops on customer services, communication skills and personnel’s technical skills development should be planned and held. Also, allocating more resources for improving

The students' viewpoint on the quality gap in educational services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MARZIYEH RAHIM-KHANLI

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Students and university community are social and human resources of the country. The students’ viewpoints about the quality of educational services can be considered as a basis for planning quality promotion and improving organizational performance. This study was conducted to determine the quality gap in educational services by the students of Health and Nutrition School of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 140 students participated voluntarily (age range=19 to 40 years. The service quality (SERVQUAL questionnaire was used for data collection. This questionnaire measured the quality gap in 5 dimensions of educational service including assurance, responsiveness, empathy, reliability, and tangibility. The students’ perception about the current conditions and their expectations as to optimal conditions can be determined, using this questionnaire. The score of the gap in quality of educational services is calculated from difference between perception and expectation scores. Due to non-normality of data, non-parametric tests were used. To this end, data were analyzed by statistical tests including Wilcoxon, Friedman, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whiteny tests in SPSS 14. Results: The results showed that there was quality gap in all 5 dimensions of educational services. The largest and the smallest gaps were observed in "responsiveness" with a mean±SD of -0.94±0.74 and in "reliability" with a mean±SD of -0.76±0.69, respectively. There was a significant difference in quality gap between the 5 dimensions (p<0.001. Conclusion: According to the results, the students’ expectations were higher than their perceptions of current conditions; also, in all aspects of the services their expectations were not met. It is recommended that workshops on customer services, communication skills and personnel’s technical skills development should be planned and held. Also, allocating more resources for

Service quality assessment of a referral hospital in southern Iran with SERVQUAL technique: patients' perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Aghamolaei, Teamur; Eftekhaari, Tasnim Eghbal; Rafati, Shideh; Kahnouji, Kobra; Ahangari, Shamsieh; Shahrzad, Mohammad Esmaeil; Kahnouji, Ataollah; Hoseini, Seyedeh Hamideh

2014-07-27

Providing services to patients according to their expectations and needs is necessary for the success of an organization in order to remain in the competitive market. Recognizing these needs and expectations is an important step in offering high quality services. This study was designed to determine the service quality gap of the main hospital of Hormozgan province. This cross sectional study was conducted in 2013 in Bandar Abbas ShahidMohammadi Hospital in the south of Iran. All 96 participants of this study were provided by SERVQUAL questionnaire. Data was analyzed by Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Service quality gaps were seen in all five service quality dimensions and the overall quality of service. The mean of quality perception score and quality expectation score was 3.44 ± 0.693 and 4.736 ± 0.34, respectively. The highest perception was in assurance dimension and the highest expectation was in Responsiveness and assurance dimensions. Also, the lowest perception was in responsiveness dimension and the lowest expectation was about empathy. In this study, 56.1% of participants defined the quality of services as average. According to the results, this hospital was not able to meet patients' expectations completely. Therefore, action must be taken to decrease the gap between the perception and expectation of the patients.

Gap analysis of service quality at Innibos Arts Festival

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Lisa Welthagen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Events, specifically festivals, have experienced significant growth in South Africa over the past ten years in size, numbers, diversity and popularity (Van Zyl, 2011. Arts festivals have become a feature in the South African cultural landscape and long term success and sustainability of these events rely on the emphasis of service quality, thereby highlighting sustainability of festivals and events. The questionnaire, based on the SERVQUAL model and an adaption of the Grönroos model was used to identify service perceptions and expectations of service quality at Innibos National Arts Festival in Mbombela, South Africa. The data were collected in two phases, the first prior to the festival to measure attendee’s expectations, and the second after the festival to measure the attendee’s experience of service quality at the festival . The statistical analysis was performed on a construct level as well as an individual variable level. This study aimed at quantifying the gap between attendee’s expectations and perceptions of service quality and overall customer satisfaction.

Islamic Banks Service Innovation Quality: Conceptual Model

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Tahreem Noor Khan

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Customer perspectives and satisfaction level are considered important for analysing the performance of Islamic bank service quality. Sufficient researches has been done to explore customer perception and satisfaction level with Islamic banking service quality, however there is lack of data to compare and find the similarity in understanding the main determinant attributes needed for Islamic banking service quality. The purpose of this paper is to describe and integrate the results of existing wealth of research on service quality in Islamic banks. After weighing up all the views from existing research, common findings, concerns will be discussed. This research did not find much of information or studies indicating toward innovation in Islamic banking service quality. Thus based on review of the literature this paper suggests main key attributes of service for Islamic banks (RIBA Service IQ. This research strongly asserts that sincere motivation, truthful intention, dynamic and practical service innovation of quality approaches can uplift Islamic financial brandDOI: 10.15408/aiq.v8i2.3161

Effects of Outsourcing Food and Beverage Functions on Customers' Perceptions of Hotels' Service Quality in Dubai

OpenAIRE

Valeva, Yana Ilieva

2010-01-01

The focus of this study is the customers’ perceptions of service quality in Dubai Hotel Industry. Dubai is one of the newest and most successful tourist destinations that build and develop itself in days of intense competition and globalization. Every well established International brand in Hospitality in today’s world is presented in this tourist destination. This fact has created great opportunities for hotels to link up with aspiring restaurateurs who can give individuality to their restau...

Non-Academic Service Quality: Comparative Analysis of Students and Faculty as Users

Science.gov (United States)

Sharif, Khurram; Kassim, Norizan Mohd

2012-01-01

The research focus was a non-academic service quality assessment within higher education. In particular, non-academic service quality perceptions of faculty and students were evaluated using a service profit chain. This enabled a comparison which helped understanding of non-academic service quality orientation from a key users' perspective. Data…

Evaluating quality of health services in health centres of Zanjan district of Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadi, Ali; Mohammadi, Jamshid

2012-01-01

To assess quality of health services in Zanjan health centres based on clients' expectations and perceptions. The study was conducted by using service quality (SERVQUAL) scale on a sample of 300 females, clients of health care centres in the district of Zanjan, selected by cluster sampling. The results indicated that there were negative quality gaps at five SERVQUAL dimensions. The most and least negative quality gap mean scores were in reliability dimension (-2.1) and tangible (-1.13) respectively. There was statistically significant difference between clients' perceptions and expectations mean scores at all of the five service quality dimensions (P<0.001). The negative quality gap level in health service dimensions can be used as a guideline for redistribution of resources and managerial attempts to reduce quality gaps and improvement of health care quality.

Internal Customer Satisfaction and Service Quality Toward Trust and Word of Mouth

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Sri Rahayu

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This study generally aims to analyze the influence of internal customer satisfaction and perceptions of service quality in creating trust and word of mouth in higher education service industry. In the process, this study aims to achieve a special purpose, which is to build constructs/ variables to measure internal customer satisfaction, so in the future it can be applied to universally in other institutions of higher education. The results of this study indicate that the internal customer satisfaction can be measured with three constructs, namely: service product, service delivery, and service environment. All of those variables have significant relationship with trust, which is significantly related to word of mouth. On the other side, communication, productivity and responsiveness are found to be significant in measuring the perceptions of service quality.The results also proved that the perception of service quality is significantly related to trust and word of mouth. This study is expected to contribute measurement tools of internal customer satisfaction in higher education. This research is also expected to enrich discussion on how to measure the internal customer satisfaction and service quality toward trust and word of mouth in higher education. Thus the higher education can continue to strive to provide educational service in accordance with the expectations of the customers.

Evaluating the service quality of third-party logistics service providers using the analytic hierarchy process

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Soon-hoo So

2006-12-01

Full Text Available In this study we apply the analytic hierarchy process (AHP to evaluate the service quality of third-party logistics (3PL service providers. We first conceptualize five dimensions of 3PL service quality (i.e. tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. We then apply the AHP method to determine the relative weights of the five service quality dimensions and eventually select the best 3PL service provider. To implement this idea in practice, we conduct an empirical case study on four companies providing 3PL services in Korea. The results indicate that Responsiveness out of the five service quality dimensions is the most important factor in the perception of 3PL customers.

A Study On Measuring The Service Quality Gap of Banking Sector

OpenAIRE

Dr. S. Saravanan; M. Madhunica Priyadharshini

2018-01-01

Service quality in banking sector is the most important criteria and asset for evaluating the satisfying customers. This study was carried with the objective of understanding the gap exist between the customer expectation and perception. This paper attempts to make comparative analysis of customer satisfaction between the public and private bank in Thanjavur district. To compare the service quality between customer perception and expectation, SERVQUAL modal is used to analysis the gap by usin...

Service quality assessment of a referral hospital in Southern Iran with SERVQUAL technique: patients’ perspective

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Providing services to patients according to their expectations and needs is necessary for the success of an organization in order to remain in the competitive market. Recognizing these needs and expectations is an important step in offering high quality services. This study was designed to determine the service quality gap of the main hospital of Hormozgan province. Methods This cross sectional study was conducted in 2013 in Bandar Abbas ShahidMohammadi Hospital in the south of Iran. All 96 participants of this study were provided by SERVQUAL questionnaire. Data was analyzed by Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results Service quality gaps were seen in all five service quality dimensions and the overall quality of service. The mean of quality perception score and quality expectation score was 3.44 ± 0.693 and 4.736 ± 0.34, respectively. The highest perception was in assurance dimension and the highest expectation was in Responsiveness and assurance dimensions. Also, the lowest perception was in responsiveness dimension and the lowest expectation was about empathy. In this study, 56.1% of participants defined the quality of services as average. Conclusion According to the results, this hospital was not able to meet patients’ expectations completely. Therefore, action must be taken to decrease the gap between the perception and expectation of the patients. PMID:25064475

Evaluating service quality in the Durban freight transportation industry

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Jeevarathnam P. Govender

2011-11-01

Full Text Available This paper evaluates service quality in the Durban freight transportation industry, in which a high degree of competition exists. Previous measurements of service quality in the industry have been casual gauges, rather than a formalised process. This paper makes a contribution by examining the level of service quality, specifically from a tangibles, reliability and responsiveness perspective, thereby identifying service quality gaps which need to be closed, with a view to raising service quality levels in the industry. The SERVQUAL instrument has been used to measure service quality levels administered to 500 of the industry’s active customers, i.e. organisations utilising the services of the freight transportation industry. The targeted respondents were managers responsible for logistics in their organisations. It was found that gaps existed between expectations and perceptions of service quality on 14 of the 15 measured items. Recommendations are made as to how the industry can improve its service quality levels.

The Relationship of Perceptions of Service and Support Adequacy to Family Quality of Life for Families of Children with Deafblindness

Science.gov (United States)

Kyzar, Kathleen

2010-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between families' perceptions of supports and services and family quality of life (FQOL) for families of children with deafblindness, and the potential of satisfaction with family-professional partnerships and child age as moderators of this relationship. The study was guided by the Unified Theory of Family…

Perceptions of pork quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bredahl, Lone; Grunert, Klaus G.

1997-01-01

This paper deals with consumer perceptions of food quality before and after consuming the product, and with the relationship between quality perception and the actural physiological characteristics of the product. The paper is work in progress and with an investigation of how German consumers per...... of the pork on expected and experienced quality. The study uses the Total Food Quality Model (Grunert et al, 1996) as a theoretical framework.......This paper deals with consumer perceptions of food quality before and after consuming the product, and with the relationship between quality perception and the actural physiological characteristics of the product. The paper is work in progress and with an investigation of how German consumers...... perceive the quality of pork (n=200). The main objectives of the study are 1) to investigate which factors determine expected and experienced quality of pork, 2) to investigate the relation between exp and experienced quality, and 3) to investigate the impact of the physiological characteristics...

Using internal marketing to improve organizational commitment and service quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Yafang; Wu, Shih-Wang

2011-12-01

The purpose of this article was to explore the structural relationships among internal marketing, organizational commitment and service quality and to practically apply the findings. Internal marketing is a way to assist hospitals in improving the quality of the services that they provide while executing highly labour-intensive tasks. Through internal marketing, a hospital can enhance the organizational commitment of its employees to attain higher service quality. This research uses a cross-sectional study to survey nursing staff perceptions about internal marketing, organizational commitment and service quality. The results of the survey are evaluated using equation models. The sample includes three regional hospitals in Taiwan. Three hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed and 288 valid questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 82.3%. The survey process lasted from 1 February to 9 March 2007. The data were analysed with SPSS 12.0, including descriptive statistics based on demographics. In addition, the influence of demographics on internal marketing, organizational commitment and service quality is examined using one-way anova. The findings reveal that internal marketing plays a critical role in explaining employee perceptions of organizational commitment and service quality. Organizational commitment is the mediator between internal marketing and service quality. The results indicate that internal marketing has an impact on both organizational commitment and service quality. Internal marketing should be emphasized to influence frontline nursing staff, thereby helping to create better organizational commitment and service quality. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Exploring public bus service quality in South Africa: A structural equation modelling approach

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Ayanda M. Vilakazi

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This study, which is a deviation from the usual practice of using SERVQUAL or an adaptedversion thereof, uses McKnight, Pagano and Paaswell’s (1986 service quality dimensions,namely reliability; extent of service; comfort; safety; and affordability (RECSA and structuralequation modelling to determine commuters’ perception of public bus service quality in amajor city in South Africa. The RECSA model was adapted and fitted to the data collectedfrom a convenience sample of bus commuters in Johannesburg, using structural equationmodelling. It was ascertained that reliability, service, comfort and safety influenced thepublic bus commuters’ perception of the overall service quality. The implications of theaforementioned findings for providers of public bus services are explained.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT TOOLS APPLYING IN THE STRATEGY OF LOGISTICS SERVICES QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

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Agnieszka Czajkowska

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Combination of factors such as: properly organized logistics process, lack of nonconformities, transport damages avoiding and transport in accordance Just In Time idea significantly reduces costs and streamlines the entire production process. This paper proposes the quality management tool for the logistics services assessment based on the results obtained in the selected company operating in Eastern Europe. Customers’ expectations and perceptions were compared using the SERVQUAL method that concerns the service quality assessment in five areas such as: materiality, reliability, promptness, competency and empathy. The research method SERVQUAL allows assessing the service quality level and identifying company areas that requires corrective actions within the improvement process.

Factors Influencing Perceptions of Service Quality in Cooperative Extension Workers

Science.gov (United States)

Anaza, Nwamaka A.; Rutherford, Brian N.; Widdows, Richard

2012-01-01

The authors examined the direct and indirect impact of empowerment on service quality as perceived by Extension staff. Using a sample 283 respondents, the results revealed that along with empowerment, constructs such as job satisfaction and organizational identification positively affected service quality. Undoubtedly, each of these variables…

An Empirical Investigation into the Construct of Higher Education Service Quality

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Jaroslav Dado

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper addresses the issue of higher education service quality measurement and stresses the need of devising psychometrically as well as diagnostically sound measurement instruments, suitable to the context being investigated. The study builds upon the SERVQUAL scale, the inventory successfully tried and tested across a broad spectrum of service industries. Notwithstanding significant resemblance with the original five dimensions of service quality, research findings indicate six-dimensional structure of the construct of higher education service quality. Study performed on a sample of Engineering Management students reveals perceptions falling short of expectations across all of the determinants of service quality. The largest negative gap between students’ perceptions and expectations has been discovered concerning the potential for future career development, whereas research findings indicate the same dimension to be the most important predictor of students’ future behavioral intentions. In an attempt to inspire further interests in this field, managerial implications and directions for future research have been discussed.

Participant and service provider perceptions of an outpatient rehabilitation program for people with acquired brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Poncet, Frédérique; Pradat-Diehl, Pascale; Lamontagne, Marie-Eve; Alifax, Anne; Fradelizi, Pascaline; Barette, Maude; Swaine, Bonnie

2017-09-01

A holistic, intensive and interdisciplinary rehabilitation program for people with acquired brain injury (ABI) was developed at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, France (5 days/week for 7 weeks). This program, recently demonstrated effective, aimed to optimize the ability of people with ABI to perform activities and improve their participation by using individual and group interventions involving ecologically valid activities inside (e.g., in the gym and kitchen) and outside the hospital. However, the perception of the quality of the program by participants and service providers has not yet been reported. This study had 3 objectives: (1) report the perception of participants (adults with ABI) in terms of service quality of the program, (2) report the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) of the program as perceived by service providers, and (3) triangulate findings to draw conclusions about the program's quality and provide recommendations for quality improvement. We used a mixed-methods design with a validated questionnaire (Perception of Quality of Rehabilitation Services [PQRS-Montreal]) and interviews (structured around a SWOT analysis) involving program participants and service providers. We included 33 program participants (mean age 43.6 years) and 12 service providers (mean years with program 7.6 years). In general, study participants showed a convergence of opinion about the high quality of the program, particularly regarding the team and its participant-focused approach. Specific aspects of the program were viewed more negatively by both participants and service providers (i.e., addressing sexuality, family involvement and return to work/volunteer work/school). Participant and service provider perceptions of the rehabilitation program under study were generally positive. A reliable and valid questionnaire and interviews helped identify aspects of the program that worked well and those that could be targeted for future quality

Perceptions of restaurateurs on quality grading

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Joseph Roberson

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A restaurateur's strategic focus is to maximise wealth for the owner(s. To achieve wealth maximisation, a restaurateur could implement one or more of the following strategies: focus strategy, cost-leadership strategy and/or differentiation strategy. A management intervention a restaurateur could implement to achieve this is quality differentiation. Grading of an establishment will assist a restaurateur in becoming a market leader. Currently there no national restaurant grading system exists in South Africa. As support and participation of restaurateurs in any future quality grading system are essential, it is imperative to test their perceptions of the implementation of a quality grading scale. The aim of this paper is to gather the perceptions of restaurateurs of an envisaged scale that could be used to grade independent full-service restaurants. In this study the researcher tested the perceptions of restaurateurs using nine possible outcomes of implementing quality grading in the independent fullservice restaurant segment. The outcomes to be tested were presented to restaurateurs in a questionnaire uploaded on "survey monkey". This was emailed to 3 286 restaurateurs and 265 responses were received. Respondents who were positive regarding grading indicated that they were enthusiastic about the impact grading would have on international tourism, as well as the fact that it could contribute to an increase in the value of their establishments.

THE MEASUREMENT OF SERVICE QUALITY WITH SERVQUAL FOR DIFFERENT DOMESTIC AIRLINE FIRMS IN TURKEY

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Kenan Aydin

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The primary purpose of this research is to determine whether there is a significant differencebetween the passengers’ service quality expectations and service quality perceptions in differentairline firms. The collateral purpose is to find out whether there is a significant difference betweenservice quality expectation and service quality perception of the passengers who have differentsocio-demographic characteristics. To achieve these purposes, the 5 - dimensional scale, suggestedby Parasuraman et.al (1988 was applied to the airline travel sector. The questionnaire was used ininterviewing the passengers at Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul in Turkey with a “face to face”method. The data was analysed in SPSS 16 program after questionnnaires were collected. Firstly, thedemographic characteristics of passengers were presented for different airline firms. Then the highestand the lowest gaps for the each statement was determined. Lastly it was compared if there was asignificant difference between the service quality expectation and perception for different domesticairline firms.

Student Perceptions on Service Quality of Higher Education: an Empirical Study

OpenAIRE

Rahayu, Fatik; Murtanto, Murtanto; Ekasari, Ayu

2007-01-01

Educational literatures suggest that there is mounting pressure from customers of higher education to close the gap between their expectation of institutional performance and the actual performance (Widrick et al., 2002; Pariseau and Mc Daniel, 1997; Shank et al., 1995). Therefore, it is imperative that higher educations actively monitor the quality of their service. This study deals with measuring the service quality in higher education. The service quality of higher education in this resear...

Measurement of quality in Saudi Arabian service industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jannadi, O.A. [King Fahd Univ. of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Al-Saggaf, H. [SCECO-East (Saudi Arabia)

2000-10-12

Quality problems in the service organisation are the result of the mismatch between prior expectation and perceived quality of the service. Each organisation will attempt to determine the requirements of its customers and translate these requirements into product and delivery process specifications. This paper examines a particular electric company (SCECO-East), a typical service provider in Saudi Arabia, in which service quality is a distinguishing feature of primary importance. It describes a detailed survey and analysis in the light of the model put forward by Parasuraman et al. It utilises SERVQUAL for measuring customers' perceptions of service quality. The study revealed that SCECO-East scored high in tangibles dimension but low in features of responsiveness and reliability. In addition, while the performance of SCECO-East was acceptable to all customer categories, service quality was perceived differently by various types of customers, with reinforcement and commercial customers awarding SCECO-East even lower ratings than other customers did. (Author)

Measuring e-Commerce service quality from online customer review using sentiment analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Kencana Sari, Puspita; Alamsyah, Andry; Wibowo, Sulistyo

2018-03-01

The biggest e-Commerce challenge to understand their market is to chart their level of service quality according to customer perception. The opportunities to collect user perception through online user review is considered faster methodology than conducting direct sampling methodology. To understand the service quality level, sentiment analysis methodology is used to classify the reviews into positive and negative sentiment for five dimensions of electronic service quality (e-Servqual). As case study in this research, we use Tokopedia, one of the biggest e-Commerce service in Indonesia. We obtain the online review comments about Tokopedia service quality during several month observations. The Naïve Bayes classification methodology is applied for the reason of its high-level accuracy and support large data processing. The result revealed that personalization and reliability dimension required more attention because have high negative sentiment. Meanwhile, trust and web design dimension have high positive sentiments that means it has very good services. The responsiveness dimension have balance sentiment positive and negative.

Servqual potential for quality management in hotel services

OpenAIRE

Kateřina Ryglová; Ida Vajčnerová; Jakub Šácha

2012-01-01

The aim of the paper is to present possibilities and specifications of using the Servqual method in service quality management in hotel industry. The Servqual method works on the definition of five dimensions of a service quality: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. It is based on so called Gap analysis that crucially comes out of the discrepancy between a customer’s expectation and perception. Demonstrating the practical application of Servqual in hotel business is...

The students' viewpoint on the quality gap in educational services.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahim Khanli, Marziyeh; Daneshmandi, Hadi; Choobineh, Alireza

2014-07-01

Students and university community are social and human resources of the country. The students' viewpoints about the quality of educational services can be considered as a basis for planning quality promotion and improving organizational performance. This study was conducted to determine the quality gap in educational services by the students of Health and Nutrition School of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. In this cross-sectional study, 140 students participated voluntarily (age range=19 to 40 years). The service quality (SERVQUAL) questionnaire was used for data collection. This questionnaire measured the quality gap in 5 dimensions of educational service including assurance, responsiveness, empathy, reliability, and tangibility. The students' perception about the current conditions and their expectations as to optimal conditions can be determined, using this questionnaire. The score of the gap in quality of educational services is calculated from difference between perception and expectation scores. Due to non-normality of data, non-parametric tests were used. To this end, data were analyzed by statistical tests including Wilcoxon, Friedman, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whiteny tests in SPSS 14. The results showed that there was quality gap in all 5 dimensions of educational services. The largest and the smallest gaps were observed in "responsiveness" with a mean±SD of -0.94±0.74 and in "reliability" with a mean±SD of -0.76±0.69, respectively. There was a significant difference in quality gap between the 5 dimensions (peducational facilities and physical environment is recommended.

Client Views of TESOL Service: Expectations and Perceptions.

