SERVICE QUALITY AND STUDENT SATISFACTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION …€¦ · quality education services...

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International Journal of Management (IJM) Volume 11, Issue 7, July 2020, pp. 648-665, Article ID: IJM_11_07_058

Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/issues.asp?JType=IJM&VType=11&IType=7

ISSN Print: 0976-6502 and ISSN Online: 0976-6510

DOI: 10.34218/IJM.11.7.2020.058

© IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed

SERVICE QUALITY AND STUDENT

SATISFACTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

INSTITUTIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Saad Aziz Al-Otaibi*

Deanship of University Development and Quality

Umm Al-Qura University, 5662 Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Sha’ri Mohd Yusof

Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Wan Khairuzzaman Wan Ismail

Sulaiman al-Rajhi School of Business

Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Colleges, 51941 Alqasssim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

*Corresponding Author: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

This paper reviewed the literature in how service quality influences student

satisfaction in higher education institutions (HEIs) of Saudi Arabia. HEIs in Saudi

Arabia have the task of providing the teeming youth population yearning for high-

quality education services and also provide for the Saudi Arabia's manpower needs

for achieving its Vision 2030 programmes. Several studies on customer satisfaction

and service quality were thus reviewed. The review suggests that service quality and

student satisfaction are closely associated, and services quality tends to influence

student satisfaction. Also, it was found that all the five dimensions of the SERVQUAL

model impact on student satisfaction but at varying degrees. The review concluded by

recommending that universities in Saudi Arabia should endeavour to fulfil all the five

dimensions of the SERVQUAL model in order to meet student expectations and

thereby have a high student satisfaction rate.

Key words: Saudi Arabia, Student satisfaction, Customer satisfaction, Service quality

Cite this Article: Saad Aziz Al-Otaibi, Sha‟ri Mohd Yusof and Wan Khairuzzaman

Wan Ismail, Service Quality and Student Satisfaction in Higher Education Institutions

in Saudi Arabia, International Journal of Management, 11(7), 2020, pp. 648-665.

http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/issues.asp?JType=IJM&VType=11&IType=7

Service Quality and Student Satisfaction in Higher Education Institutions in Saudi Arabia


1. INTRODUCTION

Arab countries, including the Saudi Arabia, are facing tremendous challenges and changes in

all facets of life. In the case of Saudi Arabia, the Vision 2030 currently implemented in the

country has thrown significant challenges to country's HEIs by making them responsible for

producing the necessary human resources for development [1, 2]. This sends a strong message

for public HEIs to move forward by changing or revamping their management styles and the

traditional way they have been using for a long time as they are no longer useful or workable

in today's situations. The situation calls for even more action as globalisation and fierce

competition affect every industry and environment, including the higher education sector. For

HEIs in Saudi Arabia to achieve their objectives and maintain a competitive edge in the

current market. Therefore, they must implement modern management methods in a

sustainable manner [3, 4].

The Vision 2030 seeks to reposition KSA universities to be among the top 200 globally by

developing rigorous curricula whose implementation is monitored closely. The Vision further

seeks to align higher education outcomes with market needs, benchmarking professional

qualifications in all fields, and maintaining students records from kindergarten through higher

education [5]. A critical enabling strategy for the attainment of the KSA Vision 2030 is the

National Transformation Programme 2020 (NTP 2020) [6]. This programme was developed

"to help fulfil Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and to identify the challenges faced by government

bodies in the economic and development sectors" [6].

An aspect of the NTP 2020 relevant to this paper is the one relating to the Ministry of

Education. Based on the identified challenges facing KSA education, the NTP 2020 sets out

eight strategies for the Ministry of Education towards the achievement of the overall Vision

2030. These objectives are all geared towards enhancing service quality in education in the

KSA and producing satisfied students [6]. The objectives cover student education services;

recruitment, training and development of teachers; improvement of the learning environment

for creativity and innovation; upgrading of curricula and teaching methods; development of

students‟ values and core skills; provision of industry-relevant education; better education

financing; and private sector participation in the education sector [6].

