Service quality as the source of competitive advantage in higher education: The difference between students´ expectations and perceptions

Renata Skýpalová; Helena Chládková; Chijioke Esogwa Nwachukwu; Hieu Minh Vu

doi:10.18543/tjhe.2662

Renata Skýpalová Ambis College, a.s. Brno, Czech Republic
Helena Chládková Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic
Chijioke Esogwa Nwachukwu Covenant University, Nigeria
Hieu Minh Vu Van Lang University, Vietnam

Keywords: higher education institution, service quality, student satisfaction, SERVQUAL model, competitive advantage

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to measure and compare the quality of services provided by higher education institutions in the Czech Republic and Vietnam. It is not the sheer volume of services offered, but their quality, which matters as a strategic tool enhancing the competitiveness in the tertiary education market. Feedback from student-clients is valuable to school management in their efforts to improve the services supplied. Samples of hundreds of students from the Czech Republic and Vietnam were involved in the research applying the SERVQUAL method. The five-dimensional questionnaire was administered, and the obtained data were analysed using descriptive statistics and t-test. The results show that Czech respondents are less satisfied with the service quality than their Vietnamese counterparts. In both countries, the quality perception in all dimensions was lower than expectations, the largest gaps being found in the Assurance dimension. Czech students placed the greatest emphasis on the Empathy factor, while their Vietnamese colleagues preferred the Tangibles dimension. To improve the quality of services, higher education institutions in the Czech Republic are advised to facilitate fast and unambiguous information transfer, ensuring comfort, security, and a supportive learning environment for students, with helpful staff willing to address their concerns.

Received: 3 January 2023
Accepted: 28 November 2023

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Renata Skýpalová, Ambis College, a.s. Brno, Czech Republic

PhD in Economics and Management is an assistant professor at Ambis College, a.s. in Brno in the Czech Republic. She achieved her doctoral degree in 2014 at the Faculty of Business and Economics of Mendel University in Brno in the field of Economics and Management with the title of the dissertation thesis: Corporate Social Responsibility concept. She is the Head of the Department of Management and human resources. Her research interests include human resource management, employer branding, small and medium enterprises competitiveness, and human resource development. She publishes mainly in the field of corporate social responsibility, and human resources management. She currently teaches human resources management, leadership, education and development management, and methods of personal works at Ambis College. She also has experience in conducting bachelor’s and master’s theses. She is actively involved in research projects in the Czech Republic and abroad, focusing on Corporate social responsibility (Visegrad fond), Policy Coherence, Metropolitan cooperation between cities.

Helena Chládková, Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic

Associate professor at Mendel University in Brno in the Czech Republic. She received her habitation in 2013 at the Faculty of Business and Economics of Mendel University in Brno in the field of Economics and Management with the title of habitation thesis: The role of the environment in the development of small and medium-sized enterprises. She is the Deputy Head of the Management Department. Her research interests include quality management, performance management, strategic management, SME competitiveness and human resource development. She publishes mainly in the field of business competitiveness and business performance. She is also interested in the processing industry, viticulture, and winemaking. She currently teaches general management, business management and integrated management at four faculties of Mendel University in Brno. She also has experience in conducting bachelor’s, experts, and rigorous theses. Under her leadership, 84 bachelor’s theses, 47 diploma theses and 7 dissertations were successfully defended.

Chijioke Esogwa Nwachukwu, Covenant University, Nigeria

International visiting scholar at Covenant University Ota Nigeria. He has over 15 years of industry and teaching experience in Nigeria, Czech Republic, and Mexico. His research interest falls within general management, strategic management, and entrepreneurship. He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Management and Economics from Mendel University in Brno. He has a number of scientific publications to his credit.

Hieu Minh Vu, Van Lang University, Vietnam

He is currently employed as a full-time lecturer at the Faculty of Business Administration at Van Lang University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. His expertise and research focus are on general management, strategic management, tourism management, sustainable tourism development and human resources management. He has over 16 years of industry and teaching experience in Vietnam. He obtained his Doctoral (PhD) in Business Management and Economics from the Mendel University in Brno. He has a number of scientific publications to his credit.

References

Al-Alak, Basheer, and Alnaser Ahmad. “Assessing the Relationship between Higher Education Service Quality Dimensions and Student Satisfaction.” Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences 6, no. 1 (2012): 156-164.

Alam, Md. Jahangir. “Effects of Service Quality on Satisfaction in Eastern University Library, Bangladesh.” IFLA Journal 47, no. 2 (September 28, 2020): 209–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0340035220959099.

Brochado, Ana. “Comparing Alternative Instruments to Measure Service Quality in Higher Education.” Quality Assurance in Education 17, no. 2 (April 24, 2009): 174–90. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880910951381.