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Walker, John

2001-01-01

Used focus groups to explore TESOL (teaching of English to speakers of other languages) client expectations and perceptions of the service they received in New Zealand English language schools. Findings confirmed the key role of the teacher and the importance of the school's milieu and home stay, quality of client feedback systems, servicescape,…

Clients' knowledge, perception and satisfaction with quality of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Clients' knowledge, perception and satisfaction with quality of maternal health care services at the primary health care level in Nnewi, Nigeria. ... Furthermore cost, local language used, staff attitude and interaction with clients was acceptable and may be the reason for high level of satisfaction reported. Key words: Clients' ...

Assessment of the impact of educational services quality on consumer satisfaction and loyalty

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Untaru Elena- Nicoleta

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper aims to determine the way in which the quality of the services provided by a private kindergarten from the city of Braşov impacts the satisfaction and loyalty of the parents as service beneficiaries. Thus, the objectives of the research have taken into account the analysis of the parents’ expectations and perceptions regarding the services offered by the kindergarten, as well as the differences between them, using the Servqual model, the analysis of the correlation between perceptions and satisfaction, perception and loyalty variables, as well as the evaluation of the general quality of the service. The results of the research indicate that the kindergarten should identify the most efficient strategies for improving medical services, personnel training, daily menu, modernizing the safety systems, purchasing outdoors playground equipment and fixing the exterior aspect of the building.

Evaluating Service Quality from Patients' Perceptions: Application of Importance-performance Analysis Method.

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Mohebifar, Rafat; Hasani, Hana; Barikani, Ameneh; Rafiei, Sima

2016-08-01

Providing high service quality is one of the main functions of health systems. Measuring service quality is the basic prerequisite for improving quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of service in teaching hospitals using importance-performance analysis matrix. A descriptive-analytic study was conducted through a cross-sectional method in six academic hospitals of Qazvin, Iran, in 2012. A total of 360 patients contributed to the study. The sampling technique was stratified random sampling. Required data were collected based on a standard questionnaire (SERVQUAL). Data analysis was done through SPSS version 18 statistical software and importance-performance analysis matrix. The results showed a significant gap between importance and performance in all five dimensions of service quality (p quality gap and "responsiveness" had the lowest gap (1.97). Also, according to findings, reliability and assurance were in Quadrant (I), empathy was in Quadrant (II), and tangibles and responsiveness were in Quadrant (IV) of the importance-performance matrix. The negative gap in all dimensions of quality shows that quality improvement is necessary in all dimensions. Using quality and diagnosis measurement instruments such as importance-performance analysis will help hospital managers with planning of service quality improvement and achieving long-term goals.

Perceptions and factors affecting utilization of health services in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There was no statistical significant association in the utilization of health services with regard to gender (p=0.889, OR=1.04; 0.55-2.00), educational level (p=0.707, OR=1.16; 0.50-2.79) and age (p=0.839, OR=0.94; 0.51-1.72). Community perceptions of poor quality and inadequacy of available services, however, ...

Women's perceptions of antenatal, delivery, and postpartum services in rural Tanzania

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Gladys Reuben Mahiti

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Maternal health care provision remains a major challenge in developing countries. There is agreement that the provision of quality clinical services is essential if high rates of maternal death are to be reduced. However, despite efforts to improve access to these services, a high number of women in Tanzania do not access them. The aim of this study is to explore women's views about the maternal health services (pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum period that they received at health facilities in order to identify gaps in service provision that may lead to low-quality maternal care and increased risks associated with maternal morbidity and mortality in rural Tanzania. Design: We gathered qualitative data from 15 focus group discussions with women attending a health facility after child birth and transcribed it verbatim. Qualitative content analysis was used for analysis. Results: ‘Three categories emerged that reflected women's perceptions of maternal health care services: “mothers perceive that maternal health services are beneficial,” “barriers to accessing maternal health services” such as availability and use of traditional birth attendants (TBAs and the long distances between some villages, and “ambivalence regarding the quality of maternal health services” reflecting that women had both positive and negative perceptions in relation to quality of health care services offered’. Conclusions: Mothers perceived that maternal health care services are beneficial during pregnancy and delivery, but their awareness of postpartum complications and the role of medical services during that stage were poor. The study revealed an ambivalence regarding the perceived quality of health care services offered, partly due to shortages of material resources. Barriers to accessing maternal health care services, such as the cost of transport and the use of TBAs, were also shown. These findings call for improvement on the services

Clients’ perceptions of the quality of care in Mexico City’s public-sector legal abortion program

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Becker, Davida; Díaz-Olavarrieta, Claudia; Juárez, Clara; García, Sandra G.; Sanhueza, Patricio; Harper, Cynthia C.

2014-01-01

Context In 2007 the Mexico City legislature made the groundbreaking decision to legalize first trimester abortion. Limited research has been conducted to understand clients’ perceptions of the abortion services available in public sector facilities. Methods We measured clients’ perceptions of quality of care at three public sector sites in Mexico City in 2009 (n=402). We assessed six domains of quality of care (client-staff interaction, information provision, technical competence, post-abortion contraceptive services, accessibility, and the facility environment), and conducted ordinal logistic regression analysis to identify which domains were important to women for their overall evaluation of care. We measured the association of overall service evaluation with socio-demographic factors and abortion-visit characteristics, in addition to specific quality of care domains. Results Clients reported a high quality of care for abortion services with an overall mean rating of 8.8 out of 10. Multivariable analysis showed that important domains for high evaluation included client perception of doctor as technically skilled (pabortion and post-abortion emotions (pabortion care in Mexico City. Strategies to improve clients’ service experiences should focus on improving counseling, service accessibility and waiting time. PMID:22227626

Developing a Scale for Perceptions of Competency in Teaching Quality

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Tasci, Guntay; Atar, Burcu

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a measurement instrument for determining pre-service teachers' perceptions of competency in providing quality teaching. The initial phase of the instrument was consisted of 54 items that were composed based on theory and literature. The initial form was applied to 232 pre-service teachers. An exploratory…

Data envelopment analysis in service quality evaluation: an empirical study

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Najafi, Seyedvahid; Saati, Saber; Tavana, Madjid

2015-09-01

Service quality is often conceptualized as the comparison between service expectations and the actual performance perceptions. It enhances customer satisfaction, decreases customer defection, and promotes customer loyalty. Substantial literature has examined the concept of service quality, its dimensions, and measurement methods. We introduce the perceived service quality index (PSQI) as a single measure for evaluating the multiple-item service quality construct based on the SERVQUAL model. A slack-based measure (SBM) of efficiency with constant inputs is used to calculate the PSQI. In addition, a non-linear programming model based on the SBM is proposed to delineate an improvement guideline and improve service quality. An empirical study is conducted to assess the applicability of the method proposed in this study. A large number of studies have used DEA as a benchmarking tool to measure service quality. These models do not propose a coherent performance evaluation construct and consequently fail to deliver improvement guidelines for improving service quality. The DEA models proposed in this study are designed to evaluate and improve service quality within a comprehensive framework and without any dependency on external data.

Health information technology and physicians' perceptions of healthcare quality.

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Fang, Hai; Peifer, Karen L; Chen, Jie; Rizzo, John A

2011-03-01

To investigate the relationship between the use of health information technology (HIT) and physician perceptions of providing high-quality care and to determine whether this relationship has changed over time. We used 2 waves of longitudinal data from the Community Tracking Study Physician Surveys, 2000-2001 and 2004-2005. Three measures of HIT were examined: a binary variable measuring the use of at least 1 type of HIT, a continuous variable measuring the total number of HIT types, and a binary variable measuring use of all 5 HIT types related to "meaningful use" of HIT as defined by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Three multivariate models were estimated to study the effect of each HIT measure on physicians' perception of providing high-quality care. Individual fixed-effects estimation also was used to control for individual time-invariant factors. Using at least 1 type of HIT significantly enhanced physicians' perception of providing high-quality care in 2000-2001, but not in 2004-2005. The marginal effect of adding 1 extra HIT type was positive and statistically significant in both periods. The association between using all 5 HIT types related to meaningful use and perceived quality was statistically significant in 2000-2001, but not in 2004-2005. Health information technology has become a multifunctional system and appears to have enhanced physicians' perception of providing high-quality care. Physicians' perceptions of medical care quality improved as the number of HIT types used increased. This study supports more extensive use of HIT in physician practices.

Measuring the post-adoption customer perception of mobile banking services.

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Yu, Tai-Kuei; Fang, Kwoting

2009-02-01

With liberalization and internalization in the financial market and progress in information technology, banks face dual competitive pressures to provide service quality and administrative efficiency. That these recent developments are fueled by technology might misleadingly suggest that the adoption of mobile banking is largely based on technological criteria. The purpose of this study is to establish a better measurement model for postadoption user perception of mobile banking services. Based on 458 valid responses of mobile banking users, the results show that the instrument, consisting of 21 items and 6 factors, is a reliable, valid, and useful measurement for assessing the postadoption perception of mobile banking.

Conceptual Model of Relationships among Customer Perceptions of Components of Insurance Service

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Sebjan Urban

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to examine the conceptual model and to study the relationships between customer perceptions of the benefits of sales promotion, quality, adequacy of premium, and adequacy of information about the coverage of insurance services. The research model was tested with structural equation modeling (SEM with a sample of 200 Slovenian users of insurance services. The results indicated that higher perceived benefits of sales promotion were associated with higher perceived quality of insurance services. In addition, higher perceived quality was associated with higher perceived adequacy of information about the coverage and the premium for insurance services. The study also found that higher perceived adequacy of premium was associated with higher perceived adequacy of information about the coverage of insurance services.

The Students' Viewpoint on Quality of Educational Services in Iran.

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Siamian, Hasan; Rostami, Farideh; Ghara, Aliasghar Nadi; Abedi, Ghassem

2017-03-01

Recently, focusing on higher education quality has got increasingly critical. The novel managerial attitudes have defined the customer-demanded quality. Based on this, recognizing the receivers' perception of the quality of the services offered and evaluating the quality of the service is considered of the basic measures taken in order to develop quality promotion programs. Therefore, this is a qualitative research conducted for students' viewpoint on quality of educational services. This qualitative study has been performed by the phenomenological method. The samples have been selected based on goal-oriented approach. In this qualitative research, the required data have been collected in two phases (90 individual interviews and 30 focus group discussions) at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences during which the participants have conveyed their experiences and expectations encountering the educational quality topic. All the interviews have been recorded and implemented. The interviews analysis has been carried out simultaneously with the implementation and using theme analysis by Smith method. According to the findings regarding the definition of quality, the students have emphasized two important aspects including "educational services standards by the teacher "and "the students' satisfaction". Thus the final education quality resulted from the students' experiences and perception is this way: "Presenting the students educational services in class and out of class compatible with the educational services standards so that it results in the students' satisfaction". When a person views her/him-self rightful as a customer, whatever seems necessary to them appears like a requirement. Then regarding paying attention and reflecting on the customers' perceived needs, it is possible to determine their expectations limit to some extent. Therefore, designing educational quality standards in order to evaluate the teachers' function without taking the stakeholders

Understanding the Service Quality Perception Gaps between Judicial Servants and Judiciary Users

OpenAIRE

Rodrigo Murillo

2014-01-01

Judiciary service user expectations are usually not the same as ideas harbored in the minds of civil servants delivering such services. This discrepancy matches the definition of the service delivery GAP 1, as identified and assessed by SERVQUAL (Service Quality), a tool that for almost three decades has been employed worldwide in measuring service quality in many different industries and countries, in both private and public organizations. Through participant observation, semi-structured int...

APPLICATION OF THE GAP TECHNIQUE IN MEASURING SERVICE QUALITY IN EGYPTIAN FEDERATION KARATE

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Khalil Samira

2010-08-01

Full Text Available This study aims to measure the gap between the administration and the beneficiaries of the quality of the service in the federation and sport regions of Karate. The sample of this study was chosen randomly between the members of the board of directors of the Federation and regions, the coaches , referees and players registered in theEgyptian Federation of Karate whose numbers are (149. The sample of the study was classified into two beneficiary classes. The first beneficiary class is coaches and referees whose number are (70 persons and their administration is the members of the board of directors of the Federation and its regions whose number are (14persons. The second class is the players whose number are (65 players and their administration is the members ofthe board of directors of the Federation and its regions the referees and coaches' number are (84 persons. This study used a questionnaire (SERVQUAL to measure the quality of the service. Results pointed to a negative gap between the expectations of the beneficiaries of the excellent service level and the perceptions of the administrations of these expectations.These results refer to the weakness of administration ability in the Egyptian Federation of Karate to know the needs and desires of beneficiaries from (coaches-referees- players of the quality level in the service provided to them. The existence of a relative gap between the perceptions of the beneficiaries of the service actually provided and the administration of the qualities of the service actually provided, therefore itrefers to the decline the motive level of the administration of Egyptian Federation of Karate to provide the service to the beneficiaries in a form that conforms with what the administration already decided for the specifications. The existence of a negative gap between the expectations of the beneficiaries of the level of theexcellent service and its perception of the actual performance of this service refers to

Multiple Conceptual Modelling of Perceived Quality of In-flight Airline Services

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Urban Šebjan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Despite growing literature on the different aspects of airline service quality in relation to behavioural intentions, less attention has been paid to some specific aspects of in-flight services. The focus of the present research is, therefore, on a multiple conceptual model of the quality of in-flight services in relation to passengers’ perception of value, followed by recommendations (word of mouth - WOM of airlines, as well as the quality and comfort of airline seats. The study is performed using two databases of reviewers’/passengers’ opinions regarding the quality of in-flight airline services and airline seat comfort. Our research results reveal that the perceived comfort of the airplane seat is the most important factor of passengers’ perceived quality of in-flight airline services, which also considerably affects the passengers’ perception of value, and consequently moderates behavioural intentions (in our research, expressed through positive WOM. The analysis of the relative importance of the components of perceived airline seats’ comfort shows that seat width is the most significant factor that contributes to the overall perceived comfort of the airline seat.

Measuring functional service quality using SERVQUAL in a high-dependence health service relationship.

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Clark, W Randy; Clark, Leigh Anne

2007-01-01

Although there is a growing concern about health care quality, little research has focused on how to measure quality in long-term care settings. In this article, we make the following observations: (1) most users of the SERVQUAL instrument reassess customers' expectations each time they measure quality perceptions; (2) long-term care relationships are likely to be ongoing, dependent relationships; (3) because of this dependence, customers in the long-term care setting are likely to reduce their expectations when faced with poor service quality; (4) by using this "settled" expectations level, service providers may make biased conclusions of quality improvements. We recommend various methods for overcoming or minimizing this "settling" effect and propose modifications to the SERVQUAL gap 5 measure to assess quality in a long-term care setting.

Public Service Integrity Perception: Case Study In Kutai Kartanegara Regency, Indonesia

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Dyah Mutiarin

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This paper was aimed to measure the integrity of public service at Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Borneo Province, Indonesia. The public service integrity can be seen from many perspective such as how the citizens satisfied with the public services provided by the government, how the public perception on combating corruption, and how success the government providing minimum service standard to the public at large. This three forms of public service integrity was the main focuses of this research in Kutai Kartanegara regency. The phenomenon of public service in Kutai Kartanegara Regency shown out of the tracks and missing to convey the importance of public service values, characterized by uncertainty of charges, time, and procedures. The research used the quantitative methods by scoring 3 indexes, which are the Citizen Satisfaction Index, Corruption Perception Index, and Minimum Service Standard Index. This research used Non-probability Sampling method, also Judgment Sampling procedure, in the development and compilation of the citizens satisfaction index. There were 57 local government agencies that served as the samples. The results of this research were the public service integrity perceptions in Kutai Kartanegara regency was need to be improved on the quantity and quality of public service delivery, commitment and efforts to create a clean government, transparency and accountability especially on e-procurement and to implement minimum service standards in every government offices.

An empirical assessment of service quality in the context of travel agencies in the Republic of Macedonia

OpenAIRE

Anita Ciunova-Shuleska; Nikolina Palamidovska; Marija Grishin

2013-01-01

This paper investigates the service quality of travel agencies in the Republic of Macedonia from a customer perspective. Its authors applied a modified version of the SERVQUAL instrument for measuring service quality. The results of the performed paired sample t-testing indicated significant differences between expectations and perceptions, with two exceptions. A positive correlation was identified between expectation means and perception means as well as between perception means and gap scor...

Distance from health facility and mothers’ perception of quality related to skilled delivery service utilization in northern Ethiopia

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Fisseha G

2017-10-01

birth order and having an educated partner were the significant predictors of skilled delivery service utilization.Conclusion: Implementing community-based intervention programs that will address the physical accessibility of delivery services, such as the ambulance service, road issues and waiting rooms, and improving quality maternity service will likely reduce the current problem. Keywords: distance from health facility, perception of quality, skilled delivery service utilization, Northern Ethiopia

Clients’ Perspectives Toward Audit Service Quality of the Big 4 inThailand

OpenAIRE

Sonsa-ardjit, Pitchaya; Vejaratpimol, Ramon

2010-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this thesis is, firstly, to investigate clients’ perspective toward the Big 4’s financial audit service quality. Secondly, the gaps between clients’ perceptions and expectations of audit service quality provided by the Big 4 audit firms will be studied. Finally, factors influencing clients’ expectations of audit service quality will be categorised. Method A combination of qualitative and quantitative approach is used in the form of a web-based self-completion questionna...

Quality gap of educational services in viewpoints of students in Hormozgan University of medical sciences.

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Aghamolaei, Teamur; Zare, Shahram

2008-06-18

Higher education is growing fast and every day it becomes more and more exposed to globalization processes. The aim of this study was to determine the quality gap of educational services by using a modified SERVQUAL instrument among students in Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences. A cross-sectional study was carried out at Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences in 2007. In this study, a total of 300 students were selected randomly and asked to complete a questionnaire that was designed according to SERVQUAL methods. This questionnaire measured students' perceptions and expectations in five dimensions of service that consists of assurance, responsiveness, empathy, reliability and tangibles. The quality gap of educational services was determined based on differences between students' perceptions and expectations. The results demonstrated that in each of the five SERVQUAL dimensions, there was a negative quality gap. The least and the most negative quality gap means were in the reliability (-0.71) and responsiveness (-1.14) dimensions respectively. Also, there were significant differences between perceptions and expectations of students in all of the five SERVQUAL dimensions (p < 0.001). Negative quality gaps mean students' expectations exceed their perceptions. Thus, improvements are needed across all five dimensions.

Stakeholder Expectations of Service Quality in a University Web Portal

Science.gov (United States)

Tate, Mary; Evermann, Joerg; Hope, Beverley; Barnes, Stuart

Online service quality is a much-studied concept. There is considerable evidence that user expectations and perceptions of self-service and online service quality differ in different business domains. In addition, the nature of online services is continually changing and universities have been at the forefront of this change, with university websites increasingly acting as a portal for a wide range of online transactions for a wide range of stakeholders. In this qualitative study, we conduct focus groups with a range of stakeholders in a university web portal. Our study offers a number of insights into the changing nature of the relationship between organisations and customers. New technologies are influencing customer expectations. Customers increasingly expect organisations to have integrated information systems, and to utilise new technologies such as SMS and web portals. Organisations can be slow to adopt a customer-centric viewpoint, and persist in providing interfaces that are inconsistent or require inside knowledge of organisational structures and processes. This has a negative effect on customer perceptions.

Music, emotions and first impression perceptions of a healthcare institutions’ quality: An experimental investigation

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Ivana First Komen

2015-03-01

Full Text Available One of the direct ways of influencing emotions and service quality perceptions is by music stimulation. The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of music of different musical elements (i.e. sad vs. happy music on respondents' emotions and their first impression perceptions of a healthcare institution's quality. The research was designed as an experimental simulation, i.e. data were collected in an online survey from respondents randomly assigned to evaluate a presentation consisting of multiple images of a healthcare institution in one of three experimental conditions (absence of, happy, and sad music stimulation. The results, in alliance with previous research, demonstrate a relationship between emotions and first impression quality perceptions and between music and emotions, but no relationship between music and first impression quality perception. The obtained significant results yet again emphasize the importance of inducing positive customer emotions as they lead to positive first impression service quality evaluations that subsequently provide appreciated returns. They also stress the importance of carefully choosing music when inducing emotions as music with different musical elements results in different emotional states. One of the limitations of this research is the non-real life situation experimental setting, which is to be overcome in future research.

Analyzing effects of service encounter quality on customer satisfaction in banking industry

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Hossein Gazor

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Service quality represents a modern approach for quality in enterprises and organizations and serves the development of a truly customer-focused management and culture. Measuring service quality offers an immediate, meaningful and objective feedback about clients' preferences and expectations. In this paper, we study the relationship between customer perceptions from service encounter quality and loyalty of customer to organization and employees. The proposed study is implemented for banking sector in Iran using SERVQUAL factors and considers various factors influencing the quality of service. The results of the survey indicate that service quality systems, customer satisfaction are the most desirable factors based on the feedback we received from the customers. In addition, response to customers and loyalty to employees, service encounter quality, service and loyalty to organization, arrangements are in the next levels, respectively.

Analysis of tangible and intangible hotel service quality components

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Marić Dražen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The issue of service quality is one of the essential areas of marketing theory and practice, as high quality can lead to customer satisfaction and loyalty, i.e. successful business results. It is vital for any company, especially in services sector, to understand and grasp the consumers' expectations and perceptions pertaining to the broad range of factors affecting consumers' evaluation of services, their satisfaction and loyalty. Hospitality is a service sector where the significance of these elements grows exponentially. The aim of this study is to identify the significance of individual quality components in hospitality industry. The questionnaire used for gathering data comprised 19 tangible and 14 intangible attributes of service quality, which the respondents rated on a five-degree scale. The analysis also identified the factorial structure of the tangible and intangible elements of hotel service. The paper aims to contribute to the existing literature by pointing to the significance of tangible and intangible components of service quality. A very small number of studies conducted in hospitality and hotel management identify the sub-factors within these two dimensions of service quality. The paper also provides useful managerial implications. The obtained results help managers in hospitality to establish the service offers that consumers find the most important when choosing a given hotel.

Understanding the Service Quality Perception Gaps between Judicial Servants and Judiciary Users

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Rodrigo Murillo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Judiciary service user expectations are usually not the same as ideas harbored in the minds of civil servants delivering such services. This discrepancy matches the definition of the service delivery GAP 1, as identified and assessed by SERVQUAL (Service Quality, a tool that for almost three decades has been employed worldwide in measuring service quality in many different industries and countries, in both private and public organizations. Through participant observation, semi-structured interviews and empirical data collected by SERVQUAL, this paper focuses on assessing this service delivery GAP 1 for the Second Court of Appeal within Costa Rica’s Judicial Branch.

CUSTOMERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SERVICE QUALITY DIMENSIONS IN THE INDONESIAN BANKING INDUSTRY: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

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Ananda Sabil Hussein

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study aims to investigate the dimensions of hierarchical service quality in the area of the banking sector as well as to determine its relationships with other constructs, namely corpo-rate image and customer loyalty. One hundred and eleven respondents participated in this study. Partial Least Squares were employed to analyse the data. The inner and outer model evaluations showed that the proposed model was robust. This study found that the interaction quality, outcome quality and physical quality were the dimensions of service quality which were formed in the hierarchical model. In addition, this study indicated that service quality was a robust determinant of corporate image and customer loyalty in the banking sector. Similar to service quality, corporate image was also found to be an essential predictor of customer loyalty as well as the mediator between service quality and customer loyalty. To enhance the under-standing of service quality in the banking sector, further studies might add additional constructs such as brand engagement, perceived value, and customer experience.