In view of the foregoing, this paper suggests that service quality and student satisfaction

in the context of the Saudi Vision 2030 are closely associated and should be considered in

tandem in order to create the targeted engagement from students. This is underscored by the

literature which support the direct and mediated effects (albeit of varying degrees) of all the

five dimensions of the SERVQUAL model impact on student satisfaction. The review

concluded by recommending that universities in Saudi Arabia should endeavour to fulfil all

the five dimensions of the SERVQUAL model in order to meet student expectations and

thereby have a high student satisfaction rate.

2. STUDENT SATISFACTION

In the context of this study, student satisfaction is synonymous with customer satisfaction

which is widely studied in the marketing literature. Students are the main customers of HEIs.

Satisfying students' needs for quality education delivered through quality educational services

is, therefore, the main business of any higher learning institution.

The concept of satisfaction has been presented as a multidimensional construct [7]. It is an

extensively studied issue as the literature dates far back 1980s, and there seems to appear

much more studies on the concept now than ever before. However, there is over

fragmentation of the dimensions of the construct as detailed in Alves and Raposo [7]. Past

studies on satisfaction mostly revolve around the job, life, self, and patient satisfaction [8], but

now, the concept has been widely tested and applied including students‟ satisfaction in higher

Saad Aziz Al-Otaibi, Sha‟ri Mohd Yusof and Wan Khairuzzaman Wan Ismail


education [9-11]. As it has gained excellent research attention in education, there seems to be

disagreement as to what constitutes the dimensions and determinants of the concept. This is

demonstrated in many different conceptualisations and resultant differences in the

dimensionality of the construct as documented in the recent meta-analysis of Santini and his

colleagues [12]. This could pose practice challenge as to what HEIs could focus on to

implement.

Several scholars have observed that what brings about student satisfaction in higher

education is the issue of quality of service in the higher education sector [13, 14].

Consequently, to explain students‟ satisfaction in HEIs, research has mostly adopted the

service quality model of Parasuraman et al. [15]. This is a multidimensional model, yet

studies have adopted the model as a single unit (as a whole) to explain students' satisfaction,

yet it is a multi-component model. That makes it difficult to assess if some of the dimension's

matter to customers/students more than the other. Such a dilemma could pose practice

challenge. This current study has attempted to examine the relationship between the

components and students‟ satisfaction separately.

Student satisfaction is an essential element and one of the most critical characteristics for

organisations to maintain their sustainability and competitiveness in the industry. Student

satisfaction can be measured based on two characteristics which are past experiences and the

expectations and perceptions of a customer of the actual services provided by any

organisation and/or company [16-19].

Previous research has demonstrated clearly that the experience of customers plays a

crucial role in customer expectations and perceptions in evaluating service, and, at the same

time, generates a particular link between them [20-22]. It has also been observed that two

different characteristics of the satisfaction variable can be identified, transaction-specific and

brand-specific. Therefore, satisfaction can be limited to a specific purchase time [16].

Satisfaction refers to the degree to which a customer will experience an agreeable level of

consumption of a related fulfilment [16, 23]. Student satisfaction, technically, develops over

time and the right thing in this development is that it happens over a short time according to

experience with, and expectations of, the service provider. At HEIs, student satisfaction has

several definitions. Hoda et al. [24] have defined student satisfaction as an attitude which

arises from a student's assessment of the experience within a higher learning institution.

Similarly, Shin [25] describes student satisfaction as the personal result of the different

result and experiences at a higher learning institution. Several authors have looked at the

relationship between student satisfaction and service quality delivery. For instance, Andreasen

[26] propose that student satisfaction is the way by which a customer‟s perception is

influenced. Kahai and Cooper [27] have also argued that there is a link between student

satisfaction and negative word-of-mouth. Therefore, the less negative word-of-mouth, the

higher the satisfaction. This is in line with the theory of confirmation and disconfirmation [16,

28].

In order to provide high-quality service to customers, satisfaction is paramount.

