Service quality and relative performance of public universities in East Africa

Purpose – Service quality and relative performance of public universities in East Africa. Design/methodology/approach – Exploratory survey of three public universities in East African countries namely Moi, Makerere and Dar es salaam universities from three East African countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, respectively. Student perceptions are elicited on service quality and relative performance. Comparative analysis is done. A sample size of 450 respondents from a target population of > 50,000 is derived using a multistage sampling technique. Structured questionnaire is used to extract both nominal and ordinal data, the latter utilizing items anchored on a five-point Likert scale. Modified SERVQUAL and performance were standardized. Descriptive, one-way ANOVA, factor analysis, Pearson product moment correlation and multiple regression was used to analyze the data. Findings – Modified SERVQUAL dimensions were confirmed, centrality of tangibility and reliability established, while importance of responsiveness was disapproved. Relative variation in service quality and relative performance across three countries universities was found to be significant. Finally significant effect of service quality on performance of universities was also established. Research limitations/implications – Service quality and relative performance in higher education could be subjected to international verification and evaluation at the risk of cultural and contextual bias. Practical implications – The paper provides insights on the relative importance of service quality dimensions and their effects on relative performance. This guides practitioners on prioritization of the service quality dimension that are central to relative performance. Social implications – Knowledge of the key dimensions of service quality that are central to relative performance and their variation across institutional contexts guides institutions of higher education in fulfilling their social responsibility to customers by meeting their expectations in service quality. Originality/value – The value of this paper lies in the application of SERVQUAL model to higher education in an international context. Evaluation of link between service quality and relative performance, and also examining variation across universities under unique cultural and contextual situations.