An Investigation into the Impact of Service Quality, Frequent Flier Programs and Safety Perception on Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty in the Airline Industry in Southern Africa

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Sandada Maxwell

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This study aims to identify the factors that make passengers loyal to an airline in Southern Africa by investigating the impact of service quality and safety perception on customer satisfaction and how satisfaction and frequent flyer programs (FFP subsequently influence customer loyalty. The key finding was that service quality positively influenced customer satisfaction, and satisfaction was an important antecedent of customer loyalty. The analysis also suggested that safety perception and FFP positively influence customer loyalty, while their relationship with satisfaction was not significant. An analysis of switching behaviour revealed that satisfied customers may still switch to other airlines. The main contribution of this study is the development of a customer loyalty model for the aviation industry in Southern Africa. Knowledge of customer loyalty drivers will assist airline marketing managers in developing strategies for improving passenger load factors and profitability.

Impact of waiting on the perception of service quality in nuclear medicine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Man, S; Vlerick, P; Gemmel, P; De Bondt, P; Matthys, D; Dierckx, RA

Background This is the first study examining the link between waiting and various dimensions of perceived service quality in nuclear medicine. Methods We tested the impact of selected waiting experience variables on the evaluation of service quality, measured using the Servqual tool, of 406 patients

Perceptions of a medical microbiology service: a survey of laboratory users.

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Morgan, M S

1995-10-01

To ascertain the perception of laboratory users regarding the quality of the medical microbiology services in a district general hospital. Detailed questionnaires were circulated to all clinicians in the locality, with headings covering the quality of medical advice provided, the availability of information on specimen collection, format of request forms, specimen transport arrangements, turnaround times, the quality and need for interpretative advice, and the overall impression of the quality of the services provided. Two hundred and thirty five replies were received, giving a response rate of 69%. Transportation of specimens and communication of reports were identified as priority areas for improvement. The overall quality of the service was perceived as satisfactory, although areas were identified where substantial improvements could be made, some at little or no cost to the laboratory. The survey focused clinicians' attention on the service, raised the profile of the laboratory, and resulted in improved communications and a better understanding of customer needs. Overall, the exercise was felt to be extremely useful, and worthwhile repeating to gauge the effect of the changes instituted as a result.

Analysis of the Service Quality of Medical Centers Using Servqual Model (Case:Shaheed Rahnemoon Hospital

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H Zare Ahmadabadi

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Many organizations, especially service oriented ones, relative to their goals and mission, have a special view towards quality phenomena and its management. Methods: This paper analyzes medical service quality in one case; The internal section of Shaheed Rahnemoon Hospital Based on the basis of gap analysis model and Servqual technique. A questionnaire was designed and applied to measure expectations and perceptions of patients and personnel of the hospital. Results: On application of non-parametric statistical tests, we propose certain recommendations. These tests drive on five conceptual dimensions of service quality including intangibility, responsiveness, reliability, assurance and empathy. Results show that patients in this section were satisfied from the service provider’s responsiveness, but there are significant differences between expectations and perceptions in other dimensions. Conclusion: The service quality analysis models are useful for managers of medical centers to distinguish gaps between the two sides of service representation; patients and medical centers personnel. Ultimately, they can reinforce strengths and control weaknesses.

Evaluating health service quality: using importance performance analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Izadi, Azar; Jahani, Younes; Rafiei, Sima; Masoud, Ali; Vali, Leila

2017-08-14

Purpose Measuring healthcare service quality provides an objective guide for managers and policy makers to improve their services and patient satisfaction. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to measure service quality provided to surgical and medical inpatients at Kerman Medical Sciences University (KUMS) in 2015. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive-analytic study, using a cross-sectional method in the KUMS training hospitals, was implemented between October 2 and March 15, 2015. Using stratified random sampling, 268 patients were selected. Data were collected using an importance-performance analysis (IPA) questionnaire, which measures current performance and determines each item's importance from the patients' perspectives. These data indicate overall satisfaction and appropriate practical strategies for managers to plan accordingly. Findings Findings revealed a significant gap between service importance and performance. From the patients' viewpoint, tangibility was the highest priority (mean=3.54), while reliability was given the highest performance (mean=3.02). The least important and lowest performance level was social accountability (mean=1.91 and 1.98, respectively). Practical implications Healthcare managers should focus on patient viewpoints and apply patient comments to solve problems, improve service quality and patient satisfaction. Originality/value The authors applied an IPA questionnaire to measure service quality provided to surgical and medical ward patients. This method identifies and corrects service quality shortcomings and improving service recipient perceptions.

A survey of quality gap of Khoramabad medical emergency services using SERVQUAL model

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gholamreza Toushmal

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background : Awareness of perceptions and expectations of receivers of health centers services, as well as determination of gap between these two subjects can play an important role in better services rendering of these centers. Thise survey was conducted to evaluate quality of emergency centers of Khorramabad city by use of SERVQUAL model in 2012. Materials and Methods: This analytic-descriptive research was carried out on 400 people receiving services of Khorramabad emergency centers, selected using continuous sampling method. Data was gathered using standard SERVQUAL questionnaire and then analyzed by SPSS software, descriptive and inferential statistics such as Kruskal-wallis, paired T test And ANOVA. Results: The results showed that there was negative gap of quality in all five dimensions of services (sensible thing, guarantee and trust, responsibility, and empathy. The most quality gap was in empathy aspect and the least belonged to politeness and trust, and this gap among all dimensions, exception for trust, was statistically significant. But no significant statistical relation was found between age, sex and educational level and quality gap score. Conclusion: Expectation of customers in all dimensions was higher than their perceptions, and it should promote the quality of all dimensions, specially empathy. It is suggested to evaluate services quality in these centers and other centers periodically to promote their quality of services.

Perceptions of service quality by clients and contact-personnel in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2013-05-03

May 3, 2013 ... Given the focus of banks on bank–client relationships, service quality is .... satisfaction was found to have a favourable impact on behavioural ...... Service Management and Marketing: A Customer Relationship Management.

Route effect on the perception of public transport services quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chica-Olmo, J.; Gachs-Sanchez, H.M.; Lizarraga, C.

2016-07-01

User satisfaction sets a basic example for public service quality, especially those considered as basic necessities. The quality in transport service related to conceptualization and measurement, as a decisive demand key, presents challenges for both economic and mobility policies.Several operator companies are involved in the transport sector. Therefore this report aims to design a model of overall satisfaction based on the level of satisfaction with a specific set of factors, considering individual characteristics of users and the differential effect of different bus lines.The current presentation has applied a combined method, using Nonlinear Principal Component Analysis (NLPCA) and a Logit Multilevel Model (LMLM) in two-steps. (Author)

Measuring the quality of provided services for patients with chronic kidney disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Raadabadi, Mehdi; Heidari Jamebozorgi, Majid; Salesi, Mahmood; Ravangard, Ramin

2014-09-01

The healthcare organizations need to develop and implement quality improvement plans for their survival and success. Measuring quality in the healthcare competitive environment is an undeniable necessity for these organizations and will lead to improved patient satisfaction. This study aimed to measure the quality of provided services for patients with chronic kidney disease in Kerman in 2014. This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytic study was performed from 23 January 2014 to 14 February 2014 in four hemodialysis centers in Kerman. All of the patients on chronic hemodialysis (n = 195) who were referred to these four centers were selected and studied using census method. The required data were collected using the SERVQUAL questionnaire, consisting of two parts: questions related to the patients' demographic characteristics, and 28 items to measure the patients' expectations and perceptions of the five dimensions of service quality, including tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 through some statistical tests, including independent-samples t test, one-way ANOVA, and paired-samples t test. The results showed that the means of patients' expectations were more than their perceptions of the quality of provided services in all dimensions, which indicated that there were gaps in all dimensions. The highest and lowest means of negative gaps were related to empathy (-0.52 ± 0.48) and tangibility (-0.29 ± 0.51). In addition, among the studied patients' demographic characteristics and the five dimensions of service quality, only the difference between the patients' income levels and the gap in assurance were statistically significant (P expectations of patients on hemodialysis were more than their perceptions of provided services. The healthcare providers and employees should pay more attention to the patients' opinions and comments and use their feedback to solve the workplace problems and

RETAIL SERVICE QUALITY EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS AMONG PHILIPPINE SMALL/MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

OpenAIRE

J. MARK MUNOZ; PETER RAVEN; DIANNE H. B. WELSH

2006-01-01

The Philippines is among the emerging markets in the world. Along with China, the Philippines attracts international enterprises seeking to establish a presence in Asia. This study examines small/medium enterprises (SMEs) management and employee perceptions of customer service on a number of dimensions. The results suggest that managers and employees in the Philippines behave in similar ways to those in Western countries, but there are differences, probably related to cultural characteristics...

Community perception of quality of (primary health care services in a rural area of Limpopo Province, South Africa: a qualitative study

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T-AB Mashego

2005-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to survey perceptions of quality of (primary health care services provided in rural communities in the Limpopo province. Ten focus groups discussions were held with community members chosen by convenience from public places from four villages in the central region of the Limpopo Province. The sample included 42 women and 34 men (76 participants. Results indicated perceived quality discussed within the following categories: (1 conduct of staff (reception, communication, discrimination, care and compassion, respect for privacy, (2 technical care (examination, explanation of treatment, responsiveness, treatment outcomes, (3 health care facility, (4 health care organisation, (5 drugs (availability, explanation, effectiveness, payment, and (6 waiting time. The findings suggest some satisfaction with free basic and preventive health care and social services provided but there is a need to look closely into the interpersonal dimension of the services provided, provision of medication with adequate explanation to patients on the medication given, and on structural aspects, there is need for the government to give support to the clinics to provide adequate services. Improving drug availability, interpersonal skills (including attitudes towards patients and technical care have been identified as the three main priorities for enhancing perceived quality of primary health care and health policy action.

Retail service quality as a base in purchasing decision

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Sokolov-Mladenović Svetlana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Retail is a service activity, and services are something that makes the retail companies differ from production companies. Retailers are trying to differentiate the 'package' offer, build customer loyalty and make their position through the provision of high service quality. In addition, the services provided can be varied, such as exterior and interior design of retail stores, preparation of goods for sale, appearance and behavior of sales personnel, culture of communication with customers, and services provided after the sales process. Consumers require the service quality when making purchasing decision. For retail companies and retail stores it is important to continuously monitor the level of service quality. In order to measure the service quality, the method that found its application in the theory and practice is SERVQUAL. This model was created as a combination of theoretical and practical research and it looks at the quality of service as the content of the following dimensions: tangibles, reliability, sensitivity, security and empathy. As such, it is a function of the difference between perceptions and expectations (Q = P-E and is widely accepted to measure the service quality in traditional retail stores, public sector, higher education, real estate, hospitals, courts and so on. In addition, this model is widely used to measure service quality in e-retailing, e-banking, e-selling of travel packages and other services provided by electronic means. The main assumption is that services are a key factor in making purchasing decision. The aim of this paper is to, through theoretical and practical research with special emphasis on SERVQUAL method, test the initial hypothesis and recognize the level of service quality in retail chains in Southeast Serbia.

Servqual potential for quality management in hotel services

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Kateřina Ryglová

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to present possibilities and specifications of using the Servqual method in service quality management in hotel industry. The Servqual method works on the definition of five dimensions of a service quality: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. It is based on so called Gap analysis that crucially comes out of the discrepancy between a customer’s expectation and perception. Demonstrating the practical application of Servqual in hotel business is also a part of the paper, as well as verifying possibilities of customer satisfaction quantification with the help of the Gap model, evaluating general applicability and presenting suggestions for possible adaptations and further utilization in the branch of tourism. Input data necessary for the gap analysis have been gained by force of a primary field-research with the help of a quantitative research via questionnaire. The results of Servqual score for individual dimensions of service quality have also been used to calculate a total weighted score that for the examined hotel reached the value of −0.07. This shows that the discrepancy between expectations and perceptions of the hotel guests is minimal. However, the calculation of this score would be of a higher importance if we wanted to compare more accommodation facilities mutually or possibly to follow the development of this index in time.

How Do Patients Perceive and Expect Quality of Surgery, Diagnostics, and Emergency Services in Tertiary Care Hospitals? An Evidence of Gap Analysis From Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Fatima, Iram; Humayun, Ayesha; Anwar, Muhammad Imran; Iftikhar, Adil; Aslam, Muhammad; Shafiq, Muhammad

2017-07-01

Service quality is one of the important gears to appraise services and determine the gray areas that need improvement. In countries with a resource-poor health system, the first step of measuring quality is yet to be taken. This study seeks to inform policy makers in developing contextual service quality models by identifying service quality gaps in tertiary care teaching hospitals using patients' perspective. A cross-sectional study was performed using multistage cluster sampling, and a modified version of the SERVQUAL (SERV-service, QUAL-quality) instrument was administered to determine patient's expectations and perceptions. A total of 817 completed questionnaires were obtained from patients and/or their attendants using convenience sampling. Data analysis revealed statistically significant negative quality gaps between expectations and perceptions of tangibility, reliability, empathy, assurance, responsiveness, and communication. The difference in mean expectation and perception for responsiveness across the sexes was significant ( p quality were independent of sex. Educational status showed significant difference in expectation and perception in responsiveness ( p quality: p quality of hospitals. Tertiary care hospitals failed to meet patients' expectations in all major areas of service quality, posing a question of how hospitals implement and evaluate their quality assurance policy.

Healthcare professionals' perceptions related to the provision of clinical pharmacy services in the public health sector of Mexico: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz de León-Castañeda, Christian; Gutiérrez-Godínez, Jéssica; Colado-Velázquez, Juventino Iii; Toledano-Jaimes, Cairo

2018-04-22

In Mexico, the Modelo Nacional de Farmacia Hospitalaria (MNFH, or National Hospital Pharmacy Model), published in 2009, mainly aims to promote the provision of clinical pharmacy services in private and public hospitals. However, there is little scientific documentation about the quality of these services. To explore healthcare professionals' perceptions related to the quality of clinical pharmacy services provision. A case-study based on a qualitative approach was performed at the pharmaceutical services unit at a public hospital located in Mexico City, which operates under the administrative control of the Ministry of Health. Donabedian's conceptual model was adapted to explore health care professionals' perceptions of the quality of clinical pharmacy services provision. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with pharmacists, physicians and nurses and then transcribed and analyzed via discourse analysis and codification techniques, using the software package Atlas. ti. Limitations in pharmaceutical human resources were identified as the main factor affecting coverage and quality in clinical pharmacy services provision. However, the development in pharmacy staff of technical competences and skills for clinical pharmacy service provision were recognized. Significant improvements in the rational use of medicines were associated with clinical pharmacy services provision. The perception analysis performed in this study suggested that it is necessary to increase pharmacy staff in order to improve interprofessional relationships and the quality of clinical pharmacy services provision. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Banking Services and Customer Perception in Some Selected Commercial Banks in Bangladesh: a Comparative Perspective

OpenAIRE

Mahi Uddin, Md; Khan, Mohammad Aktaruzzaman; Farhana, Nadia

2014-01-01

The banking system is facing challenges with stiff competition and advancement of technology. It becomes imperative for service providers to meet or exceed the target customers' satisfaction with quality of services expected by them. Hence, the present study attempted to study customers' perception of quality of services (both transactions-based and IT-enabled) in terms of its constituent factors and IT adoption in public, private, and foreign commercial banks in this E-age. The present inves...

How Do Patients Perceive and Expect Quality of Surgery, Diagnostics, and Emergency Services in Tertiary Care Hospitals? An Evidence of Gap Analysis From Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iram Fatima

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Service quality is one of the important gears to appraise services and determine the gray areas that need improvement. In countries with a resource-poor health system, the first step of measuring quality is yet to be taken. This study seeks to inform policy makers in developing contextual service quality models by identifying service quality gaps in tertiary care teaching hospitals using patients’ perspective. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using multistage cluster sampling, and a modified version of the SERVQUAL (SERV-service, QUAL-quality instrument was administered to determine patient’s expectations and perceptions. A total of 817 completed questionnaires were obtained from patients and/or their attendants using convenience sampling. Results: Data analysis revealed statistically significant negative quality gaps between expectations and perceptions of tangibility, reliability, empathy, assurance, responsiveness, and communication. The difference in mean expectation and perception for responsiveness across the sexes was significant (p < 0.003; p < 0.037, respectively as well as in perception of communication (p < 0.026. Other dimensions and overall hospital expected and perceived quality were independent of sex. Educational status showed significant difference in expectation and perception in responsiveness (p < 0.005, but the perception of each dimension was significantly different in different educational categories (assurance: p < 0.001; empathy: p < 0.001; reliability: p < 0.001; tangibility: p < 0.001; responsiveness: p < 0.001; communication: p < 0.001; and for overall service quality: p < 0.001. Age and service departments showed no relationship with any of the perceived or expected dimension of service quality of hospitals. Conclusions: Tertiary care hospitals failed to meet patients’ expectations in all major areas of service quality, posing a question of how hospitals implement and evaluate their

Gaps in perceived quality of facility services between stakeholders in the built learning environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kok, Herman; Mobach, Mark P.; Omta, Onno; Alexander, K.

2013-01-01

Purpose - This paper aims to identify perception gaps on the quality of facility services among different users of educational buildings, and provide possible explanations for these perception gaps, and discussing the consequences regarding Facility Management (FM) governance.

Service employees give as they get: internal service as a moderator of the service climate-service outcomes link.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrhart, Karen Holcombe; Witt, L A; Schneider, Benjamin; Perry, Sara Jansen

2011-03-01

We lend theoretical insight to the service climate literature by exploring the joint effects of branch service climate and the internal service provided to the branch (the service received from corporate units to support external service delivery) on customer-rated service quality. We hypothesized that service climate is related to service quality most strongly when the internal service quality received is high, providing front-line employees with the capability to deliver what the service climate motivates them to do. We studied 619 employees and 1,973 customers in 36 retail branches of a bank. We aggregated employee perceptions of the internal service quality received from corporate units and the local service climate and external customer perceptions of service quality to the branch level of analysis. Findings were consistent with the hypothesis that high-quality internal service is necessary for branch service climate to yield superior external customer service quality. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Assessing service quality in business-to-business relationships within the international telecommunications carrier market.

OpenAIRE

2012-01-01

M.Comm. The objectives of this study are : To determine customers' perception of service quality of international telecommunications carrier services delivered by Telkom in the business-tobusiness relationships with carriers in Europe; To establish whether differences in service quality exist among the selected business customers; To identify and examine customers' needs and expectations regarding the service delivery by Telkom; To assess how well Telkom is currently performing relative to...

Identifying role of perceived quality and satisfaction on the utilization status of the community clinic services; Bangladesh context.

Science.gov (United States)

Karim, Rizwanul M; Abdullah, Mamun S; Rahman, Anisur M; Alam, Ashraful M

2016-06-24

Bangladesh is one among the few countries of the world that provides free medical services at the community level through various public health facilities. It is now evident that, clients' perceived quality of services and their expectations of service standards affect health service utilization to a great extent. The aim of the study was to develop and validate the measures for perception and satisfaction of primary health care quality in Bangladesh context and to identify their aspects on the utilization status of the Community Clinic services. This mixed method cross sectional survey was conducted from January to June 2012, in the catchment area of 12 community clinics. Since most of the outcome indicators focus mainly on women and children, women having children less than 2 years of age were randomly assigned and interviewed for the study purpose. Data were collected through FGD, Key informants interview and a pretested semi- structured questionnaire. About 95 % of the respondents were Muslims and 5 % were Hindus. The average age of the respondents was 23.38 (SD 4.15) and almost all of them are home makers. The average monthly expenditure of their family was 95US $ (SD 32US$). At the beginning of the study, two psychometric research instruments; 24 items perceived quality of primary care services PQPCS scale (chronbach's α = .89) and 22 items community clinic service satisfaction CCSS scale (chronbach's α = .97), were constructed and validated. This study showed less educated, poor, landless mothers utilized the community clinic services more than their educated and wealthier counterpart. Women who lived in their own residence used the community clinic services more frequently than those who lived in a rental house. Perceptions concerning skill and competence of the health care provider and satisfaction indicating interpersonal communication and attitude of the care provider were important predictors for community clinic service utilization

Evaluation of Service Quality in Brewery Using Importance-Performance Analysis

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Ingaldi Manuela

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Because of its specificity, service quality is difficult to assess, especially since there is no materiality in it, it cannot be seen. Usually the gap between the expectations of customer and their perceptions in relation to a particular service is observed. This article aim is to evaluate the quality of catering services offered by one of the breweries (restaurant in Silesia. The importance-performance analysis, which is often underestimated, was used in order to show its advantages. The survey was conducted among 137 customers of the selected brewery in Czestochowa. The average values of evaluations of all individual questions from both parts of survey were calculated. Then, average values for the pair of statements (performance; importance were placed in the importance-performance map. The analysis revealed that the service quality of the research brewery is placed in quadrant II, i.e. the area of reasonable property of needs. This means that the improvement of service quality is not necessary.

The Effect of Hospital Service Quality on Patient's Trust.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarei, Ehsan; Daneshkohan, Abbas; Khabiri, Roghayeh; Arab, Mohammad

2015-01-01

The trust is meant the belief of the patient to the practitioner or the hospital based on the concept that the care provider seeks the best for the patient and will provide the suitable care and treatment for him/her. One of the main determinants of patient's trust is the service quality. This study aimed to examine the effect of quality of services provided in private hospitals on the patient's trust. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 969 patients were selected using the consecutive method from eight private general hospitals of Tehran, Iran, in 2010. Data were collected through a questionnaire containing 20 items (14 items for quality, 6 items for trust) and its validity and reliability were confirmed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate regression. The mean score of patients' perception of trust was 3.80 and 4.01 for service quality. Approximately 38% of the variance in patient trust was explained by service quality dimensions. Quality of interaction and process (P quality of the environment had no significant effect on the patients' degree of trust. The interaction quality and process quality were the key determinants of patient's trust in the private hospitals of Tehran. To enhance the patients' trust, quality improvement efforts should focus on service delivery aspects such as scheduling, timely and accurate doing of the service, and strengthening the interpersonal aspects of care and communication skills of doctors, nurses and staff.

PERCEPTIONs OF RESTAURANT MANAGERS ABOUT THE QUALITY OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES OFFERED TO CONSUMERS. CASE STUDY: THE CITY OF BRAȘOV.

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Andreea-Nicoleta NEACŞU

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The present economic crisis has had a powerful impact on the restaurants in the city of Brașov, which have confronted themselves in the past years both with a decrease in the number of consumers, and with a reduction in the consumption of products and public food services. In this context, this survey aims to analyze the perceptions of the restaurant managers in the city of Brașov regarding the quality of products and services they offer to the consumers, by using, in this sense, one of the techniques that are specific to qualitative research that is the semi - directive in - depth interview method.