Satisfaction is the feeling expressed by a person pleased by some service that meets or

exceeds their expectations. Satisfaction is the result of activity and expresses the meeting or

exceeding a level of high expectation. It is also observed through a purposeful performance of

customers seen at the end of the day [29]. According to Sapri et al. [30], customers are the

fundamental forces of any organisation, whether private or public. Therefore, the accuracy or

quality of any system used is determined by the customer [31, 32].

Student satisfaction can be generated when students have positive experiences in terms of

services. Student satisfaction with the services received from a college does not necessarily

mean that students enjoyed a high level of satisfaction, nor does it motivate them to continue



using the services provided by the college. More accurately, it can be said that satisfaction is

not the only element necessary to measure student loyalty [19].

3. SERVICE QUALITY

Service quality is one of the quality instruments that has attracted the attention of researchers

and practitioners in the field of management. It has been studied from various perspectives

and at different levels of analysis. Over the last thirty years, a plethora of literature has been

written in the service marketing arena. Most of the research done has paid attention to the use

of service quality across industries, cultures and organisations. However, defining what

constitutes service quality has generated a great debate since 1994. One of the earliest

definitions is that service quality is the level of distinctiveness between the customer‟s

expectations and those of another, and their experiences of the service in question [33]. The

definition of service quality has evolved to mean total and complete assessment of a precise

service that comes from comparing the performance of an organisation with the expectations

of the customer [34], a student in our case.

Service quality is defined as the overall assessment of service by the customer [35].

Service quality has also been defined as a global judgment or attitude relating to the overall

excellence or superiority of the service [36]. It is the customer‟s assessment of an entity‟s

overall excellence or superiority [37]. Service quality perception is the overall evaluation of

the goodness or badness of a product or service [38]. The degree to which customer service

expectations have been met is used as a basis for service quality conceptualisation.

Accordingly, Wan Zahari et al. [39] define service quality as the extent to which a service

meets or exceeds customer needs and expectations. This means that the principal objective of

service quality is not just to meet customer expectations, but even to go a step further, to

exceed them. Other researchers have argued that perceived service quality reflects the

difference between consumer expectations and perceptions [40].

Service quality is a tool which measures the dimensions of quality and the discrepancy

between expectations and performance [41]. However, although delivering a high quality of

the service and providing excellent customer satisfaction are must-do tasks [42], the need to

maintain momentum and continually measure service quality and customer satisfaction is

challenging, particularly for service institutions such as HEIs [43].

Table 1 Summary of service quality studies in the context of HEIs

Author & Year,

Article Title ROs/RQs Methodology

Variable

Dimensions

Findings

Green [44], Measuring

service quality in

higher education: A

South African case

study

To measure expectations

and perceptions of students

and staff to determine their

satisfaction of service

quality provided at Durban

University of Technology,

South Africa.

Used quantitative

research design by

adopting the

SERVQUAL model

adapted to a tertiary

environment which

contains five dimensions

of service quality

(tangibles,

responsiveness,

assurance, reliability and

empathy).

The study also used a

convenience sampling

technique in sampling

280 respondents from the

Durban University of

Technology.

DV

Customer

satisfaction at the

Durban University

of Technology.

IV

Service quality

dimensions i.e.

Tangibles,

assurance,

responsiveness,

reliability and

empathy.

It has been found that

on average, customers

had high expectations

about tangibles,

reliability and

assurance dimensions,

whereas their highest

expectations were

placed on the assurance

dimension.



Author & Year,


Variable

Dimensions

Findings

Hanaysha et al. [32],

Service Quality and

Students‟ Satisfaction

at Higher Learning

Institution: The

Competing Dimensions

of Malaysian

Universities

Competitiveness

To evaluate students‟

satisfaction of services

provided by HEIs.

The study adopted

Parasuraman‟s

SERVQUAL

dimensions. 1000

questionnaires sent out to

respondents

DV

Overall student

satisfaction of HEIs

in Malaysia.

IV

Service quality

dimensions which

are: tangibility,

reliability,

responsiveness,

assurance and

empathy.