Chládková, Helena, Renata Skýpalová, and Veronika Blašková. “Strengthening the University Competitiveness in the Czech Republic.” Tuning Journal for Higher Education 9, no. 1 (November 26, 2021): 127–55. https://doi.org/10.18543/tjhe-9(1)-2021pp127-155.

Chui, Teo Boon, Mohd Shukur Ahmad, Faezah binti Bassim, and Nurnadirah binti Zaimi. “Evaluation of Service Quality of Private Higher Education Using Service Improvement Matrix.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 224 (June 2016): 132–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.05.417.

Czech Statistical Office. “Data on Education of Foreigners.” Accessed April 21, 2022. https://www.czso.cz/csu/czso/4-vzdelavani-cizincu-n0g9gf7lks.

Czech Statistical Office. “Statistical Yearbook of the Czech Republic. Education. Universities.” (2021). Accessed April 21, 2022. https://www.czso.cz/csu/czso/24-vzdelavani-kr5w72abvz.

Datta, Khyati Shetty, and Julie Vardhan. “A Servqual-Based Framework for Assessing Quality of International Branch Campuses in UAE.” SAGE Open 7, no. 1 (January 2017): 215824401667629. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016676294.

Dethan, Minarni Anaci, Pius Bumi Kellen, Maria E. Tunti, and Anthon Simon Kerihi. “Competence Analysis of Internal Supervision Unit Auditor (SPI) in Nusa Cendana University of Kupang.” Proceedings of the International Conference on Tourism, Economics, Accounting, Management, and Social Science (TEAMS 2018), 2019. https://doi.org/10.2991/teams-18.2019.28.

Devebakan, Nevzat, Hüseyin Avni Egeli, and Nilüfer Koçak. “Evaluation of Service Quality Based on Student Expectations and Perceptions in Higher Education Institutions with Servqual Scale: A Research in Dokuz Eylul University Izmir Vocational School.” Yuksekogretim Dergisi 9, no. 2 (August 1, 2019): 201–12. https://doi.org/10.2399/yod.18.047.

Dinh, Hong-Van Thi. “Factors Influencing the Students’ Perceptions of the Quality of Education Services at Hue University in Vietnam.” INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES 32, no. 1–3 (January 15, 2021). https://doi.org/10.31901/24566322.2021/32.1-3.1157.

DOAN, Thuy Thanh Thi. “The Influence of University Sustainability Practices on Student Loyalty: An Empirical Study from Vietnam.” The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business 8, no. 10 (October 30, 2021): 177–85. https://doi.org/10.13106/JAFEB.2021.VOL8.NO10.0177.

Esechie, Godswill Ejeohiolei, Chukwuka Christian Ohueri, Siti Zanariah Ishak, and Peter Karubi Nwanesi. “Framework for Enhancing Students’ Smartphone Learning Ability: A Case Study of Nigerian Public Universities.” Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society 20, no. 2 (November 30, 2021): 213–28. https://doi.org/10.1108/jices-04-2020-0049.

Fajčíková, Adéla, and Hana Urbancová. “Can Higher Education Institutions Adapt to Students´ Preferences? A Case Study at the Czech State University.” International Journal for Quality Research 13, no. 3 (September 15, 2019): 721–34. https://doi.org/10.24874/ijqr13.03-14.

Gonzalez Aleu, Fernando, Edgar Marco Granda Gutierrez, Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes, Juan Baldemar Garza Villegas, and Jesus Vazquez Hernandez. “Increasing Service Quality at a University: A Continuous Improvement Project.” Quality Assurance in Education 29, no. 2/3 (July 5, 2021): 209–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/qae-02-2021-0020.

Griffioen, D. M., J. J. Doppenberg, and R. J. Oostdam. “Are More Able Students in Higher Education Less Easy to Satisfy?” Higher Education 75, no. 5 (September 4, 2017): 891–907. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-017-0176-3.

Grudowski, Piotr, and Katarzyna Szczepańska. “Quality Gaps in Higher Education from the Perspective of Students.” Foundations of Management 13, no. 1 (January 1, 2021): 35–48. https://doi.org/10.2478/fman-2021-0003.

Hanh, Nguyen Duc. “A Review of Issues of Quality Assurance and Quality Accreditation for Higher Education Institutions and the Situation in Vietnam.” Accreditation and Quality Assurance 25, no. 4 (July 11, 2020): 273–79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-020-01439-3.

Hasan, Hishamuddin Fitri, Azleen Ilias, Rahida Abd Rahman, and Mohd Zulkeflee Razak. “Service Quality and Student Satisfaction: A Case Study at Private Higher Education Institutions.” International Business Research 1, no. 3 (February 9, 2009). https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v1n3p163.