Perceptions of a medical microbiology service: a survey of laboratory users.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, M S

1995-01-01

AIM--To ascertain the perception of laboratory users regarding the quality of the medical microbiology services in a district general hospital. METHODS--Detailed questionnaires were circulated to all clinicians in the locality, with headings covering the quality of medical advice provided, the availability of information on specimen collection, format of request forms, specimen transport arrangements, turnaround times, the quality and need for interpretative advice, and the overall impression of the quality of the services provided. RESULTS--Two hundred and thirty five replies were received, giving a response rate of 69%. Transportation of specimens and communication of reports were identified as priority areas for improvement. The overall quality of the service was perceived as satisfactory, although areas were identified where substantial improvements could be made, some at little or no cost to the laboratory. CONCLUSIONS--The survey focused clinicians' attention on the service, raised the profile of the laboratory, and resulted in improved communications and a better understanding of customer needs. Overall, the exercise was felt to be extremely useful, and worthwhile repeating to gauge the effect of the changes instituted as a result. PMID:8537489

The Turkish adaptation of scale to measure patient perceptions of the quality of nursing care and related hospital services: A validity and reliability study.

Science.gov (United States)

Oren, Besey; Zengin, Neriman; Yildiz, Nebahat

2016-01-01

This study aimed to test the validity and reliability of a version of the tool developed in Sri Lanka in 2011 to assess patient perceptions of the quality of nursing care and related hospital services created for use with Turkish patients. This methodological study was conducted between November 2013 and November 2014 after obtaining ethical approval and organizational permission. Data was collected during discharge from 180 adult patients who were hospitalized for at least 3 days at a medical school hospital located in Istanbul. After language validation, validity and reliability analyses of the scale were conducted. Content validity, content validity index (CVI), construct validity, and exploratory factor analysis were assessed and examined, and reliability was tested using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item-total correlations. Mean CVI was found to be 0.95, which is above expected value. Exploratory factor analysis revealed 4 factors with eigenvalues above 1, which explained 82.4% of total variance in the Turkish version of the tool to measure patient perceptions of nursing care and other hospital services. Factor loading for each item was ≥.40. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of sub-dimensions and total scale were found to be 0.84-0.98 and 0.98, respectively. Item-total correlations ranged from 0.56 to 0.83 for the entire group, which was above expected values. The Turkish version of the scale to assess patient perceptions of the quality of nursing care and related hospital services, which comprised 4 sub-dimensions and 36 items, was found to be valid and reliable for use with the Turkish population.

RESEARCH OF EXPECTED AND PERCEIVED SERVICE QUALITY IN HOTEL MANAGEMENT

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Milan Bradić

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The paper examines the concept and measurement of quality of service in the hotel sector. The ratings of guests’ expectations and calculations of SERVQUAL gap (discrepancies between expectations and perceptions, has been the most reliable method in estimating the precise diagnosis of quality deficiency. The findings of questionnaire research aimed at measuring the service quality in spa hotels are presented in this paper. The research was conducted in hotels of the third category (three-star hotels which are located in the most visited spa centers in Serbia: Vrnjačka banja, Niška banja, Soko banja and Mataruška banja, during the months of September - November 2009. Service quality was measured with a model based on SERVQUAL model. The results may be important for providers of hotel services and contribute to the advancement of business through the adjustment of the product needs of hotel guests.

Exploring public bus service quality in South Africa: A structural equation modelling approach

OpenAIRE

Ayanda M. Vilakazi; Krishna K. Govender

2014-01-01

This study, which is a deviation from the usual practice of using SERVQUAL or an adaptedversion thereof, uses McKnight, Pagano and Paaswell’s (1986) service quality dimensions,namely reliability; extent of service; comfort; safety; and affordability (RECSA) and structuralequation modelling to determine commuters’ perception of public bus service quality in amajor city in South Africa. The RECSA model was adapted and fitted to the data collectedfrom a convenience sample of bus commuters in Joh...

RELATIONSHIP AMONG E-SERVICE QUALITY, CULTURE, ATTITUDE, TRUST, RISK OF ONLINE SHOPPING

OpenAIRE

Mohammad Al-Nasser; Rushami Zien Yusoff; Rabiul Islam; Abdullah Al-Nasser

2014-01-01

Purchasing is considered a risky business specifically in the online purchasing environment. The research was designed to fill the gap in the existing body of knowledge regarding attitudes and differences in electronic service quality perception between two different geographical and cultural countries-Malaysia and Saudi Arabia-regarding online shopping. Specifically, this research extended previous effort done in an online shopping context by providing evidence that high service quality incr...

Evaluation of the Quality of Health Service Providers: The Iranian People Perspective 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Asefzadeh, Saeed; Gholami, Soheyla; Rajaee, Roya; Najafi, Marziye; Alijanzadeh, Mehran

2016-03-01

Quality is the center of attention in all service providing organizations that are effective in promoting satisfaction of patients who are referred to medical centers. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of health service providers in a case study of Qazvin, Iran, in 2014. This descriptive study was conducted on 1,002 people who were residents of Qazvin Province (Iran) in 2014. The people were selected randomly from the population of the study area. The main variables studied were education, perceptions, expectations, and gaps in service quality. The data collection tool was the standard Servequal questionnaire. To determine the reliability of the research tool, we used Cronbach's Alpha coefficient and the test-retest method. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS and the ANOVA test. The mean age of people included in the study was 32 ± 9.9 years, and the average waiting time to receive services was 73 ± 47 minutes. Hospitals and doctors' offices had the highest quality gap of -1.420 ± 0.82 and -1.01 ± 0.75, respectively. The service quality gaps in medical centers, health providers of rural area, and health providers of urban area were -0.883 ± 0.67, -0.882 ± 0.83, and -0.804 ± 0.62, respectively. There was a significant relationship between peoples' perceptions and expectations concerning the quality of health services and their educational levels. The higher gaps in quality in hospitals and in doctors' offices require more attention. Managers and policy makers should consider developing and implementing plans to reduce these gaps in quality and to promote better health services in these two sectors.

Why Change to Active Learning? Pre-Service and In-Service Science Teachers' Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

O'Grady, Audrey; Simmie, Geraldine Mooney; Kennedy, Therese

2014-01-01

This article explores pre-service and in-service science teachers' perceptions on active learning, and examines the effectiveness of active learning by pre-service science teachers in the Irish second level classroom through a two-phase study. In the first phase, data on perceptions were gathered from final year pre-service teachers and in-service…

Students' perception of quality of medical education in a medical college in west Bengal, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Mukhopadhyay, Dipta Kanti

2016-01-01

Students' perceived quality of educational service is an important field of educational research. To identify the gaps in the quality of educational services as perceived by students in a medical college in West Bengal, India. In a cross-sectional study, educational quality was measured using validated SERVQUAL instrument between two randomly selected groups of undergraduate medical students (n = 179). This five-point Likert scale questionnaire measured the expectation and perception of students on 26 items under five dimensions of quality of educational services, viz., tangible (physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel), reliability (accuracy and consistency of a department in providing educational services), responsiveness (eagerness to help and commitment), assurance (ability of teaching departments to earn students' confidence), and empathy (ability to communicate care and understanding). Dimension-wise difference in the mean scores for expectation and perception was calculated and was considered as quality gaps in educational services. Significant negative quality gaps were noted in all five dimensions. The highest gap was found in tangible (-1.67) followed by empathy (-1.64) although the mean score of perceived quality in the dimension of empathy was the lowest (2.53). This indicates the need for improvement in physical facilities as well as behavior of teachers and staff toward students. The smallest gap was noted in the dimension of assurance (-1.29), which indicates the students' overall confidence in teaching departments regarding their management or content expertise. These findings underscore students' aspiration for the overall improvement of educational services that can be taken into consideration during development planning.

Does restaurant performance meet customers' expectations? An assessment of restaurant service quality using a modified DINESERV approach

OpenAIRE

Marković, Suzana; Raspor, Sanja; Šegarić, Klaudio

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine restaurant service quality. The aims are to: (a) assess customers’ expectations and perceptions, (b) establish the significance of difference between perceived and expected service quality, (c) identify the number of dimensions for expectations and perceptions scales of modified DINESERV model, (d) test the reliability of the applied DINESERV model. The empirical research was conducted using primary data. The questionnaire is based on Stevens et al. (...

Food quality and safety: Consumer perception and demand

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grunert, Klaus G.

2005-01-01

choice and consumer demand, addressing questions of price perception and the validity of willingness-to-pay measurements. It is concluded that food quality and safety are central issues in today's food economics, though many research questions remain to be addressed. Udgivelsesdato: SEP 1......Research on consumer quality perception is reviewed using the Total Food Quality Model as a structuring device. The relationship between food safety and quality is addressed, and is discussed in the context of research on consumer risk perception. Quality and safety perception is linked to food...

Food quality and safety: Consumer perception and demand

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grunert, Klaus G.

2005-01-01

Research on consumer quality perception is reviewed using the Total Food Quality Model as a structuring device. The relationship between food safety and quality is addressed, and is discussed in the context of research on consumer risk perception. Quality and safety perception is linked to food...... choice and consumer demand, addressing questions of price perception and the validity of willingness-to-pay measurements. It is concluded that food quality and safety are central issues in today's food economics, though many research questions remain to be addressed. Udgivelsesdato: SEP 1...

Perception Analysis of Desktop and Mobile Service Website

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Rizqiyatul Khoiriyah

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The research was conducted as a qualitative study of the website to deeper explore and examine the analysis of user perception of desktop and mobile website services. This research reviewed about user perception of desktop and mobile service website used by using qualitative methods adapted to WebQual and User Experience approach. This qualitative research refered to the theoretical reference written by Creswell (2014. The expected outcome is to know the user perceptions of the available services and information in the website along with the possibility of desktop and mobile gap arising from differences in the two services. These results can be used as a service model on the website of the user experience.

INVESTIGATING THE PERCEIVED SERVICE QUALITY IN CROATIAN RESTAURANT INDUSTRY USING DINESERV MODEL

OpenAIRE

SUZANA MARKOVIC; SANJA RASPOR

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to assess perceptions of restaurant customers and to determine the factor structure of perceived restaurant service quality. A modified DINESERV model was applied. The model was tested on the sample of 32 restaurants on the Opatija Riviera (Croatia), resulting with 156 usable questionnaires on which statistical analysis was performed. Results suggest a rather high perceived service quality, explained with two main dimensions, namely “overall dining experience” and...

Understanding the association between employee satisfaction and family perceptions of the quality of care in hospice service delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

York, Grady S; Jones, Janet L; Churchman, Richard

2009-11-01

Families often draw their conclusions about the quality of care received by a family member during the last months of life from their interactions with professional caregivers. A more comprehensive understanding of how these relationships influence the care experience should include an investigation of the association between employee job satisfaction and family perception of the quality of care. This cross-sectional study investigated the association at a regional hospice. Using the Kendall's tau correlation, employee satisfaction scores for care teams trended toward a positive correlation with family overall satisfaction scores from the Family Evaluation of Hospice Care (tau=0.47, P=0.10). A trend for differences in employee satisfaction between the care teams to associate with differences in overall family perceptions of the quality of care also was found using the Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance (chi(2)(K-W)=9.236, P=0.075). Post hoc tests indicated that overall family perceptions of quality of care differed between the hospice's Residence Team and Non-Hospice Facilities Team. Finally, positive associations between employee satisfaction and the families' Intent to recommend hospice (tau=0.55, P=0.059) and Inform and communicate about patient (tau=0.55, P=0.059) were noted. Selected employee and family comments provide complementarity to further clarify or explain the respondent data. These results suggest that employee satisfaction is associated with family perceptions of the quality of hospice care. Opportunities for improving both employee job satisfaction and family perceptions of the quality of care are discussed.

The Quality of Educational Services from Students' Viewpoint in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Moosavi, Ahmad; Mohseni, Mohammad; Ziaiifar, Hajar; Azami-Aghdash, Saber; Gharasi Manshadi, Mahdi; Rezapour, Aziz

2017-04-01

Students' view is an important factor in assessing the quality of universities. Servqual pattern is regarded as the most prominent for services quality measurement. This study aimed to review systematically studies that investigated the quality of educational services. A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating students' viewpoint about quality of educational services were conducted. Required data were collected from PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, SID, Magiran, and Iranmedex, without time restriction. Computer software CMA, ver. 2 was applied to estimate the total mean score of students' perception and expectation of services quality and the gap between them. The 18 eligible studies were entered into study. The studies were conducted between 2004 and 2014. Based on the random effect model, the total mean score of students' perception, students' expectation and the gap between them were estimated 2.92 (95% CI, 2.75 - 3.09), 4.18 (95% CI, 3.98 - 4.38), respectively and -1.30 (95% CI= -1.56, -1.04). The studied students' expectation level is higher than the current quality of educational services. There is a tangible difference between their expectations and the current quality, which requires officials' efforts to improve quality in all dimensions and effective steps can be taken towards improving the quality of educational services through appropriate training planning and training for empowering employees in colleges and universities.

HEALTH WORKERS' PERCEPTIONON THE QUALITY OF SERVICE AND CORPORATE CULTURE OF A TEACHING HOSPITAL IN NIGERIA.

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Akpan, Etukumana Etiobong; Bassey, Orie Jacob

2015-01-01

Quality of service delivery remains the most important issue in hospitals since patients expect higher standard care and services. This quality service is rooted in the culture of the health care organization. Therefore,this study seeks to determine health workers' perception on the quality of service and corporate culture at University of Uyo Teaching hospital, Uyo, Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out. Using structured questionnaire and convenient sampling technique, data were collected from 250 hospital workers.The responses on questions to elicit the hospital's quality of service and corporate culture were rated on a five-point Likert Scale as follows; Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Neutral(N), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD). Data entry and analysis were performed using Epi Info 3.2.2 (CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA). The minimum and maximum ages of the respondents were 21 years and 60 years respectively. The mean, median and mode ages in the respondents were 34.6 (± 7.88) years, 33 years, and 30 years respectively. Majority of the study respondents were in the age group of 31-40 years (30%), female (56.8%) and Doctors (36%). The respondents' positive perception on quality of service offered by the hospital was 69.2% (OR 5.05, 95% CI 3.39-7.52, P quality services as obtained in other hospitals. Majority of the workers in all the professions except Medical Doctors accepted that the hospital values the individual workers. Majority of the Pharmacists and Non-clinical staff accepted that the hospital management was flexible and understands the importance of balancing their work and personal life. Majority of the Doctors, Pharmacists and laboratory/image scientists did not accept that top management communicates changes in decisions that affect employees. The perception of health workers on the quality of service rendered by the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital was satisfactory. However, the hospital needs to improve on its

Assessment of Students' Satisfaction of Service Quality in Takoradi Polytechnic: The Students' Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Anwowie, Samuel; Amoako, Joseph; Abrefa, Amma Adomaa

2015-01-01

Higher educational institutions are increasingly placing greater emphasis on meeting students' expectations and needs as student perceptions of higher educational facilities and services are becoming more important. To investigate students' satisfaction of service quality at the Takoradi Polytechnic, a study was conducted using the SERVQUAL…

Patient perceptions and expectations of an anticoagulation service: a quantitative comparison study of clinic-based testers and patient self-testers.

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Money, Arthur G; Barnett, Julie; Kuljis, Jasna; Duffin, Debbie

2015-12-01

Government initiatives see the provision of technology-assisted self-care as one of the key areas in which there is capacity for improving quality of care whilst reducing costs. However, levels of patient engagement in self-testing and management (STM) remain low. Little emphasis has been placed on understanding the patients' perspectives of the reasons for this limited engagement. Typically, patient engagement in STM is achieved via the provision of patient education programmes, which aim to enable patients to make the changes necessary to become competent self-carers. However, placing the onus to change on the individual patient is unrealistic. If levels of patient engagement are to be improved, patient needs and expectations of clinical services must be better understood and service provision must be adapted accordingly. Explore patient perceptions and expectations of clinical service provision and their views of having and making choices about care. Participants [N = 191, 103 patient self-tester managers (PSTMs) and 87 clinic-based testers (CBTs)] completed the SERVQUAL and ChQ instruments to capture perspectives on service quality and choice, respectively. A comparative statistical analysis explored the similarities and differences between PSTMs' and CBTs' responses. Clinic-based testers' perceptions of service quality were significantly more positive than PSTMs', as were their expectations of the 'tangible' aspects of service delivery. PSTMs' expectations of service quality were significantly higher than their perceptions. PSTMs attributed significantly more value to making choices compared with CBTs. To close the gap between PSTMs expectations and perceptions of service quality and better cater for their choice preferences, service providers may benefit from taking into account the following practice considerations: maintain frequent, timely, personalised and direct interactions with PSTMs; prioritise investment in resources to facilitate patient

Managing service quality: Human resource management strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. K. Govender

2000-06-01

Full Text Available This article reports the results of an empirical evaluation of a conceptual service encounter management model (Govender, 1999. The various hypotheses proposed to show a relationship between formal and informal socialisation strategies, and the bank employees' perception of the organisational climate and their role are empirically evaluated. Furthermore, the mediated effects of these socialization tactics on the bank customers perception of the service quality was also ascertained by matching a random sample of 210 bank employees with 1050 customers. Opsomming Hierdie artikel rapporteer die resultate van n empiriese evaluering van n konseptuele dienservaringsbestuursmodel (Govender, 1999. Verskeie hipoteses word voorgehou om n verband tussen formele en informele sosialise- ringstrategiee aan te toon, en die bankwerkers se persepsie van die organisatoriese klimaat en hulle rolle word empirics geevalueer.Verder word die modererende effek van hierdie sosialiseringstrategie op die bankkliente se persepsie van dienskwaliteit bepaal deur 'n ewekansige steekproefvan 210 bankwerkers met 1050 kliente af te paar.

Implementing a 6-day physiotherapy service in rehabilitation: exploring staff perceptions.

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Caruana, Erin L; Kuys, Suzanne S; Clarke, Jane; Brauer, Sandra G

2017-11-20

Objective Australian weekend rehabilitation therapy provision is increasing. Staff engagement optimises service delivery. The present mixed-methods process evaluation explored staff perceptions regarding implementation of a 6-day physiotherapy service in a private rehabilitation unit. Methods All multidisciplinary staff working in the rehabilitation unit were surveyed regarding barriers, facilitators and perceptions of the effect of a 6-day physiotherapy service on length of stay (LOS) and patient goal attainment at three time points: before and after implementation, as well as after modification of a 6-day physiotherapy service. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results Fifty-one staff (50%) responded. Before implementation, all staff identified barriers, the most common being staffing (62%) and patient selection (29%). After implementation, only 30% of staff identified barriers, which differed to those identified before implementation, and included staff rostering and experience (20%), timing of therapy (10%) and increasing the allocation of patients (5%). Over time, staff perceptions changed from being unsure to being positive about the effect of the 6-day service on LOS and patient goal attainment. Conclusion Staff perceived a large number of barriers before implementation of a 6-day rehabilitation service, but these did not eventuate following implementation. Staff perceived improved LOS and patient goal attainment after implementation of a 6-day rehabilitation service incorporating staff feedback. What is known about this topic? Rehabilitation weekend services improve patient quality of life and functional independence while reducing LOS. What does this study add? Staff feedback during implementation and modification of new services is important to address potential barriers and ensure staff satisfaction and support. What are the implications for practitioners? Staff engagement and open communication are important to

Unit-level voluntary turnover rates and customer service quality: implications of group cohesiveness, newcomer concentration, and size.

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Hausknecht, John P; Trevor, Charlie O; Howard, Michael J

2009-07-01

Despite substantial growth in the service industry and emerging work on turnover consequences, little research examines how unit-level turnover rates affect essential customer-related outcomes. The authors propose an operational disruption framework to explain why voluntary turnover impairs customers' service quality perceptions. On the basis of a sample of 75 work units and data from 5,631 employee surveys, 59,602 customer surveys, and organizational records, results indicate that unit-level voluntary turnover rates are negatively related to service quality perceptions. The authors also examine potential boundary conditions related to the disruption framework. Of 3 moderators studied (group cohesiveness, group size, and newcomer concentration), results show that turnover's negative effects on service quality are more pronounced in larger units and in those with a greater concentration of newcomers.

Dining atmospherics and food and service quality as predictors of customer satisfaction at sit-down restaurants

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Daniel Petzer

2014-01-01

Full Text Available South African sit-down restaurants operate in a fiercely competitive environment and customer satisfaction has proven critical for survival in this and other service industries. A satisfied customer spreads positive word-of-mouth, returns, and contributes to profitability. Extant literature indicates that customer satisfaction is in turn impacted by product and service quality, and also by the atmospheric elements present in the servicescape. It is, however, important to determine the extent to which food and service quality and dining atmospherics predict customer satisfaction within a South African sitdown restaurant context before restaurateurs embark on marketing strategies to enhance these aspects to cultivate customer satisfaction. The study therefore measures these constructs and determines the extent to which they predict customer satisfaction. The study is quantitative and descriptive in nature. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires from 250 sit-down restaurant diners in urban areas of South Africa’s North-West Province. The results indicate that respondents’ perceptions of food and service quality are significant predictors of customer satisfaction at sit-down restaurants. Respondents’ perceptions of dining atmospherics also predict customer satisfaction when food and service quality are controlled. The article provides recommendations on how dining atmospherics, food quality and service quality can be enhanced to improve customer satisfaction at sit-down restaurants.

Impact of national cultures on automotive after sales services perception

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Jose Albors-Garrigos

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This article clarifies the impact of national culture in the after sales service in the automotive sector. Introduction and objectives: After-sales services have become paramount in the automobile industry. However, they are not sufficiently researched, particularly in emerging markets. Here an academic gap exists because, within the automotive research literature, culture is a widely neglected issue. Thus no explicit knowledge can be applied regarding emerging markets service demand behaviour, which might be a crucial point, as some of these countries culture is different to the western culture. Methods: The research is based in a survey carried out among Chinese premium brand automotive customers. Results: It shows which individual level values are causal and positively contribute to the perception of service quality and loyalty behaviour by customers. Conclusion: The article providing a guideline how the entire process chain of after-sales services could be researched and applies successfully the individual level value theory by Schwartz. Implications and research limitation: Brand loyalty is well explained by perceived service quality significantly leads to after-sales service satisfaction, which itself is a strong predictor of workshop loyalty. Moreover, workshop loyal customers are likewise significantly brand loyal. Finally, the influence of culture is empirically verified with the one exception of after-sales service satisfaction.

The development of NEdSERV: quantitative instrumentation to measure service quality in nurse education.

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Roberts, P

1999-07-01

The political climate of health care provision and education for health care in the latter years of the 20th century is evolving from the uncertainty of newly created markets to a more clearly focused culture of collaboration, dissemination of good practice, with an increased emphasis on quality provision and its measurement. The need for provider units to prove and improve efficiency and effectiveness through evidence-based quality strategies in order to stay firmly in the market place has never been more necessary. The measurement of customer expectations and perceptions of delivered service quality is widely utilized as a basis for customer retention and business growth in both commercial and non-profit organizations. This paper describes the methodological development of NEdSERV--quantitative instrumentation designed to measure and respond to ongoing stakeholder expectations and perceptions of delivered service quality within nurse education.

Brewing Service Quality in Higher Education: Characteristics of Ingredients that Make up the Recipe

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Yeo, Roland K.