The findings indicated

that the majority of

students are satisfied

with the facilities

provided by

universities.

Ramaiyah et al. [45],

Exploring the

Dimensions of Service

Quality in Higher

Education Research,

To examine the different

dimensions used and

applied in the process of

evaluating the service

quality in the higher

education sector.

The study used a

qualitative method.

DV

Dimensions used

and applied in

Malaysian Higher

Education sector

IV

Eight dimensions of

service quality

without any

specification

depending on

customer demand.

The outcome of the

findings indicates that

each set of dimensions

developed are relevant

according to the

different expectations

of customers.

Jusoh et al. [46],

Service Quality in

higher education:

Management student

perspective. A

monograph.

To measure service quality

performance of a faculty in

a public university.

Used stratified random

sampling of 229 students

employing a survey

instrument that measures

six dimensions of quality

attributes.

DV

Service quality

performance of a

faculty in a public

university.

IV

Six dimensions of

quality attributes,

namely: tangibles,

competence,

attitude, content,

delivery and

reliability.

Found that service

quality dimensions

affect service quality

performance.

Prasad and Jha [47],

Quality measures in

higher education: A

review and conceptual

model

To present a holistic view

of the factors that affect

service quality in higher

education.

A conceptual and review

paper.

Theoretical and

conceptual

It is found that different

factors affect service

quality.

Abdullah [48].

Measuring Service

Quality in higher

education: Three

instruments compared.

To test and compare the

relative efficacy of three

measuring instruments of

service quality namely:

HEdPERF, SERVPERF

and the moderating scale

HEdPERF-SERVPERF

To determine which

instrument had the superior

measuring capability in

terms of unidimensionality,

reliability, validity and

explained variance.

Conducted tests using a

sample of higher

education students

DV

Higher education

setting.

IV

Three measuring

instruments of

service quality, i.e.

HEdPERF,

SERVPERF and

HEdPERF-

SERVPERF.

Found that HEdPERF

instrument leads to

higher and more

reliable estimations,

criterion and construct

validity and superior

explained variance and

is overall a better

instrument than the

other two.

Beaumont [49], Service

Quality in higher

education: A students'

viewpoint.

To investigate perceptions

of service quality at the

University of Manchester.

Mixed methodology of

qualitative and

quantitative approach by

using Importance-

Performance Analysis.

DV

Perceptions of

service quality at

the University of

Manchester

IV

Several service

quality dimensions.

The United Kingdom

perceptions of different

service quality features

are involved as they

vary in terms of

importance and

performance.



Author & Year,


Variable

Dimensions

Findings

Pereda et al. [50],

Service quality in

higher education: The

experience of overseas

students.

To report on a study that

establishes and tests

dimensions for measuring

service quality in higher

education, focusing on full-

fee-paying postgraduate

students from non-EU

countries at one university

in the UK.

Using Lehtinen &

Lehtinen (1991)

framework. A Q-sort was

undertaken, followed by

factor analysis.

DV

Postgraduate

students are paying

full fees from the

non-EU countries at

one institution in the

UK.

IV

Service quality

factors:

recognition, quality

of instruction,

interaction with

faculty, the

sufficiency of

resources and

aspects of physical

quality

The study showed how

much significance the

students attached to

their university‟s

recognition.

Khodayari and

Khodayari [40], Service

Quality in higher

education, case study:

measuring service

quality of Islamic Azad

University, Firoozkooh

To identify the service

quality factors.

To describe researches

undertaken to assess the

quality of service provided

by a university in Iran.

Used questionnaires that

contain 22 questions with

a seven-point Likert

scale

DV

Services provided

by a university in

Iran.

IV

Service quality

factors.

The findings of the

study have indicated

that there is a gap

between student

perceptions and

expectations.

Kontic [51], Measuring

service quality in

higher education: The

case of Serbia.

To investigate the potential

to apply the SERVPERF

scale for assessing service

quality under the Bologna

process and Higher

Education reform in Serbia.

