Modeling the quality of services of higher education institutions in the context of sustainable competitiveness

The goal of the conducted research was to model the elements affecting the quality of services provided by faculties in the Republic of Serbia. The research was conducted on a sample of 1,212 students of both genders from 13 higher education institutions of the University of Belgrade, University of Niš, and University of Kragujevac. The analysis of the collected data was done using Rasch item analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis. The results showed that the analyzed model had good characteristics and that the applied questionnaire, with small changes in the item structure, can be used as a suitable instrument for assessing the quality of services provided by a higher education institution. Further evaluation of the applied model and questionnaire should be directed toward harmonizing the number of items by factors and meeting the requirements for better reliability of respondents' separation. The theoretical foundation of this study is grounded in service quality models in higher education, which assume that user satisfaction is shaped through the interaction of academic and non-academic resources, the characteristics of study programs, and the institution's reputation and image. The obtained findings confirm the relevance of this theoretical framework, as they highlight the multidimensional nature of service quality and justify the application of an integrated model in interpreting perceptions of quality within higher education institutions in the Republic of Serbia.