2008-01-01

Purpose: The paper seeks to explore the influences of service quality in higher education and the perceptions associated with the implementation of a Singapore tertiary institution. It draws on the underpinnings of SERVQUAL, and discusses the dichotomy and interrelation between customer perception and expectation. Design/methodology/approach:…

Perceptions of Service Quality and Satisfaction of High Performance Programmes (HPP: A Case Study of a Comprehensive University in South Africa

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P. Serra

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sport is a multi-billion dollar industry that has become an important marketingtool toattracta higher calibre of students to universities.Studentsdo not onlyconsider the educational value a university can offer but alsowhat it can offer interms of advancing their sporting achievements and their sporting careers. Highperformance programmes (HPP which includesuperior facilities, highqualitycoaching and management staff, educational subsidies, body/health conditioningfacilities as well as supportive staff for the purpose of driving and maintaining ahigh calibre of development are required to assist students in meeting theirsporting aspirations. The aim of this study was to gain constructive insightsregarding perceptions ofservice quality and satisfaction of the different memberassociates of the High Performance Programmes (HPP of Rugby, Hockey,Soccer, Netball, Athletics, Rowing and Cricket at a comprehensive university inSouth Africa (SA. Aconcurrent mixed method approachwas used to collectdata.Ko and Pastore’s (2005 Scale of Service Quality in Recreational Sports(SSQRSwas used to collect the quantitative data from one hundred and nineteen(n=119 first team players. Qualitative data was collected throughsemi-structuredinterviews with the respective sport managers(n=7and team captains(n=7within each sport programme.Quantitative data was analysed usingthestatistical package for the social sciences (SPSS, whereas the qualitative data were analysed using the Atlas.tisoftware package. The results from the studyrevealedthat the service quality of theHPPranged from moderate to highindicating thatsome dimensions requiredattention.The study provided usefulinsights regarding service quality which couldassistthemanagement of the HPPsin developing effective strategies to maintain and improve the quality of theirservices.

Quality of service and customer satisfaction on arterial streets : final report

Science.gov (United States)

2003-06-13

This report presents the results of a qualitative study of driver perception of quality of service (QOS) on urban arterial streets. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors that are important to drivers of personal automobiles (non-commer...

The quality of service in passenger transport terminals

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Oprea, C.; Roşca, E.; Popa, M.; Ilie, A.; Dinu, O.; Roşca, M.

2016-11-01

The quality of service in transport terminals is differently perceived by engineers, economists, transport operators and sociologists. The traveler's perception is nevertheless decisive. The quality of service is well connected with the inside design of terminals, with the facilities in terminals and with the provided service standards. In order to provide a high level of service, the activities taking place in the public transport terminal and the maximum travelers flow size must be carefully analyzed and dimensioned. The purpose of modelling is to find the best route for each traveler from origin (entrance) to destination (exit) through all the intermediate service points, taking into consideration the instant network conditions. In developing the model we consider the walking, the waiting and the serving time. Using a simulation program written in ARENA we determine the waiting time. For validation, the model is used to evaluate the performance level in Bucharest Basarab station. By comparing the total walking distance for the possible routes and the utility function that describes the utility of all activities from entrance to exit we can find the optimal route.

The Effects of Brand Experiences on Quality, Satisfaction and Loyalty: An Empirical Study in the Telecommunications Multiple-play Service Market

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António Carrizo Moreira

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This article seeks to add to the body of knowledge on the role played by brand experience and its relationship with satisfaction, trust and service quality in the development of loyalty. Structural Equation Modelling (sem is used to analyze 690 telecommunications multiple-play users in the Portuguese telecommunications market. Our conclusions show that brand experiences can be used to generate loyalty, trust and quality perceptions; although satisfaction was confirmed to be the main loyalty predictor, service quality has an important indirect effect. In order to build customer loyalty, marketers must manage brand experiences, service quality, satisfaction and trust. Brand experiences can be explored as a way to differentiate services, to change customers’ perceptions toward a brand and, ultimately, lead to customer retention. Furthermore, providing reliable services is of the utmost importance for service providers.

Online Support Service Quality, Online Learning Acceptance, and Student Satisfaction

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Lee, Jung-Wan

2010-01-01

This paper examines potential differences between Korean and American students in terms of their perception levels regarding online education support service quality, online learning acceptance, and satisfaction. Eight hundred and seventy-two samples, which were collected from students in online classes in the United States and Korea, were…

A Survey of the Perception of the Quality of and Preference of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of the study was to explore the healthcare preferences of residents of Abeokuta South Local Government Area (LGA) and their perception of quality of services received, and to determine the factors influencing their choice of healthcare facilities. Materials and Methods: A descriptive crosssectional study design was ...

The Quality of Educational Services from Students’ Viewpoint in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

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MOOSAVI, Ahmad; MOHSENI, Mohammad; ZIAIIFAR, Hajar; AZAMI-AGHDASH, Saber; GHARASI MANSHADI, Mahdi; REZAPOUR, Aziz

2017-01-01

Background: Students’ view is an important factor in assessing the quality of universities. Servqual pattern is regarded as the most prominent for services quality measurement. This study aimed to review systematically studies that investigated the quality of educational services. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating students’ viewpoint about quality of educational services were conducted. Required data were collected from PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, SID, Magiran, and Iranmedex, without time restriction. Computer software CMA, ver. 2 was applied to estimate the total mean score of students’ perception and expectation of services quality and the gap between them. Results: The 18 eligible studies were entered into study. The studies were conducted between 2004 and 2014. Based on the random effect model, the total mean score of students’ perception, students’ expectation and the gap between them were estimated 2.92 (95% CI, 2.75 – 3.09), 4.18 (95% CI, 3.98 – 4.38), respectively and −1.30 (95% CI= −1.56, −1.04). Conclusion: The studied students’ expectation level is higher than the current quality of educational services. There is a tangible difference between their expectations and the current quality, which requires officials’ efforts to improve quality in all dimensions and effective steps can be taken towards improving the quality of educational services through appropriate training planning and training for empowering employees in colleges and universities. PMID:28540260

Asian Learners’ Perception of Quality in Distance Education and Gender Differences

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Insung Jung

2012-04-01

Full Text Available There have been few efforts to investigate the concept of quality from learners’ perspectives or to incorporate their needs and perceptions in quality standards in distance education. This is rather surprising, particularly in distance education contexts where the quality of the learning is not derived only from the products and services delivered to the learner but also from the knowledge, understanding, and relationships that are codeveloped by both teachers and learners during the teaching and learning processes. This study proposes and verifies a conceptual model of the 10 dimensions of quality in distance education from the learners’ perspectives and investigates gender differences in the perception of quality in distance education with 1,665 distance learners from 11 Asian countries and one territory. The results show that all 10 dimensions across supportive, pedagogical, and environmental domains in the model are important in judging quality in distance education. Also, gender differences are found in the perceived importance of 10 quality dimensions, barriers to DE, important supporters, and types of support received. The implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for further research and development are offered.

Gap between the Expectations and Perceptions of Students regarding the Educational Services Offered in a School of Nursing and Midwifery.

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Asefi, Fariba; Delaram, Masoumeh; Deris, Fatemeh

2017-04-01

Awareness of students' opinions about the various aspects of training provided is an essential factor to evaluate the quality of education. The aim of this study was to determine the gap between the students' expectations and perceptions from the educational services provided to them in the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. In this cross-sectional study, 320 students were selected by stratified random sampling method and data were collected by SERVQUAL questionnaire to examine the areas of assurance, responsiveness, empathy, tangibles and confidence. Data analysis was conducted by descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean±SD) and analytical (paired t-test, independent t-test and One-Way ANOVA) statistics in SPSS 20. The mean scores of the students' expectations and perceptions of the educational services delivered to them were 4.34±0.63 and 3.56±0.68, respectively, with a significant, negative gap (-0.77±0.77, p<0.001). The lowest gap of quality was derived for assurance (-0.65) followed by reliability (-0.69), accountability (-0.74), and empathy (-0.81), and the greatest gap observed in tangibles (-0.96). A negative gap was observed between the students' expectations and perceptions of the quality of educational services delivered to them. This means that the quality of services delivered to students was less than what they expected. The highest gap was related to the tangibles. In order to improve the educational services, paying attention to different areas of quality of educational services, especially, the tangibles, is necessary.

Toward a TQM Paradigm: Using SERVQUAL to Measure Library Service Quality.

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Coleman, Vicki; And Others

1997-01-01

Texas A&M University's Evans Library conducted a survey (SERVQUAL) to measure service quality in terms of tangibles (appearance of facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials), reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Discrepancies between expectations and perceptions were found in reliability, responsiveness,…

Service Quality Measurement in Croatian Wellness Tourism: An Application of the SERVQUAL Scale

OpenAIRE

Suzana Markovic; Sanja Raspor; Jelena Komšic

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the conceptual and empirical knowledge of service quality in wellness settings. The aim is to provide a theoretical background of the main concepts of interest and to empirically assess customer expectations and perceptions, as well as to determine the overall quality of wellness services. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, based on the dimensions of the SERVQUAL scale (Parasuraman, Zeithaml & Berry, 1988). The questionna...

Diagnosis of the quality of service, in customer service, at the National University of Chimborazo- Ecuador

OpenAIRE

Salazar Yépez, Wilfrido; Cabrera Vallejo, Mario

2016-01-01

The purpose of this article is to determine the quality of service of improvements in the enrollment processes at the National University of Chimborazo- Ecuador. This cross-sectional research is the result of a field work, where an analysis of the collected information was carried out, through surveys applied to the students, through the SERVQUAL model, afterwards, comparing these found aspects and determining The gap between perceptions and expectations, thus determining the quality of servi...

Association between perceptions of public drinking water quality and actual drinking water quality: A community-based exploratory study in Newfoundland (Canada).

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Ochoo, Benjamin; Valcour, James; Sarkar, Atanu

2017-11-01

Studying public perception on drinking water quality is crucial for managing of water resources, generation of water quality standards, and surveillance of the drinking-water quality. However, in policy discourse, the reliability of public perception concerning drinking water quality and associated health risks is questionable. Does the public perception of water quality equate with the actual water quality? We investigated public perceptions of water quality and the perceived health risks and associated with the actual quality of public water supplies in the same communities. The study was conducted in 45 communities of Newfoundland (Canada) in 2012. First, a telephone survey of 100 households was conducted to examine public perceptions of drinking water quality of their respective public sources. Then we extracted public water quality reports of the same communities (1988-2011) from the provincial government's water resources portal. These reports contained the analysis of 2091 water samples, including levels of Disinfection By-Products (DBPs), nutrients, metals, ions and physical parameters. The reports showed that colour, manganese, total dissolved solids, iron, turbidity, and DBPs were the major detected parameters in the public water. However, the majority of the respondents (>56%) were either completely satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of drinking water. Older, higher educated and high-income group respondents were more satisfied with water quality than the younger, less educated and low-income group respondents. The study showed that there was no association with public satisfaction level and actual water quality of the respective communities. Even, in the communities, supplied by the same water system, the respondents had differences in opinion. Despite the effort by the provincial government to make the water-test results available on its website for years, the study showed existing disconnectedness between public perception of drinking water

An empirical assessment of service quality in the context of travel agencies in the Republic of Macedonia

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Anita Ciunova-Shuleska

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the service quality of travel agencies in the Republic of Macedonia from a customer perspective. Its authors applied a modified version of the SERVQUAL instrument for measuring service quality. The results of the performed paired sample t-testing indicated significant differences between expectations and perceptions, with two exceptions. A positive correlation was identified between expectation means and perception means as well as between perception means and gap score means, with a negative correlation identified between expectation means and gap means. Furthermore, factor analysis of the gap score means was performed, revealing the existence of 3 dimensions: customer orientation, reliability and tangibles. Data analysis showed negative gaps between expectations and perception on all three dimensions. Finally, by using the ANOVA test, significant differences among the gap scores of the three different classes of travel agencies (with “A”, “B” and “C” licenses were determined, both in total and with regard to the identified dimensions. There are a number of areas of the travel agencies’ service quality where enhancements are needed in order to satisfy the customers more fully.

Time, costs and farmers’ perceptions: The case of livestock service delivery in tamilnadu

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G kathiravan

2011-10-01

Full Text Available A study was undertaken in southern peninsular State of India, the Tamil Nadu State, (i to ascertain the time costs of animal health care and bovine breeding services, and (ii to comprehend the perceptions of farmers on the livestock services rendered by different service providers. The districts of the state were categorized as 'Livestock Developed' (LD and 'Livestock Under Developed' (LUD based on initial base line developed. Travel, waiting and service time were among the primary non-price factors that affected service quality. Average travel time was highest for visiting the public veterinary centre in both LUD (23.05 min. and LD (21.32 min. districts. Waiting time with regard to veterinarians providing home services in LUD districts was highest (23.01 min., followed by public veterinary centre services at LUD districts (22.35 min., home services by para-veterinarians (22.01 min. and public veterinary centre services at LD districts (20.10 min.. Both travel and waiting time were much higher in case of breeding services compared to curative services, which could be due to the fact that the farmers preferred Artificial Insemination (AI over its close substitute, the natural service. However, the service time was relatively less in case of insemination services vis-à-vis curative services both in LUD and LD districts. The quality perceptions of farmers on livestock services revealed that the home services rendered by veterinarians as the best one (0.83, followed by private veterinary clinics (0.75, home services by para-veterinarians (0.74, public veterinary centres (0.64 and co-operative veterinary centres (0.48. [Vet. World 2011; 4(5.000: 209-212

Perception Analysis of Desktop and Mobile Service Website

OpenAIRE

Khoiriyah, Rizqiyatul

2016-01-01

The research was conducted as a qualitative study of the website to deeper explore and examine the analysis of user perception of desktop and mobile website services. This research reviewed about user perception of desktop and mobile service website used by using qualitative methods adapted to WebQual and User Experience approach. This qualitative research refered to the theoretical reference written by Creswell (2014). The expected outcome is to know the user perceptions of the available ser...

The quality assessment of family physician service in rural regions, Northeast of Iran in 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Vafaee-Najar, Ali; Nejatzadegan, Zohreh; Pourtaleb, Arefeh; Kaffashi, Shahnaz; Vejdani, Marjan; Molavi-Taleghani, Yasamin; Ebrahimipour, Hosein

2014-04-01

Following the implementation of family physician plan in rural areas, the quantity of provided services has been increased, but what leads on the next topic is the improvement in expected quality of service, as well. The present study aims at determining the gap between patients' expectation and perception from the quality of services provided by family physicians during the spring and summer of 2012. This was a cross-sectional study in which 480 patients who referred to family physician centers were selected with clustering and simple randomized method. Data were collected through SERVQUAL standard questionnaire and were analyzed with descriptive statistics, using statistical T-test, Kruskal-Wallis, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests by SPSS 16 at a significance level of 0.05. The difference between the mean scores of expectation and perception was about -0.93, which is considered as statistically significant difference (P≤ 0.05). Also, the differences in five dimensions of quality were as follows: tangible -1.10, reliability -0.87, responsiveness -1.06, assurance -0.83, and empathy -0.82. Findings showed that there was a significant difference between expectation and perception in five concepts of the provided services (P≤ 0.05). There was a gap between the ideal situation and the current situation of family physician quality of services. Our suggestion is maintaining a strong focus on patients, creating a medical practice that would exceed patients' expectations, providing high-quality healthcare services, and realizing the continuous improvement of all processes. In both tangible and responsive, the gap was greater than the other dimensions. It is recommended that more attention should be paid to the physical appearance of the health center environment and the availability of staff and employees.

Perceptions of Services and Resources as Mediators of Depression among Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities.

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Herman, Sandra E.; Marcenko, Maureen O.

1997-01-01

This study examined effects of resource perceptions and respite use in a theoretical model of adaptation with 72 parents of children with developmental disabilities. Amount and quality of respite services indirectly affected parental depression. Both quality and respite use were related to helpfulness of the parent's social network. The strongest…

Using fuzzy gap analysis to measure service quality of medical tourism in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Li-Hsing; Feng, Shu-Yun; Yen, Tieh-Min

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is intended to create a model to measure quality of service, using fuzzy linguistics to analyze the quality of service of medical tourism in Taiwan so as to find the direction for improvement of service quality in medical tourism. The study developed fuzzy questionnaires based on the characteristics of medical tourism quality of service in Taiwan. Questionnaires were delivered and recovered from February to April 2014, using random sampling according to the proportion of medical tourism companies in each region, and 150 effective samples were obtained. The critical quality of service level is found through the fuzzy gap analysis using questionnaires examining expectations and perceptions of customers, as the direction for continuous improvement. From the study, the primary five critical service items that improve the quality of service for medical tourism in Taiwan include, in order: the capability of the service provider to provide committed medical tourism services reliably and accurately, facility service providers in conjunction with the services provided, the cordial and polite attitude of the service provider eliciting a sense of trust from the customer, professional ability of medical (nursing) personnel in hospital and reliability of service provider. The contribution of this study is to create a fuzzy gap analysis to assess the performance of medical tourism service quality, identify key quality characteristics and provide a direction for improvement and development for medical tourism service quality in Taiwan.

Service quality of delivered care from the perception of women with caesarean section and normal delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabrizi, Jafar S; Askari, Samira; Fardiazar, Zahra; Koshavar, Hossein; Gholipour, Kamal

2014-01-01

Our aim was to determine the service quality of delivered care for people with Caesarean Section and Normal Delivery. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 people who had caesarean section and normal delivery in Al-Zahra Teaching Hospital in Tabriz, north western Iran. Service quality was calculated using: Service Quality = 10 - (Importance × Performance) based on importance and performance of service quality aspects from the postpartum women's perspective.A hierarchical regression analysis was applied in two steps using the enter method to examine the associations between demographics and SQ scores. Data were analysed using the SPSS-17 software. "Confidentiality", "autonomy", "choice of care provider" and "communication" achieved scores at the highest level of quality; and "support group", "prompt attention", "prevention and early detection", "continuity of care", "dignity", "safety", "accessibility and "basic amenities" got service quality score less than eight. Statistically significant relationship was found between service quality score and continuity of care (P=0.008). A notable gap between the participants‟ expectations and what they have actually received in most aspects of provided care. So, there is an opportunityto improve the quality of delivered care.

Performance Evaluation of Public Services: A Development of Public Services Quality Measurement and Customer Satisfaction Model on Three Cities in Java

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Gita Gayatri

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Decentralization in Indonesia was meant to aid in the shifting of power from the central government to local governments, with the main aim to increase public services towards a more expeditious, efficient, flexible, and high quality of services, changing the paradigm from a ‘served bureaucracy’ towards a ‘bureaucracy that serves’. This research will evaluate: first, the perception of public service consumers towards the quality of public/government services, second, the perceived value received from public services, as well as third, the measurement of their satisfaction level resulting from the quality of services delivered by local governments at city level in the three areas of the Java Island. The research will use triangulation methods: qualitative research will be conducted using focus group discussions whereas quantitative research will be conducted using surveys.The findings are: first, the ten dimensions of service quality for the public sector -i.e. tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, credibility, competence, understanding customers, access, security, communication, and courtesy- were all proven to form the service quality construct in the public service quality. Moreover the proposed model that depicts the relationship between public service quality, perceived value and satisfaction was also confirmed; hence provide an evaluation tool for public services in city level.

The quality of health care services provided in health care centers of Khorramabad using SERVQUAL model in 2010

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mohammad javad tarrahi

2012-06-01

Conclusion: Expectations of the clients in all aspects of offering services are beyond than their perceptions, and needed to improve the quality of offering services in these centers in all the dimensions especially empathy dimension. It is recommended that the quality of the offering services be assessed periodically in these centers and intervene to improve the delivering of health services.

Assessing users satisfaction with service quality in Slovenian public library

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Igor Podbrežnik

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose: A research was made into user satisfaction with regard to the quality of library services in one of the Slovenian public libraries. The aim was to establish the type of service quality level actually expected by the users, and to determine their satisfaction with the current quality level of available library services.Methodology: The research was performed by means of the SERVQUAL measuring tool which was used to determine the size and direction of the gap between the detected and the expected quality of library services among public library users.Results: Different groups of users provide different assessments of specific quality factors, and a library cannot satisfy the expectations of each and every user if most quality factors display discrepancies between the estimated perception and expectations. The users expect more reliable services and more qualified library staff members who would understand and allocate time for each user’s individual needs. The largest discrepancies from the expectations are detected among users in the under-35 age group and among the more experienced and skilled library users. The results of factor analysis confirm the fact that a higher number of quality factors can be explained by three common factors affecting the satisfaction of library users. A strong connection between user satisfaction and their assessment of the integral quality of services and loyalty has been established.Research restrictions: The research results should not be generalised and applied to all Slovenian public libraries since they differ in many important aspects. In addition, a non-random sampling method was used.Research originality/Applicability: The conducted research illustrates the use of a measuring tool that was developed with the aim of determining the satisfaction of users with the quality of library services in Slovenian public libraries. Keywords: public library, user satisfaction, quality of library services, user

The effect of service delivery in public ‘community service centres’: A case of an emerging economy

OpenAIRE

Ndabazinhle Ngobese; Roger B. Mason; Mandusha Maharaj

2017-01-01

This study investigated public perceptions of the service delivery provided by the Community Service Centres (CSC) of the South African Police Service (SAPS) Durban, South Africa. The study focuses on measuring service quality and service delivery. SERVQUAL was used to compare clients’ perceptions against expectations of service quality. Four hundred respondents were surveyed at three community service centres (previously known as ‘police stations’), with expectations and perceptions being as...

THE SERVICES QUALITY LEVEL ASSESSESMENT IN THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY WITH SERVQUAL METHOD APPLYING

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STASIAK-BETLEJEWSKA, Renata

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Contemporary universities services quality level concerns mainly the education efficiency evaluation that results from the learning outcomes realization and innovative features of the teaching programs that differ universities offers. Technical universities attention is focused on ministerial requirements fulfillment which are strictly concentrated on the students skills obtaining in the relation to the employers’ market. The university services quality analysis ignores common expectations of students and candidates for students related to the technical or functional quality, such as university facilities and administrative workers empathy. The aim of this study is to identify the expectations of both students and candidates for studies at technical universities, what allows to identify university services quality level and areas needs improvement in terms of not only the educational services but also technical university facilities. Results show significant importance of the all examined service quality aspects in the context of expectations of candidates and students’ perception. Research findings allow not only to identify the technical university services quality, but also to support the university development within the scientific research process assistance.

Expectations and Perceptions of the Educational Service at the Universidad Nacional Abierta (Local Center Merida, Venezuela

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Teresa de Jesús Molina Gutiérrez

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to interpret the relationship between the expectations and the perceptions that the staff has about the quality of the educational service offered at the Mérida Local Center (Universidad Nacional Abierta, then the conceptual model of quality of service SERVQUAL, complemented with the qualitative approach. The informants were 15 advisors, 20 students and 5 administrative staff, the data were collected through the semi-structured interview and interpreted with the content analysis. The results indicate that there is no satisfaction with the educational service or that satisfaction is very low, because the expectations that are generated before receiving it are not surpassed by the perceived value, which is an indicator of the absence of quality of service. On the other hand, achieving quality in the service provided is the responsibility of all involved since the complexity of the roles fulfilled in the educational dialectic means that the staff act simultaneously as clients and as service providers.