Survey technique in

which questionnaires

were distributed to 109

students of the faculty of

management at a Serbian

university.

DV

Students of Faculty

of Management at a

University in

Serbia.

IV

Service quality

dimensions such as

responsiveness,

assurance, empathy

and reliability.

The study suggests a

change of the proposed

scale, particularly on

the dimension of

responsiveness which

was found to be

different across gender.

van Schalkwyk and

Steenkamp [52], The

exploration of service

quality and its

measurement for

private HEIs.

1. To gain insight into

service quality concepts

and the need for service

quality leadership and

management at Private

Higher Education

Institutions (PHEIs).

To explore and validate the

values of the SERVQUAL

instrument for PHEIs

The research used an

exploratory approach.

DV

Private Higher

Education

Institutions (PHEIs)

IV

Service quality

instruments

Found that service

quality affect private

education institutions

Several factors inform students' satisfaction with the quality of the educational services

they are being provided. Gibson [53] has listed nine factors, which are quality in instruction,

quality in curriculum, quality in advisory services, quality in students‟ skills development,

quality in future-oriented programmes, quality in educational infrastructure, quality in

students‟ campus experience, quality student support services including financial aid, and

quality student enrolment processes.

4. SERVICE QUALITY AND STUDENTS SATISFACTION

It has been stated that in the last decade customer satisfaction has been dramatically affected

not only by the service quality offered by HEIs but also by the ever-changing environment of

the global markets. Therefore, success rests solely on service quality through which a higher



education institution can gain a competitive advantage over its counterparts [54] and service

quality is also observed as a critical element in this success [55, 56]. Service quality as a

driver of client satisfaction has been empirically demonstrated in the HEIs across the globe,

including the Middle East and Africa [57-60] in the banking and financial services industry

[61], and the tourism and recreation industry [62].

Table 1 summarises some relevant literature on service quality. Most of the studies listed

are relevant because of their use of the SERVQUAL model to investigate student satisfaction.

Service quality has been studied at various levels of analysis: local, state, regional and

international levels. The information contained in Table 1 provides empirical evidence for the

use of the SERVQUAL in service quality research with student satisfaction as the criterion.

Also, the summaries extend the time horizon of Lee's [63] study that supports the

SERVQUAL as the best instrument for measuring service quality in cross-cultural contexts.

HEIs are service institutions, and for this reason, the dimensions of service quality can be

measured in this industry [64, 65]. Since service encounters are many and diverse, researchers

such as Gronroos [66] and Parasuraman et al. [15] have treated service quality as a

multidimensional phenomenon. According to Parasuraman et al. [33], service quality

dimensions utilised by HEIs include reliability, responsiveness, customisation, credibility,

competence, access, courtesy, communication, tangibles and understanding clients such as

students. These dimensions have been amended by Ghobadian et al. [67] and Jusoh et al.

[46].

Table 2 Summary of service quality dimensions

Author and Year The Model of Service

Quality Dimensions

Bitner et al. [71]; Hill [72] Bitner‟s model of service

encounter evaluation

Expectations, Perceived service

performance, disconfirmation and the

relationship between consumer satisfaction and

Perceived service quality.

Beaumont [49] SERVQUAL Requisite elements, acceptable elements and

functional elements

Pereda et al. [50] Q-sort and factor analysis

model

Recognition, Quality of instruction, Interaction

with faculty, Sufficiency of resources and

aspects of physical quality.

Jelena [73] HedPERF and SERVPERF

models

Non-Academic Aspects, Academic Aspects,

Reputation, Access, Programme Issues

Kelso [74] SERVQUAL Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness,

Assurance, Empathy.

Kontic [51] Service Performance

(SERVPERF)

Assurance, Reliability, Responsiveness,

Empathy.

Đonlagić and Fazlić [75] Service Quality

(SERVQUAL)

Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness,

Assurance, Empathy.

Khan et al. [76] SERVQUAL Assurance, Empathy, Reliability, Tangibility,

Responsiveness.

Hanaysha et al. [32] SERVQUAL Assurance, Empathy, Reliability, Tangibility,

Responsiveness.