Huang, Xiaoqing, Zihua Li, Jiali Wang, Endong Cao, Guiying Zhuang, Fei Xiao, Caihua Zheng, et al. “A KSA System for Competency-Based Assessment of Clinicians’ Professional Development in China and Quality Gap Analysis.” Medical Education Online 27, no. 1 (February 9, 2022). https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2022.2037401.

Jadric, Ivana, Bruno Grbac, and Jasmina Dlacic. “Analysing Influences on Service Quality in Higher Educational Institutions: Role of Students’ Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators.” In Ekonomski Fakultet U Osijeku | EFOS. Accessed July 5, 2022. http://www.efos.unios.hr/red/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/06/RED-2020-Proceedings.pdf.

Khodayari, Faranak, and Behnaz Khodayari. “Service Quality in Higher Education.” Interdisciplinary Journal of Research in Business 1, no. 9 (2011): 38-46.

Kiatcharoenpol, T., N. Subvaranont, and P. Pachayamai. “Measuring Service Quality on Educational Services of Engineering Curriculum Using SERVQUAL Model.” 2017 IEEE 9th International Conference on Engineering Education (ICEED), November 2017. https://doi.org/10.1109/iceed.2017.8251184.

Kratochvil, Bohumil. “Boj o Studenty a Vietnamská Cesta.” Chemicke Listy 109, no. 5 (2015): 345-345. Accessed April 3, 2022. http://www.chemicke-listy.cz/ojs3/index.php/chemicke-listy/article/view/367/367.

Leisyte, Liudvika, and Don F. Westerheijden. “Stakeholders and Quality Assurance in Higher Education.” Drivers and Barriers to Achieving Quality in Higher Education, 2014, 83–97. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6209-494-9_7.

Lin, Shu Hsu, Hsing-Chen Lee, Ching-Ter Chang, and Changjui James Fu. “Behavioral Intention towards Mobile Learning in Taiwan, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam.” Technology in Society 63 (November 2020): 101387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101387.

Mahdiuon, Rouhollah. “Students’ Perceptions of the Quality of Educational Services of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran.” Strides Dev Med Educ 13, no. 1 (2016): 41-48.

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. “Act No. 111/1998 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions.” 2020. Accessed March 2022. https://www.msmt.cz/vzdelavani/vysoke-skolstvi/legislativa.

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. “Education.” Accessed March 10, 2022. https://www.msmt.cz/vzdelavani/skolstvi-v-cr/statistika-skolstvi/data-o-studentech-poprve-zapsanych-a-absolventech-vysokych.

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. “Education.” Accessed March 11, 2022. https://www.msmt.cz/vzdelavani/vysoke-skolstvi/prehled-vysokych-skol-v-cr-3.

Mohd, Ishak, Aeshah, Mohd Ali, and Mohd Farid Shamsudin. “Does Institution Ranking Influence Students’ Decision-Making to Enroll at Private Higher Education Institutions? A PLS-SEM Approach.” Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal (2021).

Naylor, Ryan, Mollie Dollinger, Marian Mahat, and Mohsin Khawaja. “Students as Customers versus as Active Agents: Conceptualising the Student Role in Governance and Quality Assurance.” Higher Education Research & Development 40, no. 5 (July 16, 2020): 1026–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2020.1792850.

Nguyen Duc Hanh, Hanh, N. D. “A Review of Issues of Quality Assurance and Quality Accreditation for Higher Education Institutions and the Situation in Vietnam.” Accreditation and Quality Assurance 25, no. 4 (2020): 273–279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-020-01439-3.

Nguyen, Huu Cuong, and Thi Thu Ta. “Exploring Impact of Accreditation on Higher Education in Developing Countries: A Vietnamese View.” Tertiary Education and Management 24, no. 2 (November 20, 2017): 154–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/13583883.2017.1406001.

Nguyen, Huu Cuong. “How to Fulfil Vietnam’s Higher Education Accreditation Strategic Plan 2017–2020.” The International Journal of Educational organization and Leadership 24, no. 3 (2018): 17–25. https://doi. org/10.18848/2329-1656/cgp/v24i03/17-25.

Nguyen, Minh-Ngoc, Statista Research Department, Nguyen, and Nov 7. “Vietnam: Number of University Students.” Statista, November 7, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/815091/number-of-university-students-in-vietnam/#statisticContainer.

OECD. “Education at a Glance 2016: OECD Indicators.” OECD, 2016. Accessed March 2022. https://doi.org/10.1787/eag-2016-en.