Perceptions of service quality by clients and contact-personnel in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Southern African Business Review ... A superior level of service quality is an important objective for South African retail banks. ... segments to use when adopting marketing strategies, and the demographic factors of age, race and geographical ...

SERVICE QUALITY DIMENSIONS AS PREDICTORS OF PERCEIVED SERVICE QUALITY IN RETAIL ENVIRONMENT

OpenAIRE

Jelčić, Sandra

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to determine service quality dimensions as predictors of perceived service quality in retail environment. Recent studies emphasised the multidimensional nature of service quality and multidimensional service quality measurement models. Literature reveals that SERVQUAL (Parasuraman et al. 1988) and RSQS (Dabholkar et al. 1996) are the most common instruments used to measure service quality in retail. Considering different market environments neither SERVQUAL nor RS...

An Empirical Analysis of the Service Quality Gap in Business Education: Evidence from Higher Education in Pakistan

Science.gov (United States)

Sardar, Amber; Amjad, Shehla; Ali, Ubaid

2016-01-01

This survey investigated the relationship and gap between students' expectations and perceptions of perceived service quality of education, emphasizing the least effective service quality dimension. The study was based on primary data, which turned out to be most significant. Data were collected from 349 of 405 students through a questionnaire…

Service Quality of Delivered Care from the Perception of Women with Caesarean Section and Normal Delivery

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Jafar S. Tabrizi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Our aim was to determine the service quality of delivered care for people with Caesarean Section and Normal Delivery. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 people who had caesarean section and normal delivery in Al-Zahra Teaching Hospital in Tabriz, north western Iran. Service quality was calculated using: Service Quality = 10 – (Importance × Performance based on importance and performance of service quality aspects from the postpartum women‟s perspective.A hierarchical regression analysis was applied in two steps using the enter method to examine the associations between demographics and SQ scores. Data were analysed using the SPSS-17 software. Results: “Confidentiality”, “autonomy”, “choice of care provider” and “communication” achieved scores at the highest level of quality; and “support group”, “prompt attention”, “prevention and early detection”, “continuity of care”, “dignity”, “safety”, “accessibility and “basic amenities” got service quality score less than eight. Statistically significant relationship was found between service quality score and continuity of care (P=0.008. Conclusion: A notable gap between the participants‟ expectations and what they have actually received in most aspects of provided care. So, there is an opportunityto improve the quality of delivered care.

Perceived Quality of Information Technology Services: The Role of Technostress and Individual Differences

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Danilo Magno Marchiori

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The aim was to identify if the elements of the service encounter and technostress creators affect the perceived service quality provided by internal information technology department, through the realization of a theoretical and empirical research. Quantitative and descriptive in its approach, the study was conducted with 138 users of IT services who work at a federal organization operating in the state of Espírito Santo. This research tested the direct influence of the three elements of service encounter (i.e. service product, service delivery and service environment and four causal factors of technostress (techno-overload, techno-invasion, techno-complexity and techno-uncertainty. In addition, the research tested whether the individual characteristics of users (i.e. gender, age, education, current experience, previous experience and location of work produced statistically significant differences when compared to their perception of the overall quality of services. The results generated through multiple regression showed that the overall quality of services was explained by the service product, service environment, service delivery and techno-complexity variables. Upon comparison, the statistical averages inferred that employees who work in decentralized organizational units, specializing in public service, rated the overall quality of services more positively.

Quality of antiretroviral therapy in public health facilities in Nigeria and perceptions of end users.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiegil, Robert J; Zungu, Lindiwe I; Jooste, Karien

2014-04-01

This paper describes perceptions of the end users on quality of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in public health facilities in Nigeria. Health care services in Nigeria face challenges of meeting end users' requirements and expectations for quality ART service provision. A qualitative design was followed. Unstructured focus group discussions were conducted with end users (n = 64) in six locations across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The findings indicate that end users were satisfied with uninterrupted antiretroviral drug supplies, courtesy treatment, volunteerism of support group members and quality counselling services. End users expect effective collaboration between healthcare providers and support group members, to enhance the quality of life of people living with HIV. A best practice guideline for the provision of end user focused ART service provision was developed for nurse managers. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Perception of service quality in agrotourism accommodations: Impact on guest loyalty and re-visit intentions

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Chryssoula Chatzigeorgiou

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This study presents the development of a conceptual model that demonstrates the dynamic nature of the relationship between service quality and guest satisfaction in the agrotourism accommodation sector, based on theories derived from social psychology and previous research in the marketing, management, and services literature. The model was tested using sample data from guests of four different agrotourism firms, and was modified because of empirical results. The final model improves understanding of the relationship between service quality and guest satisfaction because these constructs were examined from the process perspective of an agrotourism accommodation experience; it portrays service quality and satisfaction in the context of a complete system.

Hospital services quality assessment: hospitals of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, as a tangible example of a developing country.

Science.gov (United States)

Nekoei-Moghadam, Mahmood; Amiresmaili, Mohammadreza

2011-01-01

Although quality orientation is one of the main priorities of any progressive organization, quality evaluation in organizations providing services such as hospitals is one of the key challenges, because in this sector quality is determined by many intangible factors. Applying the service quality gap model is one of the common tools for quality evaluation in the service sector. This paper seeks to evaluate this issue. The present descriptive study was carried out through a cross-sectional method in 2008. The participants of this study were patients who had been referred to Kerman University of Medical Sciences hospitals. The sample comprised 385 patients, the data were collected by SERVQUAL as a standard questionnaire, and data analysis was carried out on 385 completed questionnaires. In all five dimensions of quality, a gap was observed between patients' perceptions and expectations as follows: Assurance: -1.28, Empathy: -1.36, Responsiveness: -1.80, Tangibles: -1.86 and Reliability: -1.69. A paired T-test showed that the differences between quality perceptions and expectations are significant (p value SERVQUAL approach to hospital services of a developing country.

Healthcare service quality: towards a broad definition.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosadeghrad, Ali Mohammad

2013-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to define healthcare quality to encompass healthcare stakeholder needs and expectations because healthcare quality has varying definitions for clients, professionals, managers, policy makers and payers. This study represents an exploratory effort to understand healthcare quality in an Iranian context. In-depth individual and focus group interviews were conducted with key healthcare stakeholders. Quality healthcare is defined as "consistently delighting the patient by providing efficacious, effective and efficient healthcare services according to the latest clinical guidelines and standards, which meet the patient's needs and satisfies providers". Healthcare quality definitions common to all stakeholders involve offering effective care that contributes to the patient well-being and satisfaction. This study helps us to understand quality healthcare, highlighting its complex nature, which has direct implications for healthcare providers who are encouraged to regularly monitor healthcare quality using the attributes identified in this study. Accordingly, they can initiate continuous quality improvement programmes to maintain high patient-satisfaction levels. This is the first time a comprehensive healthcare quality definition has been developed using various healthcare stakeholder perceptions and expectations.

IMPACT OF SERVICE QUALITY ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: EVIDENCES FROM THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY IN PAKISTAN

OpenAIRE

Ubedullah Amjad Ali SHAIKH; Naveed Ur Rehman KHAN

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the literature of service quality importance in restaurant industry. The study has been based upon the Servqual technique and Dineserv tool of improving the quality by the service providing organizations. The study is undertaken from the perspective of Pakistani Restaurant Industry and the customers' perceptions vis-à-vis restaurant dining. Two variables of Servqual, i.e. Tangibles and Responsiveness, have been examined to demonstrate the signific...

Unraveling the diverse nature of service quality in a sharing economy:A social exchange theory perspective of Airbnb accommodation

OpenAIRE

Priporas, Constantinos-Vasilios; Stylos, Nikolaos; Rahimi, Roya; Vedanthachari, Lakshmi Narasimhan

2017-01-01

Purpose - This study investigates customers’ perceptions of the service quality facets of Airbnb accommodation using social exchange theory as a suitable conceptual framework to explain aspects of interactivity between guests and hosts.\\ud \\ud Design/methodology/approach - A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 25 accommodation- specific service quality attributes, structured according to Akbaba’s (2006) measurement scale and based on the service quality hierarchical conceptualizatio...

Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Service Quality and Risk in Air Transportation

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, Lawrence F.; Young, Clifford E.; Lee, Moonkyu

2002-01-01

This study compares US and Korean customers in terms of their perceptions of airline service quality based on SERVPERF and industry-based measures, as well as their perceptions of risks involved in the airline choice. SERVPERF is a set of multi-dimensional measures of customer evaluations of service quality. The results indicate that: (1) US passengers are generally more satisfied with their airline service than Korean customers on most of the SERVPERF dimensions; (2) Koreans are generally more satisfied with the bumping procedures whereas US participants feel more satisfied with the airline's baggage handling, operations/safety, and connections; and (3) US participants perceive higher levels of performance and financial risks whereas Koreans feel greater social risk in choosing an airline. This study also examines the SERVPERF, industry-based measure, and perceived risk in predicting customer satisfaction with, and intention to repatronize the airline. The results suggest that US customers consider service reliability, in-flight comfort, and connections as the key factors determining satisfaction with airline service whereas Korean passengers generally regard reliability, assurance, and risk factors as predictors of satisfaction. The determining factors of customer intention to repatronize the airline are reliability and empathy for US, and reliability and overall risk for Korean customers. The study demonstrates the applicability of SERVPERF as a cross-cultural tool and indicates the importance of perceived risk in cross-cultural studies.

PENINGKATAN KUALITAS PELATIHAN DI TRAINING CENTRE MELALUI INTEGRASI METODE SERVICE QUALITY (SERQUAL DAN QUALITY FUNCTION DEPLOYMENT (QFD Study Kasus pada PT. XYZ

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Puri Ayu Margareta

2017-01-01

  There is an increasing competition in service industries, causing the service industry are competing in improving service quality to satisfaction to customers. In simple terms, satisfaction is a feeling or state of a person in which perceptions of a particular product or service in accordance with expectations. If the perception of a product or service was beyond what was expected of course, consumers are satisfied but if otherwise, consumers will feel dissatisfied. Training Centre is venue training skill in the shoe company. To analyse and improve employee satisfaction in the training , then provide technical service and response attributes, then using integration methods Servqual and Quality Function Deployment. Based on the analysis found the house of quality and service quality Training Centre still less satisfactory when compared with what is expected by its employee. Appropriate analysis of the priority needs of the customer based on raw weight value, the value of the interest, then unknown attributes to be considered on the terms of 3 (three top priority is condition of machines is good a priority value raw weight (8.932, a sufficient number of machine with a priority value raw weight (8.886, alacrity all trainer in helping trainees every time with a priority value raw weight (7.937. Priority services desperately need more attention from the company to immediately repaired by 3 (three priority technical response is to supervise the overall training with the value (0.184, improve skills trainers in the training program with the value (0.137, additional facilities with a value of ( 0.129.

Does empowering resident families or nursing home employees in decision making improve service quality?

Science.gov (United States)

Hamann, Darla J

2014-08-01

This research examines how the empowerment of residents' family members and nursing home employees in managerial decision making is related to service quality. The study was conducted using data from 33 nursing homes in the United States. Surveys were administered to more than 1,000 employees on-site and mailed to the primary-contact family member of each resident. The resulting multilevel data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. The empowerment of families in decision making was positively associated with their perceptions of service quality. The empowerment of nursing staff in decision making was more strongly related to service quality than the empowerment of nonnursing staff. Among nursing staff, the empowerment of nursing assistants improved service quality more than the empowerment of nurses. © The Author(s) 2013.

Consumers' food choice and quality perception

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brunsø, Karen; Fjord, Thomas Ahle; Grunert, Klaus G.

to which the topic has been researched at MAPP. As a general framework for analysing consumer quality perception and choice of food products, MAPP has developed the Total Food Quality Model, which will be used to structure this overview. We start by presenting the Total Food Quality Model and an overview......There is a long tradition of research into consumers' food choice and quality perception. In the last few years, however, these topics have received even more attention due to the intense debate about such issues as ethical considerations in relation to food production and quality, food scandals...... and the resulting food scares among consumers, genetic modification of foods, and animal welfare (or, rather, non-welfare), which has made questions regarding food quality and consumers' supposedly rational or irrational food choices even more urgent. Increased interest in health and quality stands in stark...

Service Marketing Competitiveness In The New Economy

OpenAIRE

Aleksandar Grubor

2008-01-01

In the new economy the basic characteristics of services determine service consumption, just as customer relationship management impacts on the approach to services marketing. Contemporary service customers perceive service quality in service encounters and in ongoing relationships as well. The perception of service quality may be presented as a basic model of perception, known in service marketing reference sources as The Perceived Service Quality Model. Service marketers and marketing manag...

Student perceptions and attitudes about Community Service ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Much of the international research on Community Service-Learning has investigated the benefits, outcomes, and learning experiences of students already engaged in service-learning projects and programmes. As there is scant research on students\\' attitudes to and perceptions of Service-Learning, before this learning ...

Perceived service quality in electronic commerce: An application

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Edison Jair Duque-Oliva

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The service sector has expanded in recent decades, and, along with technological development, has sustained the appearance of virtual markets in continuous and stable growth with great potential in Latin America and with tremendous possibilities for development for the strategies of those organizations able to exploit this new medium. From that perspective, this work measures the perception by Internet purchasers of service quality, using previous scales, developing one adapted to the Colombian reality and making the corresponding tests for reliability and validity. Finally, favorable results are achieved through the scale. In conclusion, privacy, systems and variety are the dimensions most poorly rated by purchasers.

Patients’ Perceptions of Endodontic Treatment as Part of Public Health Services: A Qualitative Study

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José Leonardo Barbosa Melgaço-Costa

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Evaluations by patients constitute an important part of the process of improving health services. This study examined patients’ perceptions of secondary dental care in three cities in Minas Gerais, Brazil based on the endodontic treatment received. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews (addressing access, treatment and results and a field diary (direct observations and report of professionals. The interviews were audiotaped, fully transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis. Two principal themes were identified: access to service and quality of service. The difficulties in accessing service were associated with the insufficient number of professionals to meet the high demand for endodontic treatment, problems in referring from primary to secondary care and geographic barriers. Service quality was related to the presence/absence of pain and anxiety that patients experienced, the time and number of sessions required to complete treatment, how patients were treated by dentists, and whether those patients would recommend the service to other patients. Access to endodontic treatment was a problem emphasized by users, and satisfaction with the quality of the service was more related to how patients were treated than to the technical competence of the dentist.

Perceptions of Service Quality: An Empirical Assessment of Modified SERVQUAL Model among Domestic Airline Carriers in Nigeria

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Ganiyu Rahim A.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Literature is replete with a large number of theories related to service quality measurement and dimensions in an airline context. To date, there is no consensus of opinion on the generic model and of the number of dimensions most appropriate to evaluate service quality in airline industry. This study investigates service quality dimensions in the Nigerian airline industry. The cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. Convenience sampling was used to select 800 respondents among departing air travellers in Lagos State. A structured questionnaire containing 28 items was developed to evaluate the perceived service quality of domestic airlines. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and one-sample t-test. The dimensionality of perceived service quality in Nigeria’s airline industry was explored using exploratory factor analysis. From the analysis carried out, it was established that the modified SERVQUAL model provided a satisfactory level of overall reliability in Nigeria’s airline context, which implies that all the items were cohesive in forming the SERVQUAL dimensions. According to the findings of this study, all service quality dimensions are positively and significantly interrelated. The perceived service quality of domestic airlines across these dimensions was found to be poor. The most dissatisfied dimensions in order of ranking were: flight pattern, reliability, facilities, assurance, responsiveness, employee, and customization. On the basis of the aforementioned findings, this study concludes that airline operators should redefine their service standards to one that is customer-focused by identifying the dimension of service quality most preferred by the passengers and continuously strive to improve service delivery. The study recommends that airline operators should recognize the changing needs and expectations of air travellers and customize their range of services

Distance from health facility and mothers' perception of quality related to skilled delivery service utilization in northern Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisseha, Girmatsion; Berhane, Yemane; Worku, Alemayehu; Terefe, Wondwossen

2017-01-01

Poor maternal health service utilization is one of the contributing factors to a high level of maternal and newborn mortality in Ethiopia. The factors associated with utilization of services are believed to differ from one context to another. We assessed the factors associated with skilled delivery service utilization in rural northern Ethiopia. A community-based survey was conducted among mothers who gave birth in the 12 months preceding the study period, from January to February 2015, in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Multistage sampling technique was used to select mothers from the identified clusters. Households within a 10 km radius of the health facility were taken as a cluster for a community survey. Data were collected using face-to-face interview at the household level. We compared the mothers who reported giving birth to the index child in a health facility and those who reported delivering at home, in order to identify the predictors of skilled delivery utilization. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine the predictors of skilled delivery service utilization. The results are presented with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 1,796 mothers participated in the study, with a 100% response rate. Distance to health facilities (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =0.53 [95% CI: 0.39, 0.71]), perception of mothers to the availability of adequate equipment in the delivery service in their catchment area (AOR =1.5 [95% CI: 1.11, 2.13]), experiencing any complication during childbirth, using antenatal care, lower birth order and having an educated partner were the significant predictors of skilled delivery service utilization. Implementing community-based intervention programs that will address the physical accessibility of delivery services, such as the ambulance service, road issues and waiting rooms, and improving quality maternity service will likely reduce the current problem.

Distance from health facility and mothers’ perception of quality related to skilled delivery service utilization in northern Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Fisseha, Girmatsion; Berhane, Yemane; Worku, Alemayehu; Terefe, Wondwossen

2017-01-01

Background Poor maternal health service utilization is one of the contributing factors to a high level of maternal and newborn mortality in Ethiopia. The factors associated with utilization of services are believed to differ from one context to another. We assessed the factors associated with skilled delivery service utilization in rural northern Ethiopia. Subjects and methods A community-based survey was conducted among mothers who gave birth in the 12 months preceding the study period, from January to February 2015, in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Multistage sampling technique was used to select mothers from the identified clusters. Households within a 10 km radius of the health facility were taken as a cluster for a community survey. Data were collected using face-to-face interview at the household level. We compared the mothers who reported giving birth to the index child in a health facility and those who reported delivering at home, in order to identify the predictors of skilled delivery utilization. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine the predictors of skilled delivery service utilization. The results are presented with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results A total of 1,796 mothers participated in the study, with a 100% response rate. Distance to health facilities (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =0.53 [95% CI: 0.39, 0.71]), perception of mothers to the availability of adequate equipment in the delivery service in their catchment area (AOR =1.5 [95% CI: 1.11, 2.13]), experiencing any complication during childbirth, using antenatal care, lower birth order and having an educated partner were the significant predictors of skilled delivery service utilization. Conclusion Implementing community-based intervention programs that will address the physical accessibility of delivery services, such as the ambulance service, road issues and waiting rooms, and improving quality maternity service will likely reduce the current

IMPACT OF SERVICE QUALITY ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: EVIDENCES FROM THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY IN PAKISTAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ubedullah Amjad Ali SHAIKH

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to contribute to the literature of service qualityimportance in restaurant industry. The study has been based upon theServqual technique and Dineserv tool of improving the quality by the serviceproviding organizations. The study is undertaken from the perspective ofPakistani Restaurant Industry and the customers' perceptions vis-à-visrestaurant dining. Two variables of Servqual, i.e. Tangibles andResponsiveness, have been examined to demonstrate the significance ofservice quality on customer satisfaction. The results endorse the importanceof enhanced complementary service standards in restaurant industry. Finally,the findings provide an insight for the Pakistani restaurant service providingestablishments and suggestion have been made for the caretakers of theindustry on ways to improve service quality.

The effect of service delivery in public ‘community service centres’: A case of an emerging economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ndabazinhle Ngobese

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This study investigated public perceptions of the service delivery provided by the Community Service Centres (CSC of the South African Police Service (SAPS Durban, South Africa. The study focuses on measuring service quality and service delivery. SERVQUAL was used to compare clients’ perceptions against expectations of service quality. Four hundred respondents were surveyed at three community service centres (previously known as ‘police stations’, with expectations and perceptions being assessed via the dimensions of tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The results indicate that in all five dimensions there is a significant negative quality gap, implying that the quality of service received is below what is expected by clients. Improvements are required in all five dimensions if service delivery is to be improved. Actions needed to improve service quality include regular assessment and monitoring of clients’ experiences, as well as employees’ behaviour

Consumer perceptions of banking services: Factors for bank’s preference

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Adefulu Adesoga

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The paper examined consumer perceptions of banking services as a factor for bank’s preference among open and distance learning students. Survey research method was adopted. The population of study was the ODL students from which sample were selected using stratified random sampling technique. Questionnaire was administered on selected samples. The research instrument was validated through content validity while reliability was done through test-re-test method. Respondents’ perceptions of banking services were captured using the factor analysis technique to determine perceptions order of importance while T-Test determined its significance. The study revealed that the different perceptions of the customers were significant in influencing the choice of bank especially by the students. The paper concluded that the consumer perceptions of the banking services were essential requirements for understanding how well to delight banking customers. The study recommended that bank delivery services must be customer oriented and customer relationship focused

Mental Health Service Providers: College Student Perceptions of Helper Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerman, Ashley M.; Wantz, Richard A.; Firmin, Michael W; Poindexter, Dawn C.; Pujara, Amita L.

2014-01-01

Undergraduate perceptions of the overall effectiveness of six types of mental health service providers (MHSPs) were obtained with a survey. Although many mental health services are available to consumers in the United States, research has indicated that these services are underutilized. Perceptions have been linked to therapeutic outcomes and may…

Voice and Speech Quality Perception Assessment and Evaluation

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Jekosch, Ute

2005-01-01

Foundations of Voice and Speech Quality Perception starts out with the fundamental question of: "How do listeners perceive voice and speech quality and how can these processes be modeled?" Any quantitative answers require measurements. This is natural for physical quantities but harder to imagine for perceptual measurands. This book approaches the problem by actually identifying major perceptual dimensions of voice and speech quality perception, defining units wherever possible and offering paradigms to position these dimensions into a structural skeleton of perceptual speech and voice quality. The emphasis is placed on voice and speech quality assessment of systems in artificial scenarios. Many scientific fields are involved. This book bridges the gap between two quite diverse fields, engineering and humanities, and establishes the new research area of Voice and Speech Quality Perception.

The impact of total quality service (TQS) on healthcare and patient satisfaction: an empirical study of Turkish private and public hospitals.

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Bakan, Ismail; Buyukbese, Tuba; Ersahan, Burcu

2014-01-01

This paper attempts to measure patients' perceptions of the quality of services in public and private healthcare centers in Turkey. The main aim was to examine the impact of the dimensions of patient-perceived total quality service (TQS) on patients' satisfaction. The research framework and hypotheses are derived from a literature review of service quality and quality in the healthcare industry. The research data were collected through questionnaires and then statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product moment correlation and linear regression. The results suggest that service quality perceptions positively influence patient satisfaction with overall hospital care (SOHC). The most important factors identified in the regression model regarding patient SOHC are the quality of the hospital's social responsibility, administrative processes and overall experience of medical care received. These factors explain 74% of the variance in SOHC. The findings of the study can be used to improve TQS in both private and public hospitals. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

INVESTIGATING A QUALITY OF SERVICES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: EVIDENCE FROM NORTHERN CYPRUS

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Ovgu Cidar Iyikal

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The current study aims is to investigate the service quality delivered by public enterprises in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC and level of customer satisfaction as well as word of mouth (WOM in return. A convenient sampling method has been employed by using the service quality (SERVQUAL instrument which is used to gather customers’ excellent public service and compared those with their perceptions of the service delivered by Public Sectors which are operating in TRNC. Results of the study revealed that dimensions of reliability and assurance exert positively significant effects on Customer Satisfaction in the public sector. Moreover, the level of Customer Satisfaction from public services exerts positively significant effect on positive word of mouth. Finally, with the light of findings, the current study will also attempt to provide some recommendations about possible quality reforms and rearrangements to the policy makers for the public enterprises in TRNC.