Jusoh et al. [46] SERVQUAL & SERVPERF Tangibles, Competence, Attitude, Content,

Delivery, Reliability.

Rasli et al. [77] SERVQUAL Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness,

Assurance, Empathy.

Khodayari and Khodayari

[40] SERVQUAL

Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness,

Assurance, Empathy.

Sultan and TaRaFDER [78] SERVQUAL Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness,

Assurance, Empathy.

Green [44] SERVQUAL Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness,

Assurance, Empathy.



While the original SERVQUAL had ten dimensions (Parasuraman, 1985), these get

reduced to five [44, 68]. The model used in this study were taken from Owlia and Aspinwall

[69] and Sureshchandar et al. [70] based on the observation that the assessment of service

quality by students is a crucial element for universities. Table 2 shows these dimensions.

Table 2 above contains a summary of the literature reviewed on the dimensions of service

quality. The second column provides the service quality model employed in the respective

studies. This is indicative of the variety of models available for determining service quality in

higher education. The most commonly used models are SERVQUAL, SERVPERF

(developed as a modification to SERVQUAL that implies a consumer attitude [79], and

HEDPERF (which focus on a specific form of service and solve the problem of the general

nature of service quality [80]. However, there are other models which are employed equally,

such as the Bitner [81] model of service encounter evaluation. The last column of the table

contains information on dimensions of service quality measured by the researchers. As much

as their chosen models vary, so do the dimensions of the service quality, which depend mostly

on the unique nature of the scholars and the contexts to which they are applied. A summary

description of the dimensions of the SERVQUAL model used in this study is shown in Table

3.

Table 3 Summary of the dimensions of the SERVQUAL model

Dimensions Description

Reliability The capability to implement the guaranteed service precisely and reliably.

Responsiveness Readiness to aid customers and deliver timely service.

Empathy Showing compassionate and individualised kindness to customers.

Assurance The capability of employees to show knowledge and kindness and their capability to

instil trust and confidence.

Tangibles Showing physical assistance to provide facilities and equipment.

The SERVQUAL model is a widely used measure of service quality in a variety of service

industries and applied in several countries [82]. Parasuraman et al. [15] hold that service

quality is the subjective perception of customers and is defined by the difference between

customer expectations and service performance. They developed a multidimensional service

quality model with ten dimensions. Subsequently, Parasuraman et al. [83] developed the 22-

item SERVQUAL scale with five dimensions: namely, tangibles (defined by the appearance

of physical facilities, equipment and personnel); reliability (the ability to perform the

promised service dependably and accurately); responsiveness (the willingness to help

customers and provide prompt service); assurance (the knowledge and courtesy of employees

and their ability to inspire trust and confidence); and empathy (the level of caring and

individualised attention the firm provides to its customers). It is noteworthy that service

quality consists of two elements: technical quality (based on the results of the service

encounter), and functional quality (which is focused on the internal procedures involved in

providing a service). The SERVQUAL model is structured on functional (perceived) quality

rather than technical (objective) quality [83, 84].

Service quality, which serves as an independent variable and is hypothesised to affect

student satisfaction, as explained by Athiyaman‟s [38] model of customer satisfaction. Service

quality is measured through its five dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, empathy,

assurance and tangibles, developed and validated by Parasuraman et al. [83] based on

Parasuraman et al.‟s [15] SERVQUAL model.

Student satisfaction refers to the perceptions of students regarding the services provided to

them by their faculties. Therefore, student satisfaction can be measured through their



evaluation of different sets of services they have received during their study at a university.

Student satisfaction is a product of students emotions, attribution and disconfirmation [38],

and can be considered as a criterion (dependent) variable. It can be seen that the independent

variable, service quality, is hypothesised to influence to affect student satisfaction. Thus,

service quality is hypothesised to have direct and indirect effects. There are two direct

influences of service quality, one on organisational culture as underscored by Cameron and

Quinn‟s [85] theory, and the other on student satisfaction as explained by the Athiyaman‟s

[38] model of customer satisfaction. The indirect influence of service quality on student

satisfaction is mediated through organisational culture, as explained using Cameron and

Quinn's [85] anthropological paradigm of culture based on its functional approach and

Weiner‟s [86-89] attribution theory.