Owlia, Mohammad S., and Elaine M. Aspinwall. “A Framework for the Dimensions of Quality in Higher Education.” Quality Assurance in Education 4, no. 2 (June 1, 1996): 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684889610116012.

Parasuraman, A. Parsu, Valarie A. Zeithaml, and Leonard L. Berry. “A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research.” Journal of Marketing 49, no. 4 (September 1985): 41–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298504900403.

Pujol-Jover, Maria, Lola C. Duque, and Maria-Carme Riera-Prunera. “The Recruit Requirements of Recent Graduates: Approaching the Existing Mismatch.” Total Quality Management & Business Excellence 34, no. 1–2 (February 1, 2022).

Sachdev, Sheetal B., and Harsh V. Verma. “Relative Importance of Service Quality Dimensions: A Multisectoral Study.” 2004. Accessed February 2022. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/252640723_Relative_importance_of_service_quality_dimensions_A_multisectoral_study.

Sanjay, Soni, and Krishna Govender. “South Africa University Students’ Perceptions of Key Education Service Quality Determinants.” Problems and Perspectives in Management 16, no. 3 (September 7, 2018): 377–88. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.16(3).2018.30.

Schejbal, Jan. “Bída českých univerzit: Proč se ani 30 let po revoluci nedaří českým školám zařadit ke světové elitě?” Ekonom, 2020. Accessed May 2022. https://ekonom.cz/c1-66716910-bida-ceskych-univerzit.

Skýpalová, Renata, Vendula Hynková, and Monika Vencourová. “Trends in Strategic Human Resource Management: Employer Brand Attractiveness.” AD ALTA: Journal of Interdisciplinary Research 11, no. 1 (June 30, 2021). https://doi.org/10.33543/1101.

Snijders, Ingrid, Remy M. Rikers, Lisette Wijnia, and Sofie M. Loyens. “Relationship Quality Time: The Validation of a Relationship Quality Scale in Higher Education.” Higher Education Research & Development 37, no. 2 (July 24, 2017): 404–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1355892.

Soroush, Ali, Razie Toghroli, Farideh Moradi, Laleh Hassani, Teamur Aghamolaei, Nafiul Mehedi, Fatemeh Mahmoodi, Azam Faraji, AvaSadat Hoseini, and Behdad Ziapour. “Evaluation of the Educational Services Quality from the Viewpoint of Postgraduate Students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2019.” Journal of Education and Health Promotion 10, no. 1 (2021): 325. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_765_20.

Šouralová, Adéla. “An Educated Child as a Successful Fulfilment of a Migration and Parenting Project? Vietnamese Mothers, Their Children, and Educational Aspirations.” Social Studies 11, no. 2 (2016).

Springer, Mark Christopher, and Craig K. Tyran. “Assessing the Quality of Faculty- Delivered Individual Academic Advising.” Quality Assurance in Education 30, no. 2 (February 4, 2022): 236–50. https://doi.org/10.1108/qae-07-2021-0118.

Štimac, Helena, and Mirna Leko Šimić. “Competitiveness in Higher Education: A Need for Marketing Orientation and Service Quality.” Economics & Sociology 5, no. 2 (November 20, 2012): 23–34. https://doi.org/10.14254/2071-789x.2012/5-2/2.

Truong, Hung Van, Cuong Hung Pham, and Nhan Hoang Vo. “Service Quality and Students Level of Satisfaction in Private Colleges in Vietnam.” International Journal of Financial Research 7, no. 3 (May 13, 2016). https://doi.org/10.5430/ijfr.v7n3p121.

Vavrečková, Jana and Karolína Dobiášová. “Integration of Children of Foreigners from Third Countries on the Basis of the OECD PISA International Survey and Guided Interviews with Primary School Teachers.” 2012, VUPSV.

Yan Li, Chen, Soaib Asimiran, and Suyitno Suyitno. “Studentsr Expectations and Perceptions on Service Quality of E-Learning in a Selected Faculty of a Public University in Malaysia.” Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Educational Management and Administration (CoEMA 2018), 2018.

Yousapronpaiboon, Khanchitpol. “SERVQUAL: Measuring Higher Education Service Quality in Thailand.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 116 (February 2014): 1088–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.350.

Yusof, Abdul, Za’faran Hassan, Sofiah Rahman, a Arsalan Ghouri. „Educational Service Quality at Public Higher Educational Institutions: A Proposed Framework and Importance of the Sub-Dimensions.“ International Journal of Economics Business and Management Studies 1 (2012).

Zeshan, Ashi, Afridi, T., and Salman Khan, “Assessing Service Quality in Business Schools: Implications for Improvement.” In The 3rd International Conference on Assessing Quality in Higher Education (2010): 220-232.