Gearing service quality into public and private hospitals in small islands: empirical evidence from Cyprus.

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Arasli, Huseyin; Ekiz, Erdogan Haktan; Katircioglu, Salih Turan

2008-01-01

The purpose of this research is to develop and compare some determinants of service quality in both the public and private hospitals of Northern Cyprus. There is considerable lack of literature with respect to service quality in public and private hospitals. Randomly, 454 respondents, who have recently benefited from hospital services in Famagusta, were selected to answer a modified version of the SERVQUAL Instrument. The instrument contained both service expectations and perceptions questions. This study identifies six factors regarding the service quality as perceived in both public and private Northern Cyprus hospitals. These are: empathy, giving priority to the inpatients needs, relationships between staff and patients, professionalism of staff, food and the physical environment. Research results revealed that the various expectations of inpatients have not been met in either the public or the private hospitals At the micro level, the lack of management commitment to service quality in both hospital settings leads doctors and nurses to expend less effort increasing or improving inpatient satisfaction. Hospital managers should also satisfy their employees, since job satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, hospital administrations need to gather systematic feedback from their inpatients, establish visible and transparent complaint procedures so that inpatients' complaints can be addressed effectively and efficiently. The hospitals need to organize training sessions based on the critical importance of service quality and the crucial role of inpatient satisfaction in the health care industry. Future studies should include the remaining regions in Cyprus in order to increase research findings' generalizability. Additionally, including other dimensions such as hospital processes and discharge management and co-ordination may provide further insights into understanding inpatients' perceptions and intentions.

Service Quality of Online Shopping Platforms: A Case-Based Empirical and Analytical Study

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Tsan-Ming Choi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Customer service is crucially important for online shopping platforms (OSPs such as eBay and Taobao. Based on the well-established service quality instruments and the scenario of the specific case on Taobao, this paper focuses on exploring the service quality of an OSP with an aim of revealing customer perceptions of the service quality associated with the provided functions and investigating their impacts on customer loyalty. By an empirical study, this paper finds that the “fulfillment and responsiveness” function is significantly related to the customer loyalty. Further analytical study is conducted to reveal that the optimal service level on the “fulfillment and responsiveness” function for the risk averse OSP uniquely exists. Moreover, the analytical results prove that (i if the customer loyalty is more positively correlated to the service level, it will lead to a larger optimal service level, and (ii the optimal service level is independent of the profit target, the source of uncertainty, and the risk preference of the OSP.

Patients' perception of the ambulance services at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia.

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Anisah, A; Chew, K S; Mohd Shaharuddin Shah, C H; Nik Hisamuddin, N A R

2008-08-01

Little is known regarding public opinion of prehospital care in Malaysia. This study was conducted to find out the public's perception and expectations of the ambulance services in one of the university hospitals in Malaysia. A six-month prospective cross-sectional study to look at patients' perception of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia's (HUSM) ambulance service was conducted from February 2006 to July 2006. Upon arrival at the hospital, patients or their relatives (who used our hospital's ambulances) were interviewed with a set of questions regarding their perception of the ambulance services and were asked to rate the perception on a Likert Scale from 1 to 10. A convenient sampling method was applied. A total of 87 samples were obtained. Despite the many problems faced by the ambulance service in HUSM, the mean score for each of the questions on patient's perception ranged from 9.33 to 9.70 out of 10. The questions with the highest mean score, which were both 9.70 each, were related to staff attentiveness and staff gentleness. Patients' perceptions can be very subjective, but until further similar studies could be carried out in other parts of Malaysia, this set of data merely represents a numerical measure of public perception of the ambulance services from HUSM.

The Influence of Service Quality on Satisfaction and Information System Continuance Intention

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Semina Halilović

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The expectation-confirmation model of IS continuance (ECM-IS explains determinants affecting the behavior of information system (IS users which can also have an impact on their decision whether to continue or discontinue the IS use. Service quality is considered a potential motivator which can influence users’ IS behavior. Likewise, one may expect service quality to be a motivator of users’ IS continuance intention influencing their future behavior after the initial IS use, and to be an important factor of IS success in general. In this study, an extension of the ECM-IS has been proposed in order to examine whether the perception of service quality by users plays an important role in shaping IS user behavior, as well as whether it affects the level of satisfaction with and the decision to either continue or discontinue the IS use. The Extended ECM-IS (EECM-IS has explained 66% of the variance dependent variable of IS continuance. Findings of this study confirm that perceived usefulness, satisfaction and perceived service quality are significant predictors of users’ IS continuance intention.

Service Quality of State Universities in Turkey: The Case of Ankara

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Eres, Figen

2011-01-01

The aim of this study is determine the service quality perceptions of students being educated at state universities in Ankara. The sample of the study is composed of final grade students of faculties of Economics and Administrative Sciences. The sample of the study is composed of a total of randomly selected students. There were 416 returned…

Corruption, inequality and population perception of healthcare quality in Europe.

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Nikoloski, Zlatko; Mossialos, Elias

2013-11-11

Evaluating the quality of healthcare and patient safety using general population questionnaires is important from research and policy perspective. Using a special wave of the Eurobarometer survey, we analysed the general population's perception of health care quality and patient safety in a cross-country setting. We used ordered probit, ordinary least squares and probit analysis to estimate the determinants of health care quality, and ordered logit analysis to analyse the likelihood of being harmed by a specific medical procedure. The models used population weights as well as country-clustered standard errors. We found robust evidence for the impact of socio-demographic variables on the perception of quality of health care. More specifically, we found a non-linear impact of age on the perception of quality of health care and patient safety, as well as a negative impact of poverty on both perception of quality and patient safety. We also found robust evidence that countries with higher corruption levels were associated with worse perceptions of quality of health care. Finally, we found evidence that income inequality affects patients' perception vis-à-vis safety, thus feeding into the poverty/health care quality nexus. Socio-demographic factors and two macro variables (corruption and income inequality) explain the perception of quality of health care and likelihood of being harmed by adverse events. The results carry significant policy weight and could explain why targeting only the health care sector (without an overall reform of the public sector) could potentially be challenging.

Employees as Active Consumers of HRM: Linking Employees’ HRM Competences with Their Perceptions of HRM Service Value

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Meijerink, Jeroen Gerard; Bondarouk, Tatiana; Lepak, David P.

2016-01-01

Recognizing the importance for companies of having high-quality employment relationships with employees, previous studies have sought to explain the variability in employees’ perceptions of HRM service value. However, most of these studies view employees as inactive in employment relationships and,

THE EFFECT of E-SERVICE QUALITY, E-TRUST and E-SATISFACTION on FORMATION ONLINE CUSTOMER LOYALTY

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Nurdan SEVİM

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to identify the factors which affect the e-loyalty of online customers to the websites they shop from.  In this context, the e-service quality that customers perceive from the website, the level of e-satisfaction associated with the website, and the e-trust were defined as the variables that determine the e-loyalty. A model was proposed based on these variables. Using the E-S-Qual scale, the execution and e-quality of the services provided by the website were measured based on the dimensions of security, efficiency system availability, and fulfillment and the effect of e-service quality on both the e-satisfaction and e-trust were demonstrated. The impact of e-trust and e-satisfaction on e-loyalty was also investigated.   A total of 594 people living in the city of Eskişehir, Turkey, who shopped from the hepsiburada.com internet store, participated in the study. The study results indicate that the customers’ perception of website’s e-quality is an important determinant in creating e-trust and e-satisfaction in the website’s services, and that the resulting perception of e-trust and e-satisfaction in turn determines e-customer loyalty.

INCREASING THE QUALITY OF SERVICE : Case Service Desk

OpenAIRE

Åhlgren, Niklas

2014-01-01

The topic of this thesis was to study how service quality is formed and to use this outcome to improve the quality of an IT service desk. The goal was to bring value to the customers and to the company by orienting the service desk personnel towards better service quality. By giving the service desk personnel a better understanding of the business process, customer relationship management and service quality the employees would gain more insight in to their own importance when it comes to imp...

Neural correlates of quality perception for complex speech signals

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Antons, Jan-Niklas

2015-01-01

This book interconnects two essential disciplines to study the perception of speech: Neuroscience and Quality of Experience, which to date have rarely been used together for the purposes of research on speech quality perception. In five key experiments, the book demonstrates the application of standard clinical methods in neurophysiology on the one hand, and of methods used in fields of research concerned with speech quality perception on the other. Using this combination, the book shows that speech stimuli with different lengths and different quality impairments are accompanied by physiological reactions related to quality variations, e.g., a positive peak in an event-related potential. Furthermore, it demonstrates that – in most cases – quality impairment intensity has an impact on the intensity of physiological reactions.

Assessing quality of health services with the SERVQUAL model in Iran. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Teshnizi, Saeed Hosseini; Aghamolaei, Teamur; Kahnouji, Kobra; Teshnizi, Seyyed Mehrdad Hosseini; Ghani, Jalil

2018-03-01

The five-dimension service quality (SERVQUAL) scale is one of the most common tools for evaluating gaps between clients' perceptions and expectations. This study aimed to assess the quality of health services in Iran through a meta-analysis of all Iranian studies which used the SERVQUAL tool. A systematic literature review has been performed in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Iran Medex, Magiran and Scientific Information Database. All relevant English or Persian studies published between January 2009 and April 2016 were have been selected. Papers were considered if they regarded all five dimensions of the SERVQUAL tool for assessing the quality of health care services. Two reviewer independently extracted mean and standard deviation of five dimensions and characteristics of studies. The quality of studies included in meta-analysis using STROBE checklist. Of 315 studies initially identified, 12 were included in our meta-analysis. All analyses were performed in Stata MP v. 14. Patients' perceptions were lower than their expectations (gap = -1.64). Responsibility (-1.22) and reliability (-1.15) had the lowest gaps, and tangibility and empathy (-1.03) had the largest gaps. Except gender, other variables had no significant associations with gaps. Patients in the cities of Arak (-3.47) and Shiraz (-3.02) had the largest gaps. All dimensions of service quality were negative, which implies that the quality of health services in Iran has not been satisfying to patients and needs to be improved.

The use of the quality model of Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry in health services

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Mileide Morais Pena

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This is an article about the theoretical model for assessing quality in health services proposed by Parasuraman, Zheitaml and Berry, in order to measure the degree of satisfaction of users. This model is based on the analysis of expectations and perceptions of users of health services, by means of five dimensions: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. From the difference between what is expected by the user and the service offered, gaps or shortcomings are derived that may be the main obstacle for users to perceive the provision of such services with quality. It was observed that the use of the psychometric scale called Service Quality (SERVQUAL in some studies about satisfaction, obtained very favorable results in the institutions in which it was employed. The analysis revealed the need to improve the existing models of evaluation, as well as the importance of measuring user satisfaction in health institutions.

Opportunities, challenges and systems requirements for developing post-abortion family planning services: Perceptions of service stakeholders in China

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Richards, Esther; Zhang, Weihong; Hu, Lina; Wu, Shangchun; Tolhurst, Rachel

2017-01-01

Post-abortion family planning (PAFP) has been proposed as a key strategy to decrease unintended pregnancy and repeat induced abortions. However, the accessibility and quality of PAFP services remain a challenge in many countries including China where more than 10 million unintended pregnancies occur each year. Most of these unwanted pregnancies end in repeated induced abortions. This paper aims to explore service providers’ perceptions of the current situation regarding family planning and abortion service needs, provision, utilization, and the feasibility and acceptability of high quality PAFP in the future. Qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, were used with family planning policy makers, health managers, and service providers. Three provinces—Zhejiang, Hubei and Yunnan—were purposively selected, representing high, medium and relatively undeveloped areas of China. A total of fifty-three in-depth interviews and ten focus-group discussions were conducted and analysed thematically. Increased numbers of abortions among young, unmarried women were perceived as a major reason for high numbers of abortions. Participants attributed this to increasing socio-cultural acceptability of premarital sex, and simultaneously, lack of understanding or awareness of contraception among young people. The majority of service stakeholders acknowledged that free family planning services were neither targeted at, nor accessible to unmarried people. The extent of PAFP provision is variable and limited. However, service providers expressed willingness and enthusiasm towards providing PAFP services in the future. Three main considerations were expressed regarding the feasibility of developing and implementing PAFP services: policy support, human resources, and financial resources. The study indicated that key service stakeholders show demand for and perceive considerable opportunities to develop PAFP in China. However, changes are needed to

Identifying influence of perceived quality and satisfaction on the utilization status of the community clinic services; Bangladesh context.

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Karim, R M; Abdullah, M S; Rahman, A M; Alam, A M

2015-04-01

Bangladesh is one among the few countries of the world that provides free medical services at the community level through various public health facilities. It is now evident that, clients' perceived quality of services and their expectations of service standards affect health service utilization to a great extent. The aim of the study was to develop and validate the measures for perception and satisfaction of primary health care quality in Bangladesh context and to identify their aspects on the utilization status of the Community Clinic (CC) services. This mixed method cross sectional survey was conducted from January to June 2012, in the catchment area of 12 Community Clinics (CCs). Since most of the outcome indicators focus mainly on women and children, women having children less than two years of age were randomly assigned and interviewed for the study purpose. Data for the development of perceived service quality and satisfaction tools were collected through Focus Group Discussion (FGD), key informants interview and data for measuring the utilization status were collected by an interviewer administered pretested semi-structured questionnaire. About 95% of the respondents were Muslims and 5% were Hindus. The average age of the respondents was 23.38 (SD ± 4.15) years and almost all of them are home makers. The average monthly expenditure of their family was 7462.92 (SD ± 2545) BDT equivalent to 95 (SD ± 32) US$. To measure lay peoples' perception and satisfaction regarding primary health care service quality two scales e.g. Slim Haddad's 20-item scale for measuring perceived quality of primary health care services (PQPCS) validated in Guinea and Burkina Fuso and primary care satisfaction survey for women (PCSSW) developed by Scholle and colleagues 2004; is a 24-item survey tool validated in Turkey were chosen as a reference tools. Based on those, two psychometric research instruments; 24 items PQPCS scale (chronbach's α =0.89) and 22-items Community Clinic

[Ophthalmological service quality offered to outpatients of the Public Healthcare System].

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Santos Hercos, Benigno Vicente; Berezovsky, Adriana

2006-01-01

To identify the perception of the ophthalmic service quality provided for outpatients of the public healthcare system as well as to detect which actions should be considered necessary and priority in order to improve its quality. A quantitative descriptive study was carried out on 100 outpatients of the public healthcare system which were submitted to ophthalmic tests at Fundação Hilton Rocha--Belo Horizonte-MG, from July 1st-July 30th 2004. Individual interviews were carried out by giving the interviewees two structured questionnaires adapted from the modified SERVQUAL. This scale is in agreement with the reality of the studied institute. The adapted SERVQUAL scale was submitted to statistical validation and it showed a suitable internal consistency index. In general terms, a slight general dissatisfaction was detected regarding ophthalmological service quality. The interviewees cared more about safety and reliability. A higher degree of dissatisfaction was detected mainly concerning fulfillment of procedures at scheduled appointments related to the execution of services within due time-limits. The institute is supposed to plan as well as carry out actions which lead to a general improvement in the patient's satisfaction regarding service quality and mainly reliability. Service quality monitoring through periodic use of the SERVQUAL scale will not only make it possible to plan highly precise and effective intervention strategies in these and in other healthcare services but it will also allow monitoring the responses to these actions. All these actions will contribute to the improvement of the service in the system as a whole.

Perceptions of healthcare quality in Ghana: Does health insurance status matter?

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Duku, Stephen Kwasi Opoku; Nketiah-Amponsah, Edward; Janssens, Wendy; Pradhan, Menno

2018-01-01

This study's objective is to provide an alternative explanation for the low enrolment in health insurance in Ghana by analysing differences in perceptions between the insured and uninsured of the non-technical quality of healthcare. It further explores the association between insurance status and perception of healthcare quality to ascertain whether insurance status matters in the perception of healthcare quality. Data from a survey of 1,903 households living in the catchment area of 64 health centres were used for the analysis. Two sample independent t-tests were employed to compare the average perceptions of the insured and uninsured on seven indicators of non-technical quality of healthcare. A generalised ordered logit regression, controlling for socio-economic characteristics and clustering at the health facility level, tested the association between insurance status and perceived quality of healthcare. The perceptions of the insured were found to be significantly more negative than the uninsured and those of the previously insured were significantly more negative than the never insured. Being insured was associated with a significantly lower perception of healthcare quality. Thus, once people are insured, they tend to perceive the quality of healthcare they receive as poor compared to those without insurance. This study demonstrated that health insurance status matters in the perceptions of healthcare quality. The findings also imply that perceptions of healthcare quality may be shaped by individual experiences at the health facilities, where the insured and uninsured may be treated differently. Health insurance then becomes less attractive due to the poor perception of the healthcare quality provided to individuals with insurance, resulting in low demand for health insurance in Ghana. Policy makers in Ghana should consider redesigning, reorganizing, and reengineering the National Healthcare Insurance Scheme to ensure the provision of better quality healthcare

General practitioners' perceptions of pharmacists' new services in New Zealand.

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Hatah, Ernieda; Braund, Rhiannon; Duffull, Stephen; Tordoff, June

2012-04-01

In recent years, the pharmacy profession has moved towards more patient-oriented services. Some examples are medication review, screening and monitoring for disease, and prescribing. The new services are intended to be in close collaboration with general practitioners (GPs) yet little is known of how GPs in New Zealand perceive these new services. Objective To examine GPs' perceptions of pharmacists' new services. Study was undertaken at GPs' practices in two localities in New Zealand. Qualitative, face to face, semi-structured interviews were undertaken of 18 GPs. The cohort included GPs with less/more than 20 years of practice, and GPs who had experience of working in localities where some patients had undergone a medication review (Medicines Use Review, MUR) by community pharmacists. GPs were asked to share their perceptions about pharmacists providing some new services. Data were thematically analysed with constant comparison using NVivo 8 software. Using a business strategic planning approach, themes were further analysed and interpreted as the services' potential Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOTs). GPs' perceptions of pharmacists' new services. GPs were more supportive of pharmacists' playing active roles in medication review and less supportive of pharmacists practising screening-monitoring and prescribing. Discussions Pharmacists' knowledge and skills in medication use and the perceived benefits of the services to patients were considered the potential strengths of the services. Weaknesses centred around potential patient confusion and harm, conflict and irritation to GPs' practice, and the potential to fragment patient-care. Opportunities were the possibilities of improving communication, and having a close collaboration and integration with GPs' practice. Apparent threats were the GPs' perceptions of a related, and not renumerated, increase in their workloads, and the perception of limited benefit to patients. Pharmacists should

Service quality and customer satisfaction in Chinese fast food sector: A proposal for CFFRSERV

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Qingqing Tan

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This study investigates customer’s perception of Chinese fast food restaurant service quality and its relationship with customer satisfaction. Employing modified DINESERV scale, the study uses both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Qualitative data collection consisted of face-to-face interviews and group discussion. A questionnaire was developed using three sources: interview responses of the customers, the restaurant’s survey and the literature. A total of 205 completed questionnaires were used in the analysis. The new measurement scale, Chinese Fast Food Restaurants Service Quality Scale (CFFRSERV, contained 28 items across six dimensions: assurance and empathy, food, cleanliness, responsiveness, reliability and tangibles. The findings from the study revealed that service quality variables have positive influence on customer satisfaction except reliability dimension. The findings provided a useful tool for service quality improvement in Chinese fast food restaurants. Validating the scale in other restaurants in various cities in China is an area for further research.

Consumer perception of bread quality.

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Gellynck, Xavier; Kühne, Bianka; Van Bockstaele, Filip; Van de Walle, Davy; Dewettinck, Koen

2009-08-01

Bread contains a wide range of important nutritional components which provide a positive effect on human health. However, the consumption of bread is declining during the last decades. This is due to factors such as changing eating patterns and an increasing choice of substitutes like breakfast cereals and fast foods. The aim of this study is to investigate consumer's quality perception of bread towards sensory, health and nutrition attributes. Four consumer segments are identified based on these attributes. The different consumer segments comprise consumers being positive to all three quality aspects of bread ("enthusiastic") as wells as consumers perceiving bread strongly as "tasteless", "non-nutritious" or "unhealthy". Moreover, factors are identified which influence the consumers' quality perception of bread. The results of our study may help health professionals and policy makers to systematically inform consumers about the positive effects of bread based on its components. Furthermore, firms can use the results to build up tailor-made marketing strategies.

Perceptions of Service Quality: An Empirical Assessment of Modified SERVQUAL Model among Domestic Airline Carriers in Nigeria

OpenAIRE

Ganiyu Rahim A.

2016-01-01

Literature is replete with a large number of theories related to service quality measurement and dimensions in an airline context. To date, there is no consensus of opinion on the generic model and of the number of dimensions most appropriate to evaluate service quality in airline industry. This study investigates service quality dimensions in the Nigerian airline industry. The cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. Convenience sampling was used to select 800 respondents among de...

Sporadic frame dropping impact on quality perception

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Pastrana-Vidal, Ricardo R.; Gicquel, Jean Charles; Colomes, Catherine; Cherifi, Hocine

2004-06-01

Over the past few years there has been an increasing interest in real time video services over packet networks. When considering quality, it is essential to quantify user perception of the received sequence. Severe motion discontinuities are one of the most common degradations in video streaming. The end-user perceives a jerky motion when the discontinuities are uniformly distributed over time and an instantaneous fluidity break is perceived when the motion loss is isolated or irregularly distributed. Bit rate adaptation techniques, transmission errors in the packet networks or restitution strategy could be the origin of this perceived jerkiness. In this paper we present a psychovisual experiment performed to quantify the effect of sporadically dropped pictures on the overall perceived quality. First, the perceptual detection thresholds of generated temporal discontinuities were measured. Then, the quality function was estimated in relation to a single frame dropping for different durations. Finally, a set of tests was performed to quantify the effect of several impairments distributed over time. We have found that the detection thresholds are content, duration and motion dependent. The assessment results show how quality is impaired by a single burst of dropped frames in a 10 sec sequence. The effect of several bursts of discarded frames, irregularly distributed over the time is also discussed.