5. DIMENSIONS OF SERVICE QUALITY

As explained earlier, there are five dimensions of service quality in Parasuraman et al.‟s [15]

SERVQUAL model. The SERVQUAL model posits that service quality and customer

satisfaction are two different but closely associated concepts, especially when considered

from within service context. Thus, several researchers have tested the service quality–

customer satisfaction relationship.

An overwhelming number of researchers working on different industries, including higher

education, have reported significant and positive relationship [60, 90-93]. However, most of

such research, albeit with few exceptions such as Famiyeh et al. [94], Galabo [95] and

Pakurár et al. [96], treated service quality as though it were a unidimensional construct though

the generally employed model is multidimensional, thereby averaging out their unique effects.

Also, it is essential to note that the five SERVQUAL dimensions do not exert equal influence

on customer satisfaction. Parasuraman et al. [97] are explicit on this when they say that “the

items under the five dimensions do not all contribute in like fashion to explaining the variance

in overall service quality” [97]. Indeed, several studies have reported different rankings

assigned by customers to the dimensions. For instance, Zeithaml et al. [98] consider reliability

the first and most important dimension irrespective of service context, but El Saghier [99] and

Ravichandran et al. [100] place it second. For Rosen and Karwan [101], reliability shares the

first position with tangibles. These dimensions are briefly examined below.

5.1. Reliability Dimension of Service Quality

The reliability dimension of service quality is related mainly to the outcome of the service

[102]. It concerns the ability to dependably and accurately provide the promised services in all

its quality ramifications [83, 97, 98, 103]. The reliability of a university as a service provider

projects a culture of dependability into the mind of the student who experienced such

reliability in a service encounter and vice versa.

A university with a high ability to provide promised service dependably and accurately

gives the student a positive picture of the university culture. The outcomes delivered to the

customer shapes the customer's perception of the organisation, HEIs in this case. This, in turn,

influences and boosts student satisfaction since the organisation fulfils its promises by

providing the services promised, which attracted the students to the school in the first

instance. Thus, if service reliability [service delivered] is salient to customers [104, 105], and

customer perceptions of organisational culture is crucial in the generation of customer

satisfaction [106], then it seems logical to assume a relationship between service reliability

and customer satisfaction.



5.2. Responsiveness Dimension of Service Quality

The responsiveness dimension of service quality largely relates to the service process [102].

Responsiveness defines the willingness and readiness of a service provider to provide

requested or self-initiated assistance customers promptly and courteously [83, 97, 98]. It is the

coordinated reaction and concerted efforts made by a service provider to meet customers'

needs on time and within the expectation of the customer [107, 108]. Failure in this regard

may portray a university in poor light. Thus, a responsive university informs students exactly

when a service will be provided and has put in place adequate mechanisms that provide

information and assistance to students in an accessible and user-friendly manner.

Students‟ satisfaction is tied to their perception about a university; and how quick, severe

and prompt the university is in attending to students' cases and affairs are part of their

experience at the school and a part of the factors that determine student satisfaction in the

long run. An organisation's image, its perceived organisational culture, may be built from the

thousands of incidences of responsiveness experienced by the customers. In other words, a

student who feels disappointed in the manner the university handles his or her issues or in

attending to them tend to feel dissatisfied with the services of the university. Consequently,

responsiveness is an important aspect of service quality and has an impact on student

satisfaction.

5.3. Assurance Dimension of Service Quality

Just like responsiveness, assurance dimension of service quality is also about the process of

the service [102]. This service quality dimension is a pointer to the knowledge, competences

and courtesy of an organisation‟s employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence in

the customer [83, 98]. Parasuraman et al. [97] state that assurance indicates the attitudes of

the employees and their behaviour, and the staff's ability to provide friendly, confidential,

courteous, and competent services. All these attributes, no doubt, influence customers'

satisfaction with the service provided; no matter how excellent the services are, customers

will feel some level of dissatisfaction if these attributes are missing in the service providers.

The process of service delivery in a university handled by confident and well-prepared

staff who demonstrate a high level of knowledge and common courtesy hardly fail to inspire

trust in students [109], and the aggregation of this trust forms the kernel of satisfaction with a

university‟s services and culture. This position is underscored by Kelley‟s [110, 111]

extension of the attribution theory which posits that behaviour (e.g., positive disconfirmation

of assurance given in the process of service delivery) causes the development of specific

values (e.g., customer satisfaction). Therefore, students tend to feel satisfied with the services

of a university with high assurance dimension of service quality.

5.4. Empathy Dimension of Service Quality

The empathy dimension of service quality concerns the process of the service [102]. Empathy

is caring, and individualised attention which the service providers give to their customers [83,

97, 98]. In the context of HEIs, empathy entails giving students individual and engaged

attention in a caring fashion, having their best interest at heart and helping them meet their

educational objectives [109]. Since students interests and needs vary, the essence of empathy

as a service quality dimension is individualised attention given to students [96].

However, as is the case with the preceding four dimensions of service quality, not much

has been done to establish the effects of empathy on customer satisfaction within the

education context. Thus, the researcher is constrained to draw Bass's theory of individualised

consideration [112-116] were paying attention to the individual employee's needs, sharing

his/her concerns while simultaneously helping him/her build self-confidence are the hallmarks



of transformational leaders. These characteristics are the direct reflections of an empathic

service provider. In a study on the implementation and use of e-services in public

organisations in Saudi Arabia, Alomiri [117] found that individualised consideration has a

significant positive effect (f2 = 0.400) on involvement culture, thereby supporting his

hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between individualised support and

involvement culture (β = 0.618, p < 0.001). Thus, Alomiri [117] concludes that

"individualised support contributes to the creation or manipulation of the culture of

involvement within organisations" [117]. This seems to suggest that empathy, just like

assurance, tend to influence student satisfaction and positively relate to student satisfaction.

5.5. The Tangible Dimension of Service Quality

The tangibles dimension of service quality largely associates with the service process [102]. It

is related to university‟s physical facilities, equipment and appearance of personnel [83, 98],

and cleanliness [118]. Thus, the quality standards of a university‟s tangibles determine

student's expectations and by extension, shape the student's perception of the university

culture. This will influence students' satisfaction too.

Thus, a university must strive to have up-to-date equipment, visually appealing facilities

and well-dressed and neat employees, especially the administrative staff in order to project

into the mind of the student that a progressive and student-centric culture exists in the

university. For instance, a combined reading of Bitner [81] and Bitner [119] shows that

tangible cues associated with physical surroundings and smartly dressed employees (where

services are produced and consumed) have a significant influence on customer‟s perception of

organisational culture. Also, Jiewanto et al. [120] and LeBlanc and Nguyen [121] have

identified the quality of service offering as one of the important cues shaping customer‟s

perception of organisational image (the unwritten and hidden aspects of organisational

culture). Their perception tends to influence their feeling of satisfaction since service quality

and satisfaction are closely related (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Therefore, the tangible

dimension too, could influence student satisfaction.

6. CONCLUSION

We have discussed in this paper the concept of service quality, and concept of student

satisfaction which is a variety of customer satisfaction. Both these concepts are interwoven

but differ. It was revealed that service quality influences student satisfaction. Several studies

on these concepts were reviewed, and the important findings of each were identified. Going

through the Parasuraman et al. [15] SERVQUAL model, it was found that service quality has

five aspects: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangible. Although all these

five aspects of service quality do not have equal the degree of influence on student

satisfaction, they all have an impact on it. Consequently, it highly recommended that HEIs in

the Saudi Arabia must try their best to fulfil all these five dimensions of service quality to

enable them to meet their students' expectations and if their needs would be satisfied.

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