Assessment of Patients’ Perception of Telemedicine Services Using the Service User Technology Acceptability Questionnaire

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Claudio Dario

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The purpose of this paper is to assess if similar telemedicine services integrated in the management of different chronic diseases are acceptable and well perceived by patients or if there are any negative perceptions. Theory and methods: Participants suffering from different chronic diseases were enrolled in Veneto Region and gathered into clusters. Each cluster received a similar telemedicine service equipped with different disease-specific measuring devices. Participants were patients with diabetes (n = 163, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 180, congestive heart failure (n = 140 and Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (n = 1635. The Service User Technology Acceptability Questionnaire (SUTAQ was initially translated, culturally adapted and pretested and subsequently used to assess patients’ perception of telemedicine. Data were collected after 3 months and after 12 months from the beginning of the intervention. Data for patients with implantable devices was collected only at 12 months. Results: Results at 12 months for all clusters are similar and assessed a positive perception of telemedicine. The SUTAQ results for clusters 2 (diabetes, 5 (COPD and 7 (CHF after 3 months of intervention were confirmed after 12 months. Conclusions: Telemedicine was perceived as a viable addition to usual care. A positive perception for telemedicine services isn’t a transitory effect, but extends over the course of time.

Assessment of Patients' Perception of Telemedicine Services Using the Service User Technology Acceptability Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Dario, Claudio; Luisotto, Elena; Dal Pozzo, Enrico; Mancin, Silvia; Aletras, Vassilis; Newman, Stanton; Gubian, Lorenzo; Saccavini, Claudio

2016-06-01

The purpose of this paper is to assess if similar telemedicine services integrated in the management of different chronic diseases are acceptable and well perceived by patients or if there are any negative perceptions. Participants suffering from different chronic diseases were enrolled in Veneto Region and gathered into clusters. Each cluster received a similar telemedicine service equipped with different disease-specific measuring devices. Participants were patients with diabetes (n = 163), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 180), congestive heart failure (n = 140) and Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (n = 1635). The Service User Technology Acceptability Questionnaire (SUTAQ) was initially translated, culturally adapted and pretested and subsequently used to assess patients' perception of telemedicine. Data were collected after 3 months and after 12 months from the beginning of the intervention. Data for patients with implantable devices was collected only at 12 months. Results at 12 months for all clusters are similar and assessed a positive perception of telemedicine. The SUTAQ results for clusters 2 (diabetes), 5 (COPD) and 7 (CHF) after 3 months of intervention were confirmed after 12 months. Telemedicine was perceived as a viable addition to usual care. A positive perception for telemedicine services isn't a transitory effect, but extends over the course of time.

Moderating impact of tourism relationship management dimensions on tourism service quality, tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty

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Arup Kumar Baksi

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This study attempts to assess the moderating impact of recently introduced tourist relationship management (TRM framework on service quality perception-tourist satisfaction-destination loyalty link. Tourist relationship management framework draws inspiration from customer relationship management (CRM model with validated addition of dimensions compatible to tourism dynamics. The study, carried out in Santiniketan, India, confirmed moderating impact of dimensional performance of tourist relationship management on perceived tourism service quality-tourist satisfaction-destination loyalty link.

A Research on Expectation and Perception of Service Quality in Tourism Education at University Level in Ankara

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Gonca Güzel Şahin

2011-12-01

Full Text Available To supply qualified manpower that is necessary in tourism sector, “quality of education” is one most important factor in higher education institutions. In this study, expectations on tourism education and level of satisfaction of the students that are the most important part of higher education institutions have been researched. In the research, service quality measurement models that are listed in the literature have been used to measure service quality in higher education institutions. By using the servqual model, the level of meeting the expectations of students about tourism education served by higher education institutions has been measured and important aspects of service quality according to students have been showed. The results of this study that is focused on tourism education and service quality show that the students, one of the major groups of higher education institutions, have a very low level of satisfaction about their education.

User-perceptions of embedded software quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kusters, R.J.; Solingen, van D.M.; Trienekens, J.J.M.; Budgen, D.; Hoffnagle, G.; Trienekens, J.J.M.

1997-01-01

Many researchers and practitioners have recognised that the perception of `quality' is largely influenced by personal view and application context. Depending on personal goals, interests and background, the interpretation of the quality concept is different per individual. In this paper, an approach

Development of an instrument to measure patient perception of the quality of nursing care and related hospital services at the national hospital of sri lanka.

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Senarat, Upul; Gunawardena, Nalika S

2011-06-01

This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument to measure patient perception of quality of nursing care and related hospital services in a tertiary care setting. We compiled an instrument with 72 items that patients may perceive as quality of nursing care and related hospital services, following an extensive literature search, discussions with patients and care pro-I viders and a brainstorming session with an expert panel. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. A sample (n = 120) of patients stayed in general surgical or medical units responded to the interviewer administered instrument upon discharge. Item analysis and principal component factor analysis were performed to assess validity, and internal consistency was calculated to measure reliability. Of the 72 items, 18 had greater than 20% of responses as 'not relevant'. A further 11 items were eliminated since item-total correlations were less than .2. Factor analysis was performed on remaining 43 items which resulted in 36 items classifying into eight factors accounting for 71% of the variation. Factor loadings in the final solution after Varimax rotation were interpersonal aspects (.68-.85), efficiency (.62-.79), competency (.66-.68), comfort (.60-.84), physical environment (.65-.82), cleanliness (.81-.85), personalized information (.76-.83), and general instructions (.61-.78). The instrument had high Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .91). We developed a comprehensive, reliable and valid, 36-item instrument that may be used to measure patient perception of quality of nursing care in tertiary care settings. Copyright © 2011 Korean Society of Nursing Science. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors Affecting Medical Service Quality.

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Mosadeghrad, Ali Mohammad

2014-02-01

A better understanding of factors influencing quality of medical service can pinpoint better strategies for quality assurance in medical services. This study aimed to identify factors affecting the quality of medical services provided by Iranian physicians. Exploratory in-depth individual interviews were conducted with sixty-four physicians working in various medical institutions in Iran. Individual, organizational and environmental factors enhance or inhibit the quality of medical services. Quality of medical services depends on the personal factors of the physician and patient, and factors pertaining to the healthcare setting and the broader environment. Differences in internal and external factors such as availability of resources, patient cooperation and collaboration among providers affect the quality of medical services and patient outcomes. Supportive leadership, proper planning, education and training and effective management of resources and processes improve the quality of medical services. This article contributes to healthcare theory and practice by developing a conceptual framework for understanding factors that influence medical services quality.

Is patient satisfaction and perceived service quality with musculoskeletal rehabilitation determined by patient experiences?

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Medina-Mirapeix, Francesc; Jimeno-Serrano, Francisco J; Escolar-Reina, Pilar; Del Baño-Aledo, M Elena

2013-06-01

To assess the relationships between patient experiences and two overall evaluations - satisfaction and service quality - in outpatient rehabilitation settings. A cross-sectional, self-reported survey carried out in the year 2009. Three outpatient rehabilitation units belonging to Spanish hospitals located in Barcelona, Madrid and Seville. Four hundred and sixty-five outpatients (response rate 90%) mean age 39.4 (SD = 11.9) years. Self-reported experiences on aspects of care, participants' perception of service quality, satisfaction with care, socio-demographic and health characteristics. Satisfaction and service quality were highly correlated (rho = 0.72, Pservice quality (with adjusted R(2) 31.5% and 37.1%, respectively) indicated that patients' experiences and global rating of health improvement have more effect on those evaluations than socio-demographic characteristics. Mean satisfaction was 8.9 (SD = 1.2), and 88% of respondents described high service quality. However, nearly 25% of the respondents who reported high-quality evaluations also indicated a problem score of more than 50% in almost all aspects of care studied. Satisfaction and service quality provide a poor indicator of patients' experiences. Both are two proxies but distinct constructs in rehabilitation care. Besides, not all problems encountered by patients are equally important to them.

Assessment of the Quality of Electronic Administrative Services in a Greek Higher Education Institution: ? Case Study

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Papanthymou, Anastasia; Darra, Maria

2018-01-01

The basic aim of this paper is to investigate the perceptions, attitudes and experiences of the students of the Department of Primary Education of University of the Aegean about the quality of the provided services to them by the Secretariat of Administrative Electronic Services. The survey was conducted during the second semester of the academic…

FACTORS DESCRIBING STUDENTS´ PERCEPTION ON EDUCATION QUALITY STANDARDS

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Lucie Vnoučková

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Education quality assurance is the necessity for today’s competitive environment in university education. Quality assurance standards and strategies are being used in most of universities and higher education institutions. But the perception of quality standards is being usually seen from the perspective of a university management. This study aims to analyze and present perceptions of students towards a measurement of education quality standards and to identify significant groups of students according to their preferences in education quality. Students’ questionnaires and focus groups collected the data. Two dimensional and multi-dimensional statistical methods were used to evaluate the results. The outputs show five groups of students based on their perception of the education quality. Examination of students’ interest in specific areas, subjects and courses leads to identification of factors which affect their preferences in education. The paper found five significant groups of perceived quality by students. These are Quality receptionists, Business oriented, Expert innovators, Distance learners and Arrangement oriented. Limit of the study is a narrow focus on one private university. This study may encourage other papers to develop and test further the impact of education quality on students’ preferences for measurable improvements. The paper is an extension of the conference paper presented on ERIE conference 2017.

Quality of service provision assessment in the healthcare information and telecommunications infrastructures.

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Babulak, Eduard

2006-01-01

The continuous increase in the complexity and the heterogeneity of corporate and healthcare telecommunications infrastructures will require new assessment methods of quality of service (QoS) provision that are capable of addressing all engineering and social issues with much faster speeds. Speed and accessibility to any information at any time from anywhere will create global communications infrastructures with great performance bottlenecks that may put in danger human lives, power supplies, national economy and security. Regardless of the technology supporting the information flows, the final verdict on the QoS is made by the end user. The users' perception of telecommunications' network infrastructure QoS provision is critical to the successful business management operation of any organization. As a result, it is essential to assess the QoS Provision in the light of user's perception. This article presents a cost effective methodology to assess the user's perception of quality of service provision utilizing the existing Staffordshire University Network (SUN) by adding a component of measurement to the existing model presented by Walker. This paper presents the real examples of CISCO Networking Solutions for Health Care givers and offers a cost effective approach to assess the QoS provision within the campus network, which could be easily adapted to any health care organization or campus network in the world.

Linking functional and relational service quality to customer satisfaction and loyalty: differences between men and women.

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Sánchez-Hernández, Rosa M; Martínez-Tur, Vicente; Peiró, José M; Moliner, Carolina

2010-04-01

This study assessed differences between men and women in the association of perceptions of service quality with customer evaluations. Functional (efficiency with which the service is delivered) and relational (customers' emotional benefits, beyond the core performance, related to the social interaction of customers with employees) dimensions of service quality were measured as well as customer satisfaction and loyalty. The sample of 277 customers (191 men, 86 women), surveyed in 29 Mexican hotels, had a mean age of 38.1 yr. (SD=9.7) for men and 34.5 yr. (SD=11.0) for women. To be eligible for survey, customers had to have spent at least one night in the hotel in question. Analysis indicated that the women and men differed in the association of functional and relational dimensions of service quality with their satisfaction and loyalty. Functional service quality was higher for the men than the women, while relational service quality showed greater predictive power for women than for men, although these accounted for only 4% of the customers' satisfaction variance and 6% of the loyalty variance.

Service quality in peacekeeping mission as a determinant of customer’s perceived value: Empirical evidence

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Azman Bin Ismail

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Previous studies have been employing SERVQUAL by Parasuraman et al. (1985, 1988 to measure service quality in various service sectors due to its generic nature. Understanding the relationship between service quality and customer’s perceived value in non-business organizational settings is equally important with business setting as positive perception leads to favorable outcome. Hence, the aim of this study is to examine the relationship between service quality and perceived value. Design/methodology/approach: The self-administered survey questionnaires were employed to gather data from Malaysian soldiers who involved in peacekeeping mission at a Middle Eastern country. The hypothesized model was analyzed using the SmartPLS 2.0. Findings: The outcomes of SmartPLS path model confirmed that that all service quality dimensions namely tangible, responsiveness, reliability, assurance, empathy did act as important determinants of customer’s perceived value in the organizational sample. Practical implications: The findings of this study may be used as guidelines by practitioners to formulate relevant and appropriate strategies in order to enhance quality of service delivery in agile organizations. Originality/value: The work deals with service quality in non-business setting. Although the scale has been widely used, some modifications are generally needed in order to reflect specific characteristics of service sectors under study. The findings confirmed that in general SERVQUAL five dimensions are important determinants to the various service sectors.

Do experiences and perceptions about quality of care differ among social groups in Nepal? : A study of maternal healthcare experiences of women with and without disabilities, and Dalit and non-Dalit women

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Devkota, H. R.; Clarke, A.; Murray, E.; Groce, N.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Suboptimal quality of care and disparities in services by healthcare providers are often reported in Nepal. Experience and perceptions about quality of care may differ according to women's socio-cultural background, individual characteristics, their exposure and expectations. This study aimed to compare perceptions of the quality of maternal healthcare services between two groups that are consistently considered vulnerable, women with disabilities from both the non-Dalit populatio...

Citizen and Resident Satisfaction with Public Services in Qatar : And the impact on quality of life

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Benmansour, Nada Abdelkader , [بن منصور، ندى عبد القادر

2016-01-01

In Qatar notable differences in public service satisfaction exist across individual state services, across nationality groupings, and across demographic categories. Among all citizens and residents, however, there is an empirical link between satisfaction with state services and overall perceptions of quality of life. Policymakers should thus study efforts to collect regular and systematic data on the performance of key public institutions, including through the collection of consumer feedbac...

An Analysis of Customer’s Satisfaction Level to the Quality of Services Provided by Regional Water Supply Company (PDAM) of Kolaka Regency

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Niar Astaginy

2017-01-01

The study is devoted to identifying the customer’s expectation for the service quality of the regional water supply company (PDAM) of Kolaka Regency, describing the customer’s perception of its service quality, and projecting the managerial implication to improve the quality of its services. The analysis methods used are conformity level analysis and important performance analysis. The analysis indicates that the highest expectation of the customer rests on the continuous supply of water with...

Dental Services Satisfaction and Perceived Quality in a School-Based Clinic in Cartagena, Colombia

OpenAIRE

Lora-Salgado, Irene Margarita; Tirado-Amador, Lesbia Rosa; Montoya-Mendoza, Jorge Luis; Simancas-Pallares, Miguel Angel

2016-01-01

Objective: to describe the level of quality and perception of satisfaction in attended users from a school-based dental clinic in Cartagena, Colombia. Methods: we performed a cross-sectional study in 277 patients. For data collection we applied a structured and self-administered survey asking for demographic, clinic attention topics and specific questions regarding quality and services satisfaction. Data analysis was performed through descriptive statistics with frequencies, proportions and 9...

Clinical staff perceptions of palliative care-related quality of care, service access, education and training needs and delivery confidence in an acute hospital setting.

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Frey, Rosemary; Gott, Merryn; Raphael, Deborah; O'Callaghan, Anne; Robinson, Jackie; Boyd, Michal; Laking, George; Manson, Leigh; Snow, Barry

2014-12-01

Central to appropriate palliative care management in hospital settings is ensuring an adequately trained workforce. In order to achieve optimum palliative care delivery, it is first necessary to create a baseline understanding of the level of palliative care education and support needs among all clinical staff (not just palliative care specialists) within the acute hospital setting. The objectives of the study were to explore clinical staff: perceptions concerning the quality of palliative care delivery and support service accessibility, previous experience and education in palliative care delivery, perceptions of their own need for formal palliative care education, confidence in palliative care delivery and the impact of formal palliative care training on perceived confidence. A purposive sample of clinical staff members (598) in a 710-bed hospital were surveyed regarding their experiences of palliative care delivery and their education needs. On average, the clinical staff rated the quality of care provided to people who die in the hospital as 'good' (x̄=4.17, SD=0.91). Respondents also reported that 19.3% of their time was spent caring for end-of-life patients. However, only 19% of the 598 respondents reported having received formal palliative care training. In contrast, 73.7% answered that they would like formal training. Perceived confidence in palliative care delivery was significantly greater for those clinical staff with formal palliative care training. Formal training in palliative care increases clinical staff perceptions of confidence, which evidence suggests impacts on the quality of palliative care provided to patients. The results of the study should be used to shape the design and delivery of palliative care education programmes within the acute hospital setting to successfully meet the needs of all clinical staff. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Investigating Students' Perceptions on Mobile Learning Services

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Mohammed Amin Almaiah

2014-10-01

Full Text Available M-learning is a form of learning, which has similarities and differences with the electronic learning (e-learning. It is mainly based on the use of the mobile wireless technologies that allow for learners to easily access learning materials anytime he desires and anywhere, whether on campus or off campus. Therefore, this creates a new flexible learning environment in the context of different learning settings. Students' perception of such technology is one of the most important factors for successful adoption of m-learning in the higher education environment. This study is conducted to investigate the perceptions of students in University Malaysia Terengganu (UMT to move towards applying m-learning in their studies by using their mobile devices and to explore their expectations on mobile learning services. A total number of 91 undergraduate students majoring in computer science participated in the study. The findings show that the students have positive perception towards mobile learning and would like to use their mobile devices for both learning and administrative services.

Validation of Medical Tourism Service Quality Questionnaire (MTSQQ) for Iranian Hospitals.

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Qolipour, Mohammad; Torabipour, Amin; Khiavi, Farzad Faraji; Malehi, Amal Saki

2017-03-01

Assessing service quality is one of the basic requirements to develop the medical tourism industry. There is no valid and reliable tool to measure service quality of medical tourism. This study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of a Persian version of medical tourism service quality questionnaire for Iranian hospitals. To validate the medical tourism service quality questionnaire (MTSQQ), a cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 Iraqi patients referred to hospitals in Ahvaz (Iran) from 2015. To design a questionnaire and determine its content validity, the Delphi Technique (3 rounds) with the participation of 20 medical tourism experts was used. Construct validity of the questionnaire was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed by Excel 2007, SPSS version18, and Lisrel l8.0 software. The content validity of the questionnaire with CVI=0.775 was confirmed. According to exploratory factor analysis, the MTSQQ included 31 items and 8 dimensions (tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, exchange and travel facilities, technical and infrastructure facilities and safety and security). Construct validity of the questionnaire was confirmed, based on the goodness of fit quantities of model (RMSEA=0.032, CFI= 0.98, GFI=0.88). Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.837 and 0.919 for expectation and perception questionnaire. The results of the study showed that the medical tourism SERVQUAL questionnaire with 31 items and 8 dimensions was a valid and reliable tool to measure service quality of medical tourism in Iranian hospitals.

Improving student satisfaction of Andalas University Dormitory through Service Quality and Importance Performance Analysis

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Putri, Nilda Tri; Anggraini, Larisa

2018-03-01

Residential satisfaction of university dormitories serve as one of the significant aspects in the framework of sustainability in higher education. This research investigated the quality of dormitory services in Andalas University Dormitory based on student’s satisfaction. According to management residential, the enrollment of residential student has increased gradually in Andalas University. In 2016, capacity of residential student is 1686, but only 1081 students can stay at dormitory because some rooms in bad condition. There are a lot of problems and complaints regarding dormitory’s service quality i.e water problems, leaky rooms and bathrooms, cleanliness and inadequate facilities in residential college. In addition, there are 20% of last year student’s residential check out before the time of contract runs out. The aim of this research are understanding the level of GAP exists between expectation and perception students’ residential in the content of service quality and evaluating the improvement priority services using Importance Performance Analysis. This study is measuring service quality by using Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy, Reliability and Tangible dimension. A negative GAP indicates that the actual services are than what was expected and the GAP is highlighted area for improvement. Based on IPA, management should improve this following dimension services : responsiveness, tangible and assurance dimension.

Using the critical incident survey to assess hospital service quality.

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Longo, B; Connor, G; Barnhart, T

1993-01-01

This survey was designed to determine "standards of excellence" in hospital services as defined by (a) former patients, (b) physicians, (c) hospital employees, and (d) corporate insurance subscribers. One hundred forty-seven (147) patients, 188 employees, and 20 corporate subscribers were interviewed by telephone, and 52 physicians were interviewed in their offices. The interview consisted of a single question: "Can you think of a time when, as a patient/employee/employer/physician, you had a particularly satisfying or dissatisfying experience with a local hospital?" Reported incidents were reviewed, and 239 "critical incidents" were identified. These incidents were classified into 12 descriptive categories relating to the underlying factors in the incident reports. Six focus groups were later held with participants segregated by the population pool they represented. These groups were asked to develop definitions of "excellence" in hospital service quality and standards for service which would "exceed expectations." The focus groups created 122 standards of excellence, which were classified into 43 categories. Overall, the largest percentages of corporate, physician, and employee critical incidents were classified as "Administrative Policy" issues. Patients most often reported "Nurturing" incidents as critical to their perceptions of hospital service quality.

Expectations and perceptions of clients concerning the quality of care provided at a Brazilian hospital facility.

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Mendes, Isabel Amélia Costa; Trevizan, Maria Auxiliadora; de Godoy, Simone; Nogueira, Paula Cristina; Ventura, Carla Aparecida Arena; Furlan, Claudia Elizangela Bis

2018-02-01

To identify the expectations and perceptions of clients concerning the quality of hospital care provided to them and their respective companions at a private Brazilian hospital using SERVQUAL. The SERVQUAL questionnaire can provide information concerning expectations and perceptions of clients. In addition, it is able to identify the participation of frontline employees and how they contribute to the organization's end product (service delivery). In total, 172 inpatients for surgical reasons answered the SERVQUAL questionnaire. It consists of 23 pairs of statements, 22 of which are distributed into the dimensions of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. Statement 23 refers to the overall quality of care. Exploratory analysis, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and the kappa Coefficient were calculated using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences and SAS 9.2. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board at the Hospital das Clínicas at the University of São Paulo at Ribeirao Preto Medical School. Most participants had a bachelor's degree and were over than 60years old. Cronbach's alpha coefficients indicated good internal consistency (α=0.93) and high levels of agreement were observed (91.10%). The SERVQUAL questionnaire was sensitive to items in each dimension for which clients' perceptions surpassed their expectations. The continuous quality assessment of health services is mandatory for nursing leadership. The nursing leadership can further explore the SERVQUAL with a view to better attending to the clients' expectations. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Improving Service Quality in Long-term Care Hospitals: National Evaluation on Long-term Care Hospitals and Employees Perception of Quality Dimensions

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Kim, Jinkyung; Han, Woosok

2012-01-01

Objectives To investigate predictors for specific dimensions of service quality perceived by hospital employees in long-term care hospitals. Methods Data collected from a survey of 298 hospital employees in 18 long-term care hospitals were analysed. Multivariate ordinary least squares regression analysis with hospital fixed effects was used to determine the predictors of service quality using respondents? and organizational characteristics. Results The most significant predictors of employee-...

Quality Management of Services

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Yuriy I. Dreizis

2016-10-01

Full Text Available It is shown that services take the leading place in modern, post-industrial society. The world economy has passed the period of deindustrialization and became service economy. Fundamentals of service economy are not physical goods, but service. The special nature of service and its property demands the mechanism of management, other than physical goods. Ensuring necessary quality of the provided service is one of the main problems, which is put before the organization by peculiar properties of service. Therefore, quality management of service is the most important branch of management of the modern organization.

Calidad de los servicios universitarios: Una percepción desde sus actores en una escuela de negocios (Quality of services university: A perception from their actors in a business school

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Araiza, Maria

2015-01-01